See what others are saying and join the debate by emailing your response to greg@museum-id.com

Nick Poole, Chief Executive, Collections Trust:
I think that the idea of what a museum is, and what museums can offer to society, has transcended both objects and stories. Stories are one of several products of a museum, and objects and knowledge are two of the raw materials from which these products are crafted. But they are not the only products, nor the only materials. The motivations which bring people to the doors of a museum are incredibly varied and highly personal.

In classic marketing terms, objects and stories are *features* of a museum experience, but the real underlying motivation, the value someone gets from visiting one of these places is better articulated in terms of the benefits to them. People walk through the doors of a museum expecting to benefit in many different ways. They might be looking for distraction, for entertainment, for affirmation, for somewhere warm and dry, for something to keep the kids quiet for an hour. They might be looking as much to escape from their life as to have it reflected back to them. Equally, one of the joys of museums is that, whatever they came in for, they might find something completely different, something which surprises and delights, and even changes them for the rest of their lives (as the course of my life was once changed by a museum exhibit).

That thing might be an object, an unexpected association or a narrative, but equally it might be a piece of architecture, or a place or an encounter with another person. It might even be a good meal. To be trite, then, and at the risk of sounding like a New Labour apparatchik, museums are about people. We offer people an experience that is based on a combination of unique factors, of which objects and stories are only two. Another critical one is simply ‘museum-ness’ in the same sense that some people go to churches or parks because that is the kind of place they enjoy visiting, or because it is a good way for a stranger to orientate themselves and find comfort in a strange land.

I love the giddy thrill which comes from being close to a physical artefact which has played an incidental part in a defining historical moment. I enjoy the skill with which these objects can be set alongside one another to tease out a concept or theme or illustrate an idea. But while these things have been an integral part of some of my most enjoyable museum visits, there have been others where objects and stories have hardly featured at all. It is important for those of us who work in museums to realise that not everyone who walks through the doors does so to be improved.

Katy Tarbard, Learning Officer, The National Gallery, London:
I think that museums depend on both but more importantly on the people who bring both to life. Even when an object no longer exists (e.g many paintings have been lost over time to fire, war and other disasters) their importance can still be appreciated by others when their story is told by an enthusiastic individual.  I love the idea of passing stories on by word of mouth and that a museum can spread knowledge in that way without the object even having to be present.  On the other hand I also love the moments when you become stuck mid way through a talk because it can be so difficult to find words that can express what it is that is so uniquely present in the object itself.

Dr David Fleming, Director, National Museums Liverpool:
As the world of museums continues to evolve, and as the public’s expectations of us grow, it becomes ever more obvious that the role of objects is changing. Objects remain central to what we do, but increasingly the limits to their value as evidence is exposed. The role of objects in the International Slavery Museum is important, but as part of a range of devices that we use to bring the story of slavery and its legacies to life. It’s the stories that are crucial to our visitors.

Leigh-Anne Stradeski, Chief Executive, Eureka! The National Children’s Museum:
Most museums exist to collect, preserve, exhibit and interpret something of significant value that adds to our individual and collective understanding of the world.  It stands to reason then, that museums would use their objects to tell relevant and meaningful stories making both -- story and object -- of equal importance to the museum’s mission. 

But in my view, museums are not about stories or objects; they are about the people who use them, researchers, students, children, families, scholars, schools, community. Perhaps this is why I have always been drawn to the children’s museum movement, where the child is firmly planted at the centre of the experience and the objects and the stories build up around them, reflecting their needs, respecting their uniqueness and furthering their understanding of the world and themselves.

During the past quarter century, more and more traditional museums have moved in this direction and we have witnessed enormous and positive change across the sector and on a global level. Consultation with users is becoming the norm, encouraging their input into the content and delivery of museum exhibitions and programmes and helping to shape the final product. 

Most importantly, collections and the stories they reveal, are being used to inspire, inform and transform individuals of all ages and the communities in which they live.

Scott Billings, freelance journalist:
The appeal of museums for me is not so much that they hold objects collected and conserved over time, but rather that these objects embody *external* ideas, subjects or concepts. The objects prompt these subjects to be structured and studied - through curating and exhibiting - and then support the exploration of the subject with tangible evidence. The fact of the existence of the object in the case is almost always secondary to what it represents, for me at least.

One of the difficulties in exhibition design lies in balancing the desire for rich, detailed information (such as you might get in a study book) on the one hand and the need to offer an entertaining and open experience that will appeal to a wide range of audiences on the other. Add to this the practical and conceptual limitations of exhibiting objects from museum's store and the final space often lacks a full and satisfying coherence.

I have been musing for a while about the possibility of a Museum of Grand Ideas, or something similar, which would pick a theme every year or two, research it, build a narrative and an educational structure and 'write' the exhibition in an arresting and entertaining way. Then, loan applications willing, objects could be hand picked to bring these exhibitions to life. If the 'Grand Idea' were gravity, in would go Newton's and Einstein's notebooks, a Copernican orrery and so on. If the 'Grand Idea' were 'The Nation State' objects and media could show how notions of boundaries, territory and national identity have changed through history - a history lesson with great objects basically, but where the objects are tailored to the pre-written story, not the other way around.

As a writer with an interest in education, this focus on ideas, subjects and concepts and how they are presented - in other words, how it is written - really appeals. The objects provide the magic, but the story is where you start. Sadly, I suspect the Museum of Grand Ideas may not be practical and would be rather too costly without a wealthy and generous benefactor.

Steph Mastoris - Head of the National Waterfront Museum:
The boring and safe answer is, of course, that museums are about both. Objects are central to the very existence of the museum, but without telling stories about them the museum is just a storehouse. For me, the key issue here is much more about whether the museum's displays begin with the object or the story.
 
I feel that the concept-centred display is far more robust and logical than one driven by what is available in the stores. The imperative to inform that lies at the heart of the museum's purpose is best served when coherent narratives are on offer. Once these stories are established the museum's collections really come into their own by providing unrivalled sources of evidence. Indeed, such a clear narrative structure also enhances the more random inspirational powers that objects possess. 
 
It is so easy to say "let the objects speak for themselves",  but their language and their messages are often difficult to understand without a good narrative context. So we need museums that are story-driven, but object rich.

G-Gina Koutsika Head of Interpretation, Tate Britain:
Objects and stories are inextricably linked together. Objects evoke different meanings to people and those meanings - stories- change over time.
 
Julie Finch - Deputy Head, Museum of Bristol:
We live in a society that is fascinated with individualism, a focus on identity and understanding of 'self' from multiple perspectives. Consumerism has led to the development of a society that can express itself through individual iconology, values and beliefs.  There is a real focus on how we, as individuals, understand the world and our place in the world.  This is why the debate on stories versus objects is so prolific.  The question is what should museums be about, what is their focus and how do they fit with the needs of a wide range of audiences (collectively and individualistically)? 

Individual narratives, stories from personal perspectives, engage and provide points of resonance for individuals.  Whilst objects create debate, astonishment, interest, their provenance and impetus for collecting are significant to the story they tell.

Collective narratives, from multiple perspectives, provide a way in for individuals to gain an insight into the lives and view points of others.  Objects create collective impressions of a time or place or person/s or event/s or all of these things combined or just the objects themselves.

Invariable, our visitors expect more, they 'read' the world in multi-faceted ways, information is fed to society in so many different ways, society is fascinated by the lives of other people.  Understanding how 'things have changed over time and in some ways have not changed at all' is central to how audiences see the world. 

Most of all museums have a responsibility through their collections and the stories that are told to provide relevant and resonant visitor experiences that provokes questioning, the full range of human emotion, learning responses, and entertainment.  

Museums are about objects and objects provide the stimulus for story telling.  New collections and collecting will need to represent its audiences and be undertaken in appropriate ways to capture the story of the donor, the political, economic, cultural, technological and environmental perspectives.  Story telling must be presented from multiple perspectives, no one story should have more importance over another, each view point is valid.  Involving people in the development of new exhibitions, programmes and development of services will aide the decision making process in devising which objects to collect, who for and why and which stories to tell.

Art galleries should share the same principle, large national insitutions have a responsibility to understand their audiences and provide high quality, relevant, thought provoking displays.  Narratives that are targeted at community engagement and specific audiences are not a panacea for poor quality. 

Museums and galleries in the 21st century must be relevant, resonant and of a high quality - story telling prioritised with collecting - objects linked to narratives - narratives and objects meshed with society - high quality design and services that involve the public – and new collecting representing society today