ABSTRACT
Museums are undergoing rapid transformation as they respond to challenges such as social fairness, anti-racism, climate change, repatriation and decolonisation. For the most part, museums serve to affirm collective identities within a social milieu, often working with communities to develop and participate in collaborative artistic actions for the safeguarding of a collective heritage. This is not without its challenges and museums must now skilfully engage the communities they serve to effectively address educational and social issues affecting them while navigating issues of decolonisation, identity, and heritage. The following case study explores how the Museum of Belize, through the development of Houses of Culture, delivers cultural benefits to specific, geographically defined communities, demonstrating how museums can become a catalyst for community involvement, and transform representations of identity and cultural heritage outside the traditional museum.
