Strategies for involving museum visitors in creation of new exhibitions

The intensive development of information technologies, which negatively affects museum attendance, at the same time becomes a prerequisite for building a new model of interaction with visitors based on a participatory culture. The research focuses on the experience of the British museums “Beamish - the Living Museum of the North” in Durham and “Black Country Living Museum” in the West Midlands. Created back in the 1970s, they have become innovators not only in how to introduce the history of the region in a fascinating way, but also how to build their work by working closely with the local community. By creating new expositions today, they realize this together with the residents of their regions, using models of contribution, co-creation and collaboration. People can not only transfer memorabilia to the museum, which become exhibits, but also jointly decide which buildings will be recreated here and which stories will be told to visitors. In addition, volunteers become the creators of exposition objects, learning from their own experience the construction technologies that have been used in these regions for centuries. The participatory culture is called to contribute to the formation of cultural identity, patriotism, and ensure the continuity of generations. It seems that in Russia this experience may be in demand when creating or developing local museums in small towns and settlements.