David Fleming, director of National Museums Liverpool (NML), has said that modern museums need to act as “agents of social change”, evolving from their more traditional counterparts to make visitors think more about their experience.

“First and foremost, we believe museums are educational and places for ideas and dialogue,” said Fleming speaking at the MuseumNext conference in Dublin. “At NML, we use museum structure, devices and techniques to do that. We believe in the power of museums to help promote active citizenship.”

Addressing a room full of museum delegates, Fleming outlined his vision for museums and the important role they play in starting discussions about sometimes difficult subjects.

“Acting as agents of social change is what our museum service is all about,” he said. “Wherever we work we try to have a social edge. We’re very conscious of our function as a museum. Some shy away saying they want to remain neutral but I don’t accept any museum is unbiased. They pretend to be neutral but they’re full of opinion, they’re full of bias. Even the most traditional museum is full of the biases of those who run it. They avoid covering topics which for me is a cop out. Everyone in this audience has an opinion and every decision they make influences their work.”

Discussing the traditional museum, Fleming said that model is outdated for a contemporary audience, with more expected from museums in the modern era.

“Traditional museum work was based around scholarship and looking after collections,” he said. “Modern society demands more of their cultural institutions. You need to be really about what your values are and what your mission is. If you do that it means everyone can have an idea of what it is you’re up to. Traditionally, old fashioned museums were a bit isolationist. You’ve got to work a lot harder if you’re going to engage society at large. Working through clear, values and clear objectives is what makes the modern museum magic.”

Fleming is firmly of the mind that museums can be used as a tool for education and that a good museum can change lives, something he has tried to do with NML.

“Museum’s aren’t just about running a ‘tourist honeypot’,” he said. “You are conscious of who your audience is, who your audience might be and who your audience isn't. You’re trying to be inclusive and do things that will win you friends and users. If you’ve got no audience you’re not going to change many people’s lives. I see museums as a way to look at the world differently for people like my family – none of whom have had any education to speak of but had museums there for them all the way through their adulthood.”

Check back with Attractions Management through the week for further coverage from the 2016 MuseumNext conference in Dublin Ireland.