We are a supportive network of working class museum people and active agents for change. We use our lived experience and sector expertise to address issues of inequity in museums and galleries.
In 2023 we are celebrating our 5th anniversary and reflecting on the work we have done with a new Curriculum Vitae.
History of the network
Museum as Muck was founded in 2018 as a response to the lack of working class people in museum, gallery and heritage organisations. Beginning as an informal community providing support and solidarity for working class museum professionals, we are now a formal network with over 700 Muckers spread across the UK and Ireland.
In addition to operating as a place of belonging for Muckers, we actively push to improve the socio-economic diversity of staff within the sector, along with new approaches to interpretation, programming and collecting.
With an expert and experienced steering group we devise and deliver interventions to enable these changes to happen. We would like to thank everyone that has been part of the steering group so far, your contributions are invaluable.
What do we mean by 'working class'?
For Museum as Muck the term working class describes people who come from a background of low social (who you know), cultural (what you know) and economic (how much money you have) capital.
Where does our name come from?
Museum as Muck is taken from the historically derogatory phrase 'common as muck' used to refer to someone deemed of lower social status. Us Muckers are common and proud.