Dulwich OnView (DOV) is unique among museum blogs. Dulwich Picture Gallery’s blog is run, not in-house, but by volunteers from its Friends and the local community.
Why is DOV so different from other museum blogs?
Dulwich OnView – created 2 years ago – is not run by the staff of Dulwich Picture Gallery but by a varying group of Friends of the Gallery who live in the local community.
Not all posts are about Dulwich Picture Gallery
Of the 6 posts a week, approximately two are about the Gallery. The rest are about local culture, events, pubs, history, people, eccentricities….
DOV encourages everyone to contribute content. Although a limited number have editorial access, hundreds have written/photographed/made films for this hybrid blog/magazine.
How does DOV benefit Dulwich Picture Gallery?
It is an effective and free promotional tool.
DOV is discovered by people not looking for (and perhaps not knowing about) Dulwich Picture Gallery, who are introduced to the Gallery through the associated articles and numerous links.
In addition to what they might have searched for, visitors to DOV find independent reviews and comments by local people, on Dulwich Picture Gallery exhibitions, education classes, events etc.. Not being on the official website and so part of a marketing machine, they can be, as a result, a lot more believable.
DOV also has posts of what happens behind the scenes at Dulwich Picture Gallery and background personal stories of the staff – nothing they would find on the official Dulwich Picture Gallery website although often on official museum blogs.
The Gallery uses no resources and staff is under no pressure to submit regularly (the director writes or comments about every 2 months). The minimal costs incurred by the editors are covered by sponsorship, and all contributors are volunteers, so this promotional tool comes at no cost at all.
Contributors to DOV come from a far wider demographic than the visitors to Dulwich Picture Gallery. These contributors tell their friends about their articles (evidence in numbers of comments), who then in turn discover Dulwich Picture Gallery. Example written by a school leaver whose friends left 11 comments.
There are many examples of people all over the world (Australia, USA, Canada) finding articles and being put in touch with each other sometimes aiding academic research.
More about DOV
There is a rota of editors so comments are moderated, emails answered, information passed on immediately, even over weekends and public holidays.
The Dulwich Picture Gallery website links freely to DOV. The management trusts the editors and submits all control.
Dulwich Picture Gallery is often perceived as traditional and conservative. DOV helps to counteract this image and set the Gallery in the context of a local community which loves and supports it.
We believe this model is unique.
Review of the first year of DOV.
Loading ...
One Comment
Thanks for this reminder of what’s so great about Dulwich OnView, Ingrid. What’s also needs mentioning is that we have a great time doing it. Running and writing for this online magazine has meant that I’ve made loads of new friends – we managed the magazine in an informal way (usually over a glass of a wine and a chat in the pub!)
And as a writer it’s been great for me to have a place to try out new material and writing styles. I can’t believe how much DOV has changed my life.
Here’s to a fantastic 2010 for Dulwich OnView.