Slipping through the cracks: Museums and social inclusion in Australian cultural policy development 2007-2010

This article explores the actions taken by the Australian Government during the period of 2007-2010 in regard to its proposal to develop a new national cultural policy. Despite its stated commitment to the creation of opportunities for the re-articulation of existing publics and the formation of new ones, the newly elected federal government's social inclusion and productivity policies did not, at any stage, seek to draw a positive or causal association between museums and social change. This was despite the museum sector's numerous attempts to communicate its value in precisely these terms to government. It was also despite the precedents for this policy initiative that existed internationally, particularly in the UK. This article explores the actions taken by the Australian Government during the period of 2007-2010, the international context within which these occurred, and the reactions generated by the museum and collections sector in response to the events.