“There's still a really long way to go, you know. F--- the patriarchy.”

When a visitor to ACMI's Goddess: Power, Glamour, Rebellion exhibition walked out of the gallery with that comment, Dr. Britt Romstad was delighted.

Britt is the museum’s Executive Director of Experience and Engagement. She knew that what visitors to Goddess took away with them from the experience was integral to understanding whether the exhibition met its objectives. This felt like an excellent start.

“As a publicly funded museum, it’s critical that ACMI provides programming that supports social cohesion and an experience that feels safe and welcoming for our visitors.”

It is increasingly important for arts and culture organisations to articulate the value and impact of their programs. Traditional KPIs and business measures don’t tell the entire story. This work is even more urgent if we wish to advance an agenda of social change by amplifying marginalised or excluded voices. 

Examining the critical reception and audience responses to Goddess, Britt discusses the challenges and rewards of focusing on outcomes rather than outputs.

Britt presented this talk live as part of Tessitura’s Innovator Series at the Tessitura Learning & Community Conference in Melbourne, Australia, in November 2023.