Paper short abstract:

A recent survey indicates that 60% of the British public views the British Empire's history positively. Media debates about Britain's imperial past are ongoing. This paper uses audience research to explore British Museum visitors' attitudes to empire and their implications for future displays.

Paper long abstract:

A recent YouGov UK survey (July 2014) indicated that the British public views the history of the British Empire positively. Around 60% felt that the British Empire was more something to be proud of (59%) rather than ashamed of (19%). Debates in the media about the realities and legacies of Britain's imperial past are ongoing. This paper explores British Museum visitors' attitudes to empire and colonialism through audience research undertaken from around 2005 onwards. It will draw on three types of data: i) Qualitative formative and summative exhibition evaluations which provide glimpses into the attitudes of British visitors towards the subject of empire. ii) Recent audience research about overseas first time visitors' perceptions of the British Museum. iii) Analysis of visitor feedback via comment cards, email and social media posts that relate to imperial histories and colonial legacies. The paper will use this data to explore public perceptions of the relationship between the British Museum and the history of the British Empire. It will consider the implications of this for future redisplays of the British Museum's permanent galleries and special exhibitions.