Science because in today's world the development of scientific awareness, from conservation to education, is vital.
Society because we need to build bridges between the sciences and today's social concerns.
Science is part of our society – and today's societies speak with many voices.
A science and society museum : both thematic and multidisciplinary
Over and above their heritage preservation function, museums exist to discover, explain and communicate. The added value of the Museum of Confluences lies in this transmission of knowledge, this quest for awareness, this discovery of creative questioning.A museum aimed at a broad public
Who is the Museum for ? This question is fundamental to the cultural project of the Museum of Confluences. The aim is to retain the loyalty of visitors to our existing museums while attracting new ones. "The public" means many things, with socioeconomic factors determining not only people's interests and concerns, but also their ways of approaching the world around them. The use we make of museums is also influenced by our age and our education.Nor do we all learn in the same way. Some of us are meditative, others are hands-on or need eye-catching presentations. Implicit in this range of personal agendas is the need for openness and diversity in museum tone and layout. The Museum of Confluences must play an active part in disseminating scientific points of view and raising social issues, which in turn means taking a long-term approach. The Museum's impact will be greater if it is seen as a place to visit regularly rather than just occasionally.
Expanding the collections
The Natural History Museum already has substantial collections in the earth science, life science and social science fields. However, its innovative view of the global cultural field means these collections must be expanded, notably in the scientific and technical spheres. Overall planning is, of course, determined by the themes taken up in specialist and general-public exhibitions, and by predefined fields of research. The central point here is that the Natural History Museum is part of the Museum of Confluences 's overall cultural project: expansion must thus take the form of greater thematic range and greater depth.A thoroughly local, globally oriented museum
Situated in Lyon, in the Rhône Département, the Museum of Confluences has a clear obligation to reflect its immediate setting and contribute to local development in the cultural, social and economic spheres. Constituting the collections will take this into account, but it must not be forgotten that the residents of the département are also citizens of France, Europe and the world. Thus the Museum of Confluences will be a globally oriented part of a national and international network, the aim being awareness and knowledge of what is happening elsewhere.Exhibitions reflecting society's changing concerns
The world changes and knowledge changes with it. Thus one of the Museum of Confluences's duties is to provide points of reference. The Museum's ten spaces will each house a different exhibition, three of which will highlight the underlying thread of the overall cultural project : where do we come from, where are we going?, who are we?, and what are we doing?Genetically Modified Organisms, cloning, global warming, social behaviour patterns and geopolitics are just some of the current issues to be spotlighted in the Museum's temporary exhibitions.
The core of a cultural and scientific network
Research centres, industrial laboratories, universities, schools, cultural venues and various tourist bodies are working in conjunction with the Museum of Confluences : today they are contributing to its design, tomorrow they will enhance it with their experience, knowledge and savoir faire.The Rhône Département has opted for situating the Museum at the
confluence of the Rhône and the Saône rivers - a location charged
with symbolism as a place for meeting and sharing.