Soft power working spaces and First Nation voices, museums and the power of attraction

Museums are often construed as spaces for intercultural dialogue. By deploying soft power principles on an international scale, they can transmit an interpretation of national identity using the power of attraction. Cultural production in museum spaces, however, is a complex negotiation process. By focusing on the experiences of the National Museum of Australia, we argue that soft power principles need to be embedded in the practice of cultural production within museums. The integration of First Nation voices in the interpretation of national identity can be construed as a unique barometer of the incorporation of soft power principles in postcolonial museum work.