Moesgaard Museum in Aarhus, Denmark, blends archaeology and ethnography in immersive exhibitions. In 2022 the special-exhibition RUS - Vikings in the East opened. The exhibition focused on the Vikings that fared east and amongst other places settled in present-day Ukraine. The exhibition gained unexpected actuality when Russia invaded Ukraine in February of 2022.
The department of Cultural Interaction and Education always try to find concepts that help the visitor unlock the central message. Everyone knows the Vikings were skilled traders. But skilled how? And traders of what? Few know that the Vikings were cynical, ruthless, and dreadfully efficient slave traders. In RUS our can-opener is the fact that almost everyone has an idea of what Vikings were; we wanted to debunk and reshape this notion.
We designed a guided tour, where the audience were enabled to see themselves in the history and most importantly; were challenged on their preconceived knowledge. We also designed a workshop-based course for schools and groups, where we cast the participants in the role of the Vikings. They were given specially designed wooden ships with a few resources and then “sailed” on the eastern route of the Vikings.
The point was to leave our audience with the understanding that Vikings were not exactly what they thought they were. But primarily we wanted our audience to become slave trading Vikings themselves. They were presented with all the aspects, using parallels, common references, and cost-benefits. We gave them several different choices on what to trade and how to go forward on their journey. Almost everyone chose without hesitation to trade slaves. Most were then taken aback by their own actions when we held up the hypothetical mirror.
The unexpected actuality of the war in Ukraine made the exhibition and subject far more sensitive. We had to pick up on the interest and questions of the subject and draw parallels to history. Amongst other things people really took notice of the fact that the first lords of Kyiv, the power center of the Rus Empire, were partially of Viking decent and had strong ties to Scandinavia. It gave the audience a stronger sense of connection to present-day Ukraine and the east in general. Many learned that Scandinavian history is founded in the same early medieval cultural development as is the countries in the Eastern regions of Europe.
Museums have historically upheld racism in the United States. It is only natural that some members of racial minorities have opted not to visit museums because they do not feel their heritage is accurately reflected. Culturally specific history museums arose from the need to preserve and exhibit the tangible and intangible historical heritage of certain ethnic and cultural groups that were excluded from traditional museums before the 1960s. Starting in the 1960s, the United States witnessed the emergence of culturally specific history museums. These institutions collect, conserve, and exhibit artefacts related to a specific ethnic or cultural group and highlights the histories, accomplishments, and struggles of the specific culture. Their intention is not only to present the history of said culture, but also to promote social justice (i.e. antiracism). By their very nature, culturally specific history museums present sensitive history that may elicit emotional reactions, such as remorse, astonishment, confusion, frustration, guilt, anger, shock, and shame.
Culturally specific history museums constantly interpret difficult history. The mere attempt to define “difficult history” is in fact controversial and has been subject to debate amongst academics. Various terms have been used to refer to “difficult history”, including “sensitive history” and “controversial history”, all of which have been used interchangeably by scholars. Ultimately, according to Gross and Terra ( 2018) difficult history is central to a nation’s history, refutes the broadly accepted version(s) of the past, connects with contemporary questions or problems, involves collective or state-sanctioned violence, and creates a disequilibrium that challenges the existing historical understanding.
Culturally specific history museums that interpret difficult history are beneficial elements to society because they foster citizenship consciousness. Citizenship consciousness refers to the awareness an individual has towards their role as an informed citizen and the desire to participate and contribute positively to the future of society.
It is imperative to recognize the importance of culturally specific history museums, difficult history, and citizenship consciousness as both independent concepts and as a whole. These subjects require further research to ensure that museums, as societal agents of change, have the necessary skills to present all aspects of history, both positive and negative.
Presentation explores design, methodology and public involvement approaches used in creation of an immersive multimedia exhibition in order to address the social problem of ‘gray zone’ violence. The project managed to achieve the most challenging task - to involve such a vulnerable audience as victims, aggressors and witnesses of violence and encourage them to talk openly. Integral part of the project was a specifically developed programme of public master-classes on how to cope with violence when you face it in your life. Such a complex approach to a museum project ensured its sustainability, unprecedented interest of the audience and a flow of tens of thousands passionate viewers. The project has won a prestigious Potanin Fund award for innovative projects in the museum sphere “Museum 4.0”.
Project web-site: https://nesomnoi.jewish-museum.ru/
The Tolerance Center flagship project “… Anyone, but me” launched in 2022, involved creation of an exhibition, interactive documentary series, a digital project and a public educational program.
The project is based on a documentary film whose 12 characters have experienced physical or emotional violence and decided to explore their experiences in front of the camera. They talk about abusive behavior, aggression, manipulation; bullying at school, on the internet or at work; parent-child, friend or partner conflicts and invite the viewer to discuss their stories or share their own.
The other part of the project is the stories of the viewers. After a person watches the film, they will be asked to tell about their own experience of emotional abuse. It is possible to record a video for the project or audio only. They can do this both online, on the project website, and offline, in the "Story Room", a special private space created for the project at the Jewish Museum. Inside the "room" is a tablet, a camera and a microphone. The stories will be published on the “…Not about me” project website (https://nesomnoi.jewish-museum.ru)
Each story is important so that through it and dozens of others we can find a language to talk about the violence that everyone is used to ignoring. Each personal experience can help others - and the experiences of others can help you.
This paper is an account of a pilot project designed by the Museum of Political Exiles of Ai Stratis in Athens, Greece and carried out in collaboration with the Open Care Centers for the Elderly of the Municipality of Nikaia in Athens. The Museum of Political Exiles of Ai Stratis (MPEAS) is a grassroots history museum that deals with a very traumatic chapter of modern Greek history. The island of Ai Stratis in the North Aegean Sea served as a site of political confinement between the 1920s and 1960s and is recorded as the site of exile with the longest use. The Open Care Centers for the Elderly (OCCE) is an institution established back in 1984 by the Ministry of Health and Welfare with the objective to offer health and social care to women and men over 60 years old. The aim of the project through cultural and learning activities, such as art workshops, museum tours and audiovisual content screenings, destined for the members of the OCCE of the Municipality of Nikaia, is to raise awareness about the difficult heritage of political exile, activate their memories and engage them in conversations about the past, art and community. On the other hand, the objective is to record possible benefits of engaging the elderly in educational programmes within and beyond the museum environment taking into consideration existing research. As this is work in progress, the obstacles faced, the particularities of such voluntary initiatives and some preliminary reflections will be shared with the hope that we can set clear the next steps.
The Immigration Museum in Melbourne plays a crucial role in exploring Australia's migration history and promoting social cohesion through its educational programs. This thematic paper explores the museum’s use of object-based learning and inquiry pedagogy to address complex issues such as immigration history, intercultural understanding, racism, and government policy.
The museum hosts 30,000 students annually, with programs tailored for students aged 8 to 16 (Years 3 to 10). These programs offer a safe space for discussing sensitive topics, using diverse pedagogical techniques suited to different age groups. Workshops cover challenging subjects such as asylum seekers, displaced persons, and refugees. For instance, the Seeking Refuge workshop helps students explore the history of immigration legislation and human rights issues using museum documents.
The museum also addresses Australia's early racist immigration policies, highlighting their social impacts and the shift towards multiculturalism in the 1970s. This historical context serves as a reminder of the ongoing need to combat racism, discrimination and exclusion in all its forms.
In 2024, the museum collaborated with the University of Melbourne to deepen the understanding of statelessness and integrate this topic into workshops. The education programs also examine the impact of immigration on Indigenous Australia, emphasizing historical injustices and the importance of reconciliation.
The Identity: yours, mine, ours exhibition encourages students to explore belonging and cultural heritage, challenging assumptions and promoting mutual respect. Students share their own stories, affirm their own identities and reflect on racism and prejudice in Australia, learning to value diverse cultures and beliefs.
Immigration Museum (Museums Victoria) holds the largest collection of migration-related objects in Australia, documenting the experiences of immigrants. The Immigration Museum’s education initiatives demonstrate best practice in exploring complex issues. Collaborative research projects with universities further enhance the museum's educational impact, using museums as sites for learning and fostering acceptance of diversity among young people.
https://museumsvictoria.com.au/immigrationmuseum/learning/school-programs-and-resources/
Add to Calendar
LiveOn
