Athens has been the second city chosen by UNESCO to hold its seminar on the Role of Education in Museums following that in Brooklyn. Were the issues less delicate than the ones museums have to deal with nowadays? What about the topics analyzed during the CECA annual conference in Nafplion and Athens in 1988 on the role of museum education departments from their implementation, their ruling and maintainance? Which role has the city of Athens played in encouraging the creation of new education departments in Greek museums and which difficult issues have they tackled? How have political difficulties been dealt with in the Greek museums in the 1970's and how important and crucial has Melina Mercouri's role been regarding museums and their role in society.For me all the new issues strongly discussed by all ICOM members towards the new museum definition were clearly present but not defined as they are nowadays. Going back to the report of the 1954 meeting and the proceedings of the 1988 conference show many examples of participation and inclusiveness much closer to the issues defended today than one might think. Today's so called problematic issues regarding gender, decolonization, racism, xenophobia which underline the new definition of the museum were they inexistent in 1954 and 1988? For me all these new issues were clearly present but not defined as they are nowadays. Going back to the report of the 1954 meeting and the proceedings of the 1988 conference show many examples of participation and inclusiveness much closer to the issues defended today than one might think.
This presentation discusses the museum education programme LUGAR(es)/PLACE(es) created by the Gulbenkian Foundation's Modern Art Centre Museum in Lisbon and the results of research carried out during the first year of its implementation (2022-23). It begins by presenting the raison d'être of this transformative educational programme, created in partnership with a visual artist and some of the Museum's neighbouring primary public schools. The programme considers how racism can be addressed through heritage and arts practices in museums to create habits of mind and critical, imaginative and reflective dispositions. The participants draw on works of contemporary art, the threads woven between them, and the historical narratives or places to question their preconceptions and certitudes on identity and different places (e.g., the place of speech). The work of this museum education programme takes place at the intersection between critical thought and art practices, visual culture and history, and the speculative imagination it facilitates about the identity, cultural context and images of the subjects/agents involved and their place in history. Data was collected from observations, interviews and journals of students, teachers and museum educators to identify how value is perceived and its transformative benefits. The paper will present some conclusions from this appreciative participatory approach to research, arguing that actions that use artistic practices, transpedagogy and aesthetic experience as a method lean towards the warmer side of cognition, i.e. cognition imbued with feeling, involving personal goals, motivation and emotion. From a framework of well-being, the creation of "restorative contexts" related to "emotional and cognitive effectiveness" and the recovery of attention, and therefore their "restorative/repairing" value, is also emphasised.
The Ephorate of Antiquities of Athens, Hellenic Ministry of Culture, designed the educational program "Θ-INK: graffiti as historical evidence and damage to ancient monuments" to sensitize students to issues related to the protection of cultural heritage. Θ-INK consists of five paths that unfold inside the archaeological sites of the Ancient Agora, the Kerameikos, and the Western Hills of the Acropolis. The young participants come into contact with "graffiti" in antiquity and understand the damage caused by modern graffiti to monuments and archaeological sites through interactive and experiential activities.
"In the Agora with the foreign resident Sikela," they search for ancient "graffiti." At the same time, in the Temple of Hephaistos, they discover engravings from the 19th century in a journey through time "With the travelers in the Theseion." At Kerameikos Gymnasion, the students participate in a dramatized dialogue. Finally, they explore the "Stories of engravings and graffiti in the City of Rocks" and enliven the worries of ordinary people "In the neighborhoods of the ancient municipalities of Koile and Melite... a special day in 335 BC." among the rich Mediterranean flora of the western hills of Filopappos, Pnyx, and the Nymphs.
Within the framework of an NSRF project, all multimedia educational material produced was digitized and made accessible online, while a special museum kit was created and made available for use by schools or interested groups all over Greece. During 2019-2023, more than 3,500 students attended the educational programs of the Θ-ΙΝΚ paths. This presentation will highlight the outcome of the evaluation process as it took place during their implementation with the support of teachers: their students’ perception of ancient "graffiti," the damage caused by modern graffiti, the value they attribute to monuments, and the protection of their cultural heritage; also, their own appraisal of the educational means and approach concerning the school curriculum, etc.
‘Speed Dating’ with Museum Practitioners
With the pandemic fading away, it seems like everyone is trying out new ways to meet people & with the rise of dating apps like Bumble /Tinder are endless! Nowadays young adults tend to communicate with each other mainly through social media and less with physical human approach.
The intention of ‘Speed Dating’ is to reach out to new audiences with a new approach.
This fresh approach program aims to give exposure and an opportunity to young adults reaching out to the field of museum practices. The panels are composed of specialists from museum-related institutions consisting of archaeologists, taxidermists, conservators, exhibitors, outreach pgrm staffs, museum guides, janitors & etc. who will share their experiences in their respective field. While it can be helpful for participants to learn about a person’s field work and where they’re from, the participants may benefit further. They can ask about their passions, qualifications and daily job routine. These questions can help the participants to get to know them on a more intimate level, even in a short time.
Each round (date) can last anywhere between 5 - 10minutes. The participants are free to choose & be paired up with any museum practitioner(s). During each round, they can chat with museum practitioners & get to know them and permitted to move around. Each round represents (a new date) with a different staff, allowing for multiple interactions.
Choose a Unique Venue: Explore the unconventional venues. Ideas include museums/school’s compound, gardens, rural area or any open space.
Establish the Dating Rules: The rules should promote respectful, appropriate & enjoyable interactions. Create a vibe that is casual &fun atmosphere. Use décor, music & other elements to set the right mood to ease students with social anxiety. At the end of ‘dating’ session, the students will get a flower and a balloon or chocolate symbolized ‘dating’ with museum practitioners. Taking the Museum Outdoors: It provides a breath of fresh air beyond the four walls & would immerse everyone in a more natural environment. This approach will offer a wide array of benefits & learning opportunities for participants of all ages &backgrounds. It could be applied to a focus group such as disadvantaged students, impaired kids and students from rural areas.
Related link : https://www.facebook.com/share/p/G6Muscia7cYWJznM/?mibextid=oFDknk
Commons Studies has traditionally dedicated itself mainly to the transition from Feudalism to Capitalism. Since the publication of the “Tragedy of the Commons” (Hardin, 1968), economists and policymakers have analyzed the practice of the commons as a system deemed unsuccessful. The economist Elinor Ostrom, in her 1990 book, “Governing the Commons: The Evolution of Institutions for Collective Action,” reviewed Hardin´s theory and demonstrated that the commons may function very well under specific rules and conditions. Her heirs from several academic disciplines expanded and deepened these studies based on concrete examples. From then on, the 2000s saw the exponential growth of Common Studies (Blomley 2004; Bollier 2003; De Angelis 2003; Elinor et al. 2002; Klein 2001, among many others). Such notoriety culminated in Ostrom´s Nobel Prize in Economics in 2009.
In its contemporary scope, the commons has been established as a practice of sharing not only resources or territories but also knowledge, struggles, and know-how (Bollier 2003; Elinor and Hess 2007; Hardt and Negri 2009, 2017; Stavrides 2010, 2016). It has settled itself as an alternative to Neoliberal enclosures and the marketization of every aspect of life.
In the cultural realm, the commons paradigm helps us reframe the social responsibilities attached to the museum´s existence and relevance. To maintain their pertinence in a world divided by profound inequalities, wars, and extreme political opinions, museums must address their responsibilities with clarity and action as their position as beacon institutions for society demands.
As Clifford (1997) states, museums can be “Contact Zones” where frictions and contentions can and should be debated. Cultural mediation´s ability to generate dialogical debate and critical reflection is vital in how museums should address issues of humanitarian urgency, such as migration, hunger, poverty, unfairness, and conflicts. Its intrinsic essence goes hand in hand with the principle of the commons, which, for its effective practice, requires democratic decision-making processes, a more horizontal relationship between individuals, and the recognition of each individual's contribution to the construction of a different society.
The present proposal for a thematic paper aims to reflect on how the Commons Theory can collaborate within Museum Studies to strengthen Museums' efforts to address the worldwide debates around complex or disputed issues.
dECOloniales is one of the several critical and decolonial initiatives developed by the memory subgroup of the Special Interest Group “Education in museums and decoloniality” CECA LAC - ICOM.
dECOloniales podcast project retrives the voices of the members of the Special Interest Group: Museum Education and Decoloniality of CECA LAC ICOM, who have devoted their personal and professional lives to museum education from a disruptive perspective, aiming to connect the past with the present and envision the future path sought to be experienced in community. They challenge colonizing educational practices to decolonize them. They also aim to create their own educational practice based on the experiences generated at the moment, as well as on everyday life experiences such as food, travel, music, protests, and words.
Considering professional life as inherent to personal life, since the colonial perspective has viewed it as a separate activity; however, feelings and emotions are part of who we are and what we want to build in this world we inhabit. Based on this idea, they conduct interviews, and through the podcast, they share each guest's memory with a metaphor describing their museum experience as part of their educational practice. By doing so, they listen to how they have formed emotional connections with others and realize that they apply habits that make them part of a world with its diversity that sets us apart but also unites us.
Other initiatives have emerged from the podcast, such as sonorous postcards portraying the team's experiences at the XVIII CECA LAC Regional Meeting and the dECOloniales Glossary that collects the local terms used in each episode, explaining their meanings for any Spanish speaker to understand their context.
https://open.spotify.com/show/7v7Fk5VHvgEc3FIXEgVcy2?si=da00ecda20854bb6
I would like to do a presentation about Culture Helps / Культура допомагає. Project grants for integration through culture. Our Education Department this year has won a tender. Thanks to this project we could offer regular museum learning events for Ukrainian children, have sought refuge from the war in Budapest. The name of the project is Inclusive and diverse art. We are convinced this artistic environment helps the social integration of Ukrainian families. This project aims to promote equal opportunities, equal access, inclusion and equity through artistic techniques and creative activities. These events also give families the opportunity to learn about the lives of the multifaceted artists and create opportunities for mutual acceptance and understanding. Diversity-friendly practices and methods help families to integrate. Aimed at families, the artistic activities would be held in the permanent exhibition of the György Ráth Villa (Art Nouveau – a Hungarian Perspective) and its workshop, and thus the relaxed, intimate atmosphere of a direct encounter with the works of art and the subsequent creative sessions would further their integration into the community. We believe that a museum is not only an environment that facilitates slowing down, contemplation and reflection, but a space as well where children can find pleasant sensory impressions and people who will listen to them. We are convinced this artistic environment helps the social integration of Ukrainian families.
The project also gives children the opportunity to try out different art tools and techniques at the family events. Throughout its course, the creative programme, which draws on the use of special and unique technical means, will clearly contribute to the development of social skills and provide positive experiences. It will further the social integration of the children, and boost their self-confidence. Creation, sharing, discussion and the expression of opinions at these family events will further the processing of traumas and the development of social skills.
The museum beyond its wider social role as described in its new conceptual definition (ICOM) has a therapeutic and soothing effect on different groups of people who face various physical, mental or emotional health problems. Using the appropriate interpretative method on presenting the museum’s exhibition, feelings and experiences find their expression through art and social and experiential identification is achieved.
The presentation at the ICOM-CECA 2024 annual conference with the theme " “Delicate topics, challenging audiences” aims to present the methods of approaching special visitors, as they are applied at the Acropolis Museum, and evolve through continuous evaluation and interaction. Best practices but also difficulties related to the preparation of the visit, the reception of the groups, their management and the achievement of the desired goals as well as the efforts to achieve equal access to the museum for all vulnerable social groups will be highlighted. It will also be examined how differences in age, language, gender, cultural and educational background, social structure, in a group of visitors instead of being an obstruction could turn into a tool to enrich the experiential museum experience. In the context of the long-term experience in the reception and hosting of special groups in the Acropolis Museum, the submission of proposals to deal with complex issues will be attempted.
All the above will be also featured by presenting the implementation of an educational program in the Acropolis Museum specially designed for unaccompanied minors living in hospitality structures, in collaboration with the competent unit of the General Secretariat of Vulnerable Citizens and Institutional Protection of the Ministry of Immigration and Asylum and the teachers of the structures. The program, based on the special characteristics, needs and interests of the group of children, mostly teenagers, is proving beyond doubt the benefits of consultation between museums and experts from other organizations and the necessity of multi-agency collaboration in managing complex issues.
The museum, except form being a cultural space exhibiting masterpieces of art, can also be a matrix of regeneration and unity of all people, ensuring equal opportunities, respect for the values of equality and multiculturalism, operating as a refuge where hope is cultivated and the future is carved out.
The poster describes the National Cultural Heritage Plan 2021-2026 and illustrates how a state, through a public plan focused on cultural heritage, can contribute to promoting necessary values for strengthening democracy, such as social justice, diversity, tolerance, inclusion, and community participation. ‘Together we make heritage’ serves as a provocative invitation to dialogue about our commonalities and differences as a society, emphasizing the importance of recognizing our heritage within its diverse contexts.
The Plan, a public initiative, coordinates and articulates the actions of the Chilean state regarding heritage, bolstering its management across eight dimensions. Through this poster, we showcase how this public management tool fosters a closer connection between heritage and the public.
The Heritage Plan is spearheaded by the Ministry of Cultures, Arts, and Heritage, orchestrating the efforts of 17 public institutions committed to 133 actions spanning eight heritage areas, with biannual progress reports. These initiatives aim to benefit individuals and organizations alike, influencing heritage management nationwide and underscoring the intrinsic link between heritage and communities.
The majority of these actions prioritize a rights-based, territorial, and gender-focused approach, with the potential to positively transform society by promoting social justice and local development, fostering community participation, advancing diversity and inclusion, and strengthening democracy.
Three years into its implementation, the Heritage Plan has completed 25.6% of its actions and has 72.9% of them in progress. The collaborative network formed among state entities as a result of this plan marks a significant stride in coordinating public access to heritage.
We encourage individuals to contemplate the fundamental principles and values required for heritage policies to address sensitive topics and effectively engage with diverse audiences. This introspection ensures the accessibility, inclusivity, and relevance of our cultural heritage, thereby fostering a more equitable and democratic society.
The National Ainu Museum (NAM), which opened in 2020, is the first national museum in Japan to focus on the culture and history of the indigenous Ainu people.
Ainu people are indigenous people who live mostly on Hokkaido Island, Sakhalin, and the Kuril Islands. In 2019, the Japanese government recognised the Ainu people as indigenous people by law.
Our mission is to spread proper recognition and understanding concerning Ainu history and culture worldwide and contribute to creating and sustaining new Ainu culture.
However, to date, there has been a lack of awareness in Japan of the history, culture and current situation of the Ainu people. The museum's exhibitions and educational programmes have been designed with sensitivity on ‘how to handle delicate topics’, since before NAM opened.
As part of its research activities, the museum has been continuously acquiring questionnaires since 2021. These have been analysed to identify visitor trends and to inform other aspects of the museum's operations. The surveys have yielded valuable insights into the motivations of museum visitors, their expectations of the museum and their prior knowledge of the indigenous Ainu people and Ainu culture.
In a situation where visitors to the museum may not have a comprehensive understanding of the current status of the Ainu people, their history and cultural trajectory, the development and implementation of guided tours in the permanent exhibition room has been designed as a way to enable visitors to take home messages about multi-ethnic and multi-cultural coexistence. The following presentation will introduce the contents of this programme.
This presentation will also introduce the content of this programme and the participants' reactions to it, as well as consider the case of 'guided tours as a tool for discussing delicate topics' in more detail.
https://nam.go.jp/
https://nam.go.jp/activity/event/holiday240413/
The mission of the Estonian Health Museum is to raise health awareness so the Estonian people are happier and healthier. The museum was established 100 years ago but the mission is the same from the very beginning.
During the soviet period the museum ceased to exist. According to witnesses, many of the museum’s exhibits were destroyed or stolen. In 1980, the museum was reopened in the rooms of the Tallinn Medical School with focus on physical health, later it moved to the present location in Old City and today the Health Museum is a very popular museum among families and school groups.
Despite the venerable age of the institution the situation with museum collections is pretty sad. It is a reason why the museum is functioning in a way close to the science center. It gives an opportunity to focus on raising health awareness as previously and develop exhibitions and educational programs on timely topics that are all around but uncomfortable to talk about, maybe even taboo. We talk about birth and death, mental health and addiction, sexuality, aging, etc and mediate the newest scientific researches and information with.
It is obvious that any topic considering the human body and health can become vulnerable because of the individual personal stories. What can we do to complete our mission and not course traumas but support visitors?
The aim of the thematic paper is to share museum strategies of mediation of the delicate topics in exhibitions and some examples on how we work with school groups to support formal school education. There will be pointed out some dissonance on the permanent exhibition between individual or family visitor and school group needs as well as different approaches to solve it.
Information on the homepage https://tervisemuuseum.ee/en/exhibitions-and-collections/pusinaitus/
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