Enabling Environments: museums - Imagine...

When we opened the doors to the National Museum of Scotland at the end of July after a three-year redevelopment, we in the Learning and Programmes team hoped that there would be families of all ages amongst the crowds. And we weren’t disappointed, with grandparents, parents, teenagers and overexcited toddlers flocking in. So, what’s on offer?

As expected, our revamped Natural World galleries remain a key destination for families, even without the lure of our new Tyrannosaurus rex cast skeleton, but we have also opened six new World Cultures galleries. Many of the objects in these new galleries had not been on display before, and we knew from speaking with family visitors early in the project that they felt less confident about this area of our collections. So, we decided to develop a gallery dedicated to families with children under eight, an inspiring space for them to actively engage with our World Cultures and Art and Design collections, as a starting point for exploring the other new displays.

IMAGINE

Imagine is a bold, bright space where museum objects are brought to life through music, stories, creativity and play. Children know immediately it is a space for them – colourful strips of light fill the roof void, and vivid swathes of red, green, yellow and orange vinyl cover the floor. Everything is a little bit nearer the floor, with peepholes, flaps to lift and slide, and spaces too small for grown-ups.

In the first hour after opening, 6,000 visitors flooded in and the look on the children’s faces made all our work immediately worthwhile as they engaged with the interactive experiences on offer.

After months of development, it was wonderful to watch small hands lift our giant ‘slices’ of teapot, selecting a yellow base, a red handle, an orange body and a yellow lid to create their own personal design, inspired by a tower of teapots from across our collections.
We tried to keep the written interpretation to a minimum but have included simple questions alongside the objects to encourage observation, ideas and opinions. They give adults a starting point for a conversation and allow older children to take a lead. ‘Can you find the biggest, and the smallest?’ or ‘Which one do you like best and why?’ are questions they can take with them to other galleries as they continue to discover together.

CELEBRATE

The ‘Celebrate’ area is introduced by a Chinese dragon suspended from the ceiling, created by artist Kim Bergsagel as part of a community engagement project with local groups. Of course, celebration is all about getting together and having fun, so here children can try on costumes from Africa, China and the Caribbean, play a range of percussion instruments and even dance on musical stepping stones.

Most of the activities are sensory, tactile, low-tech. One of the most popular areas is ‘Play’, which we developed specifically for toddlers. A low, curved bench has six hidden compartments containing toys, some from our collections and others more recognisable examples, like a finger-puppet story book and Mr Potato Head. The simple act of revealing these, by lifting or sliding a flap or opening a drawer captivates young children and entices them to investigate further.

This section also has age-appropriate toys, such as a play teaset, percussion instruments and baby board books. The built-in seating creates a safe environment for cruising babies and young toddlers, while giving parents and grandparents a much-needed chance to rest their feet!

STORY

Young visitors can also develop their own story-building abilities. One of the more unusual objects in the gallery is a silk sculpture of a sardine tin with a mermaid inside it, which forms the centrepiece of a jigsaw-based activity. Simple story elements are depicted in words and pictures for visitors to put together to create their own story of how the mermaid got into the tin, and what happened when she was found.

This is proving to be a truly collaborative experience within families, as younger children are led by the visual stimulation of the cartoon images and older ones enjoy piecing the words together in silly sentences.

When they want to move to a quieter space to relax, they can get comfy on a bean bag and enjoy Story Corner. This area features animal-themed objects from around the world, from tiles showing scenes from Aesop’s fables to tiny Japanese figurines in the shape of a tiger and a monkey. Visitors can also explore animal stories from many cultures through a wide range of children’s books.

We have also developed story bags to connect some of the books with objects elsewhere in Imagine and the wider museum galleries. As well as acting out ‘The Hare and The Tortoise’ with fabulous glove puppets, families can also test their knowledge of animal speeds with an information book and a flashcard quiz, before being encouraged to find the Animal Sprint activity in our Natural World galleries, where they can be part of a virtual race with a cheetah, a hippo and a crocodile!

So, is it working? Yes. We are already seeing plenty of repeat visits, and as one mother tweeted: ‘Can I have my family back please? Husband+2 last seen entering museum AM today. If they're staying for tea, I need to know.’

Claire Allan is Imagine Gallery Leader and Learning Officer, National Museum of Scotland.