Feature
Rob Walker On Child-Centric Museum Design
About this feature
In this Community Chest interview, Dominik speaks with Professor Rob Walker about a project on how children and young people view the design of museum and gallery spaces for learning. Key moments include a discussion on how children and adults remember museums differently, the use of interactive exhibits at Leeds Art Gallery, and a plan to involve young people in redesigning the Bridewell Museum in Norwich.
In this interview from the programme Community Chest, presenter Dominik speaks with Rob Walker, a Professor from the University of East Anglia. Walker discusses a project focused on how children and young people view the design of museum and gallery spaces for learning, noting conceptual roots in 1960s research on ideal schools. The conversation covers the use of multimedia and technology to create immersive experiences, such as the SS Great Britain's audio tours and the Savannah project's virtual lion habitat. Walker also highlights the contrast between official curator texts and the more emotional responses of children. Dominik and co-presenter Thordis Fredriksson play 'Harlem Shuffle' by Bob and Earl to encourage listeners to suggest a name for the project.
Topics
- Child-centric museum and gallery design
- The role of memory and personal resonance in museum visits
- Interactive and emotional responses versus official curator text
- Integration of multimedia and technology in museums
- Active and immersive learning for children
- The role of museums in preserving culture versus providing interactive experiences
Participants
- Dominik
- Rob Walker
- Thordis Fredriksson
- Thordis Fridvickson
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Because you know the curator's text is nearly always a title, the name of the artist, a date, and not much more than that. But the children's responses were much more emotional. You know, they were a real response to the painting.
At the moment, you know, museums and galleries still have those other functions which are very important about preserving culture and you know those big collections in the natural history museum of hummingbirds or beetles or whatever it is. That's a different sort of use of the museum.
How other people have responded to it, and in some sites that might be really interesting thing to do, especially where it's kind of social history. Okay, well, well, thank you very much. This was a interesting project. Unfortunately, we didn't have any name suggestions, but if if anybody has them later on, they can still email them.