Eleventh International Conference on The Inclusive Museum

Abstract

Given the chance to rebuild your museum from the ground up, what would you change? When unsafe environmental conditions forced the Canada Science and Technology Museum to close its doors in 2014, the team saw an opportunity. They identified priorities to ensure that when the museum reopened, it would better meet our visitors’ needs by redefining what a science museum could be. The exhibition teams embraced a STEAM (Science-Technology-Engineering-Arts-Mathematics) approach to content development, integrating the arts in meaningful - and surprising - ways. The exhibition teams challenged old definitions of what counts as scientific and technological heritage to include diverse perspectives, notably working in partnership with Indigenous communities. The exhibition teams made accessibility a priority, not only in design, but also in identifying new artifacts for the collection. Through the example of the Canada Science and Technology renewal, this study explores how broadening the scope of what you say and how you say it can increase inclusion in a museum in important ways.