Abstract
Although some important advancements have been made in the inclusion of children and young people in museum practices, the cultural sector remains invested in a primarily didactic approach to museum education (shaped largely by adults’ concerns and expertise). This rhetoric, which assumes a lack of competence, is present within everyday working processes and trickles down to collections, exhibitions and narratives, which in turn contribute to much broader assumptions and misconceptions that influence young people’s lives. Through collaborative research with the National Trust and the International Slavery Museum, this research identifies key gaps in the representation of children and demonstrates how cultural institutions might begin to reframe these narratives through participatory practice, contemporary art and a more conscious approach to collecting. Situated within the newly emerging field of Children’s Museology, it identifies the challenges in this work: a paucity of objects along with the traditionally risk-averse approaches museums have adopted often leave the intersection between childhood, race, gender and difference untouched. A more supportive academic trajectory on children and coproduction is only just beginning to emerge. By drawing on the work of contemporary photographers, the paper presents one way in which museums might adopt an ethics of care to reflect on collections of black dolls and systemic racism experienced by Black children in post-war Britain. It argues that genuine change in these areas needs to be accompanied by a shift in how we value children, the inclusion of their perspectives, and the representation of their stories.
Presenters
Ceciel BrouwerResearch Associate, Research Centre for Museums and Galleries, School of Museum Studies, University of Leicester, United Kingdom
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Children, Representation, Children's Museology, Collaborative Research
