Abstract
Inspired by the concept of the “ecomuseum” and as part of its efforts to increase museum touchpoints in different parts of Singapore, the National Heritage Board of Singapore has experimented with a “decentralized museum network” approach fueled by strong community participation with the introduction of its Street Corner Heritage Galleries project. In a nutshell, the project aims to showcase heritage businesses, encourage stronger community participation, and activate public spaces in historic precincts. It involves the co-creation of a network of “mini-museums” which are co-curated with participating heritage businesses and located within their premises. These heritage galleries comprise showcases which feature community assets contributed by participating heritage businesses, content which highlight the history of these businesses and their trades, as well as regular programming such as guided tours and workshops. As part of NHB’s efforts to increase accessibility to heritage content, the content of all such heritage galleries is available in English, Mandarin, Malay and Tamil online. The project also involves building the capabilities of participating heritage businesses in basic curation, research and programming, in order to empower these businesses and position them as cultural co-creators and co-presenters. This paper focuses on Singapore’s Street Corner Heritage Galleries project and highlights the challenges and the key learning points arising from the conceptualization, development, and implementation of the project.
Presenters
Alvin TanDeputy Chief Executive (Policy and Community), CEO’s Office, National Heritage Board, Singapore, Central Singapore, Singapore
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
2023 Special Focus—Museum Transformations: Pathways to Community Engagement
KEYWORDS
Community Engagement, Community Co-Creation, Community Empowerment, Cultural Co-Creators and Co-Presenters
