Sixteenth International Conference on the Inclusive Museum

Abstract

The Peranakan Museum in Singapore is dedicated to showcasing the culture of the Peranakans – a diverse community who trace their ancestry to foreign traders from China, India and the Middle East who married locally and settled in Southeast Asia from the 16th century onwards. The culture of the Peranakans is as cross-cultural as their origins suggest, and is evidenced in their food, language, clothing and lifestyle. While often called “Straits Chinese” and commonly believed to be mainly of Chinese descent, the community also comprises of smaller sub-ethnic groups such as the Indian and Arab Peranakans, who have retained their own unique cultural traditions and identities. The newly reopened Peranakan Museum centers these cross-cultural, multi-ethnic communities not just through the objects on display, but by also deepening engagement through innovative public programmes that feature them front and centre. This paper focuses on the Peranakan Museum’s approach towards co-creating programmes and experiences with its community partners, specifically exploring the outcomes observed and recorded during the conceptualisation, execution and aftermath of two major programmes at the Peranakan Museum in 2023, titled “Armenian Street Party” and “Community Voices”. We examine the impact that this approach has had on the museum’s practice, on the community’s efforts toward cultural preservation, and on our audience’s levels of engagement with our subject matter, and its potential impact on the future of our work.