Abstract
This paper introduces the processes and initial outcomes of designing a mobile educational kit for Bogotá’s Colonial Museum. Affiliated with the Ministry of Culture, the museum preserves artifacts from the Hispanic colonial era. It has transformed into a vital platform, highlighting the need to reveal forgotten perspectives of the past and present. This engagement welcomes scholars and diverse communities to shape fresh narratives about heritage and culture. The museum partners with the School of Design at Universidad Politécnico Grancolombiano to co-create an educational kit. This kit aims to acknowledge the ancestral culture of the Arhuaco People in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. Embracing a decolonial viewpoint, students and educators employ the “Threads of Encounter” participatory design framework. This method incorporates museum staff, Arhuaco community members, and designers to forge educational resources rooted in the indigenous worldview. Employing this approach, six educational games are crafted, accompanied by visuals instructions and suitcase. These modules revolve around two core messages: “we’re equal, yet diverse” and “we can’t alter the past, but we can shape the future.” Prototypes are tested in the Arhuaco territory and resonate well with youngsters and the Mamu (wise leader) due to their respectful interpretation and potent communication. This process underscores collaboration’s potential among museums, communities, and academia. It reclaims marginalized narratives, fostering respect and preservation of cultural diversity.
Presenters
Politecnico GrancolombianoFacultad de Ingeniería, Diseño e Innovación, Escuela de Diseño, Politecnico Grancolombiano, Distrito Capital de Bogotá, Colombia
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
2023 Special Focus—Museum Transformations: Pathways to Community Engagement
KEYWORDS
Cultural Diversity, Participatory Design, Decolonial, Arhuaco, Didactic Suitcase
