Family Friendly Museums: Bethnal Green Museum of Childhood
The Guardian 2009 Family Friendly Museum Award is judged by families. The closing date for nominations is 29th August.Kids in Museums was founded when writer Dea Birkett’s family visited the Aztec exhibition at the Royal Academy, London. Her two-year-old son River shouted ‘Monster!’ at a statue that looked rather like - well - a monster. But rather than congratulating their young visitor for his early appreciation of Aztec art, River was thrown out for being too noisy.
Dea soon discovered her family wasn’t alone in being made uncomfortable when surrounded by objects and art. After she reported her family’s expulsion in the Guardian, hundreds of visitors wrote in to say they’d also been made to feel unwelcome in a museum. So Kids in Museums and the Guardian Family Friendly Museum Award were launched, determined to show how museums and galleries can and do get it right for families.
This story resonated with me, several years ago I took two 10 year old kids to Tate St Ives. The exhibition included installations, one was a floor installation, actually patterns set in to the floor and just so enticing, begging to be explored and walked on, and in no way fragile. There were no clear signs telling us to “Keep Off The Grass” so the kids did what came naturally. The po-faced telling off from “invigilators” set a cloud on the day, and two kids lost their enthusiasm for art. So we left, and took them on to the nearby beach to explore the biggest and most impressive floor- installation that nature has to offer.
My vote for a family friendly museum will go to The Bethnal Green Museum of Childhood. No po-faced invigilators here. Just the most welcoming and creative space imaginable. A true celebration of childhood, play and creativity, and very proactive in engaging the broadest diversity of people and families. It is an uplifting museum space, a little off the main London Museum map, but a real gem that offers wonderful insights into the history of play and childhood imagination.
Dea soon discovered her family wasn’t alone in being made uncomfortable when surrounded by objects and art. After she reported her family’s expulsion in the Guardian, hundreds of visitors wrote in to say they’d also been made to feel unwelcome in a museum. So Kids in Museums and the Guardian Family Friendly Museum Award were launched, determined to show how museums and galleries can and do get it right for families.
This story resonated with me, several years ago I took two 10 year old kids to Tate St Ives. The exhibition included installations, one was a floor installation, actually patterns set in to the floor and just so enticing, begging to be explored and walked on, and in no way fragile. There were no clear signs telling us to “Keep Off The Grass” so the kids did what came naturally. The po-faced telling off from “invigilators” set a cloud on the day, and two kids lost their enthusiasm for art. So we left, and took them on to the nearby beach to explore the biggest and most impressive floor- installation that nature has to offer.
My vote for a family friendly museum will go to The Bethnal Green Museum of Childhood. No po-faced invigilators here. Just the most welcoming and creative space imaginable. A true celebration of childhood, play and creativity, and very proactive in engaging the broadest diversity of people and families. It is an uplifting museum space, a little off the main London Museum map, but a real gem that offers wonderful insights into the history of play and childhood imagination.
posted by angela dove at 3:45 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home