Session 6: Children’s museums in the 21. Century

As part of our 21st Century Children project, which is generously funded by the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union, we want to evaluate our sector and explore shared characteristics of children’s museums. The aim is to pass this knowledge on to the community in order to help them to develop sustainable initiative. This session is designed as a training session for (children’s)museum professionals and policy makers alike.

Children’s museums, once designed as an alternative to the classical museum concept, are now confronted with a museum landscape in which children have become coveted costumers. While interaction and participation were once the distinct features of children’s museums, the hands-on principle now belongs to the standard repertoire of every state-of-the-art museum.

This impending loss of their prior exclusivity poses the question of the current relevance of children’s museums. How can children’s museum hold up against the rising competition of children’s programs in traditional museums? What are the strengths and the weaknesses of children’s museums compared to traditional museums?

Together with speakers who will present their unique approaches on creating children’s museums for the 21st century, we will reflect on their unique selling propositions and reassess the functions of this very distinct museum type in today’s world.

 

This session is featured in our free livestream and will be made available as a video as a free resource, to the general public.

 

Speakers:

Presentations*

* HO! does not own any of the presentations or concepts presented in the video. The content presented is the intellectual property of the speakers & the institutions they represent. The ideas and views stated in this video do not necessarily represent the views of HO!. Please note that some presentations held at the conference are not included in this video due to the owners copyright policy.