2. Audience and Collections.
WHY
are museums changing?
WHO
is the ‘new’
demographic?
WHAT
can we do to attract
visitors?
‘Ye olde worlde
museum.’
3. New Methods of Engagement with
Textile Collections
Facebook
Instagram
Twitter
Blogging
Why
not games?
4. Games as a method of
engagement.
Games are fun, interactive, exciting and engaging.
Games can be used for educational purposes.
Games can be played individually or by a group.
Why not use games to 'entice' young people to learn
more about collections?
5. Games can be used to create....
Interactive
game
tables
QR Code
Games
6. Why not use games to 'engage'
audiences with textile collections?
WHAT IMPACT ON SOCIETY DID
HE HAVE?
Pictures (C) Imperial War Museums,
Palace de Versailles and Textile
Museum of Canada.
9. Air Raid Shelter ‘Experience,’ Stockport Museum
services, England.
WW2 Artefacts used in
the ‘Air Raid Shelter
Experience.’
‘Air Raid Experience,’
used games and
textiles to let visitors
encounter what a ‘real’
air raid experience
would have been in
WW2 (1939-1945.)
Re-interpretation of textiles
with a ‘living history’ volunteer
in a WW2 nurse’s uniform.
Pictures kindly provided by Stockport
Museum services.
Nature Trails: Pro’s: Can be used at any heritage site or museum site irrespective of size of site. Can be used with two/three volunteers or many volunteers. Can be self lead if no volunteers available.An interesting and interactive way to learn about the site you are visiting.A relatively inexpensive way to produce a ‘game’ for a heritage/museum site, textile collection or general collection.Living History volunteers or role play can be a fun and interactive element of a trail.Con’s:If the site is outside it is weather dependent.Also dependent on staffing/volunteer levels.If the site is advertised as having a game or trail available sufficient amounts of literature would have to be available for people to play the game.If the site is small the level of people shall have to be monitored to prevent over crowding/ disappointed visitors.Interactive Game Tables:Pro’s:Appeals to the generation of young people who use computers/tablets/smart phones every day.Interactive element makes the player learn without actually thinking they are learning.Fun, enjoyable, a group activity.Appeals to educational needs; an historic event can be demonstrated on an interactive table.Makes people stay longer in the museum, immersing themselves in the collection and what the ethos of the museum is. More likely to spend money in the shop/café.Con’s:Dependent on the level of computer literacy of the individual.If there is a power cut or the item is out of order for a time, what do you offer visitors?Many visitors in advance may have heard of your interactive game tables based on various aspectsof your collection.What if the game table needs updated with more up to date information/ supporting information?You would have to cost this into the initial up-keep budget of the interactive QR Code Games:Pro’sA fun and interactive way to interact with the gallery whilst using gaming to teach/inform visitors .QR Codes can be used to give more information of an object/era/person that an exhibition labelcan‘t convey due to limited text space.QR codes can be used to effectively as a gaming tool. If someone scans a QR code and watches the information and are prompted to move on to the QR code the person is immersing themselvesin the collection, spending more time in the museum and more likely to spend in the shop/café.Con’s:Dependent on Wi-Fi .Dependent on how many museum visitors shall actually have a smart phone/ scan the codes.If Wi-Fi is down what alternative do you offer visitors? Most won’t want to use their phonedata as it can be costly- especially if in a different country to the country your phone is registered in.