Kids Takeover Day, Scotland, at Inverness Museum and Art Gallery
Issued by High Life Highland
Crown Primary School Pupils will run the City’s Museum and Art Gallery for a day
On Thursday 28 November, from 10am – 2:30pm, the team at Inverness Museum and Art Gallery will be joined by pupils from Crown Primary School in welcoming visitors to experience a unique, child’s eye view of the exhibits.High Life Highland is joining museums, art galleries and heritage centres all over the British Isles to celebrate ‘Takeover Day 2013’. Staff at Inverness Museum and Art Gallery are delighted to be able to welcome the schoolchildren to be their Kids Team for the day.
‘Takeover Day’ is a celebration of children and young people’s contribution to museums and galleries and historic homes. It’s a day on which they are given opportunities to work alongside staff and volunteers to take part in the daily running of their own local heritage centres.
Cait McCullagh, Assistant Curator for Engagement welcomed the initiative: “High Life Highland is committed to supporting creative learning opportunities for children throughout our region. Our Museums, Galleries, Libraries and Archive Centres provide unique environments within which children can actively learn about culture, heritage and the arts through speaking with experts and getting their hands on real artefacts, art media, original documents and images.
"We are delighted that Inverness Museum and Art Gallery is being taken over for the day as this gives us a great chance to find out what our younger visitors really value about the exhibitions and also to let them feel at home in their galleries. After all, these children are not only the visitors of today; they also hold the future of our heritage in their hand”’.
Elspeth MacKenzie, Head Teacher, Crown Primary School said: “We’re over the moon to be taking part in such an exciting learning opportunity! The experiences the children are gaining by participating in this project are ones that can transfer into so many other walks of life and the enthusiasm they’re showing about the project is wonderful to see."
She added: "The Curriculum for Excellence is all about offering wider opportunities, for helping children see connections across curricular areas and having experiences that are both motivating and relevant – that’s what the Museum Take-Over Day is providing for our pupils and they can’t wait for the 28th of November!”
Throughout the day, the Crown School pupils will be taking over all aspects of welcoming visitors to IMAG, including delivering special tours of the Ground Floor Gallery and the First Floor Art Galleries. The tours will be given by two teams of ‘mini-curators’. In the First Floor Art Gallery, the children will be offering their personal take on 'A Teddy Bear Story' exhibition from the V&A Museums, including stories about their favourite teddy bears in the show. The Ground Floor tour will showcase the children’s favourite objects in the museum. The children will be sharing the amazing facts and stories that have inspired them to choose these objects and inviting you to read their newly composed labels.
IMAG will also have a 'takeover' reception team, welcoming people to the museum alongside their Front of House staff, throughout the day. The whole day will be documented by a team of mini-reporters, who will be sharing news on the events of the day on the IMAG Facebook Page and the Crown Primary School Blog.
Throughout the day IMAG have invited local schools, family groups and pre-school groups to come and enjoy the experience of being in their museum! IMAG are delighted to be able to offer this opportunity for children to welcome their peers and show them just exactly what lights their rockets about Inverness Museum and Art Gallery. Come along and support these budding museum stars of the future as they share the museum and art gallery with you.