Where do the children fit in?

Photographer: Leonard Gren

Where do the children fit in.

They carry the fire
As you once, as me once
(Lorne Munthe de Wolfe – Dick Hansson)

The title carries ambiguity in Swedish. One meaning is where the children physically gets in, another where they fit in. It is also the title of a song from the Swedish group Hansson de Wolfe United released in the 80`s.

This serves as a starting point for my first blog on learning, the museum and the exhibition medium. From my position as pedagogical coordinator in a governmental authority, the Swedish Travelling Exhibitions, I´m going to reflect on big and small regarding learning and exhibitions. Reflect on the role of the museum and thoughts brought to mind from different types of encounters. The Blog is also a way of means to use a modern way of communication to communicate a process of development in a governmental authority. Hopefully without being too governmental. And in a new blog every week.

Which roll should Swedish, and other, museums and exhibitions play in the year 2009?

In an ever speeded world, where distances shrink and speed increases, I mean that museums and galleries have an important role to play. From their heritage they should tell new stories and make the contemporary more understandable to people. This means that the visitor and the questions concerning the visitor should be in the centre when it comes to the development of Swedish museums and the exhibition medium. Hence my disappointment when I read the paper from the commission investigating new Swedish cultural politics. Where are the questions concerning the audience? Where does the children fit in?

Who produces exhibitions for children today? Many produce exhibitions where a pedagogical program is adapted to different age groups. But who produces exhibitions that satisfies their need to play? Offering an exhibition which is touchable? Who sees children as a prioritised target group with the same status as other target groups? I know that this is not a commersial or sexy target group but screw that, it´s an important target group. Where does the children fit in?

You out there making these exhibitions, get in touch!

Next week the blog will be about youth and the museum and a conference I`m going to attend in Bucharest which is about that. See you then!

Göran Björnberg
Pedagogical coordinator, The Swedish Travelling Exhibitions