CAG on museums: Objects in the Great North Museum Mouse House

View of the Mouse House

The Great North Museum: Hancock Mouse House is an area of the museum especially laid out for younger audiences and families and is also the space where the Learning Workshop ‘Museum Mice’ takes place. It is run by a Gallery Interpreter who is very experienced and engaging on Thursday and Saturday mornings. It is a space where under 5 year olds learn through story telling, singing, and play.

 As part of the museum gallery space, it also houses actual objects from the collection such as taxidermy animals, items of general natural history, and ethnographic objects. The other day I had the chance to install a couple of new ethnographic objects while some really cute little kids scampered around my feet. I mostly attempted to choose interesting objects from the ethnography collection, but also rather hearty ones to stand the playroom nature of this gallery particularly.

Display case integrated into the Mouse House bookcase wall

African tourist souvenir mask now on display

Although the Mouse House space is mainly geared for child learning, it is a requirement that all children be accompanied by their parents and in that sense it is also important that museum learning for younger children also accommodates families as a whole. This can be as simple as providing a space where families are invited and welcome, providing interesting things to start conversations, and providing self-led and staff-led learning. There are a lot of factors of course that can aid or hinder family learning, but figuring out these issues has become an impetus of the museum learning programmes.

Glass jar cases

Taking a Nigerian headdress off of display

The goal for the objects that are installed in the children’s space is to provide an outlet for interesting conversations between adults and children that stimulates engagement and exploration.

 

Putting the Ugandan drum made of hide and wood into the glass jar display

Stabilising the object mount (with extra large clown gloves)