ICOM Massive Open Online Course: Creating Meaningful and Inclusive Museum Practices
On 29 November the first ICOM Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) will be online and available to all on the Future Learn platform: “Creating Meaningful and Inclusive Museum Practices”. The course will encourage museum professionals to explore a series of methodologies and strategies for social inclusion and community building that can be implemented to support wider cultural participation.
The course was coordinated by the Department of Capacity Building / Museums and Society of ICOM Secretariat, and the content was developed by Armando Perla (El Salvador/Canada) and Deirdre Prins-Solani (South Africa), heritage and museum practitioners with strong experience on the subject.
Using representative case studies and discussions with practitioners, academics and community members, this course presents methodologies and strategies, such as co-curation, oral history, community collecting, inclusive design and conflict resolution. It illustrates a vibrant and evolving museum practice taking place in different corners around the globe.
The 4-week MOOC proposes practices for museums to ensure the inclusion of people who, for whatever reason, have been denied involvement in mainstream economic, political, cultural, and social activities, such as the elderly, persons with disabilities, migrants, minorities, Indigenous peoples, members from the LGBTQI+ and ethno-cultural communities.
At the same time, the instructors will lead the students to participate in self-assessment and peer-reviewed assignments to encourage self-reflection and social learning.
The course will also encourage a reflection on the challenges faced by institutions and practitioners, so that participants can broaden their perspective on the role of contemporary museums in community engagement and equip themselves with the skills to develop meaningful and inclusive museum projects.
