Happy Place

8^thof December

The space I was allocated in the Museum, was a happy place. When I arrived a lady was beading beautiful necklaces from seeds and hand made paper beads. On the other chair, a young mother was breast feeding her 14 month old daughter. I knew the toddler was 14 months, because the minute before, the little girl was helping her mum with brushing the floor, and I enquired about the age of the her. There were musical instruments; Drums, and string instruments which where used enthusiastically later on that morning by visitors to play, and dance.I couldnt help noticing they were all very tactile activities.

The door was open, which led to a big grassy patch which upon traditional huts were build. The huts were constructed to celebrate a Common Wealth meeting in 2001. I had no idea that there were so many different types of traditional huts in Africa. Later I spoke to a guide from the museum about my Touch- Project and the fact that I am promoting more interactive Touch in museums, but, that, actually, the huts were a really good example of this philosophy; Everything inside the huts, the pots, the pans, the plates, the slippers, the animal skins, could be touched, and examined in an haptic way. The 'Do Not Touch' signs were nowhere to be seen, and all the objects could be freely explored. (see also images on Face-Book).I spend a very happy hour displaying objects for photographic images without anybody interfering ! The last time I was at the museum all the doors of the huts were firmly closed. Let's hope that this opening up of the huts is a trend that will continue. I like to think that, perhaps, my advocacy of Touch in Museums , and the discussion I had about the importance of this, might influence this decision....