CommunicationFriendly Museums

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Contents4 Foreword

6 The need for communication friendly spaces

8 Developing communication friendly museums

10 Benefiting from the changes

12 How to create communication friendly museums

18 Useful resources

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ForewordTalking to babies and children isvital to their personal, social andemotional development. It sits atthe heart of attachment andstimulates brain development. Andit’s not hard. Mum says “Yourgranny had one of those at home”whilst looking at a mangle.Granddad says “Can you feel howsmooth the old coin is?” andsomething amazing is happening.The benefits of talking to babies arelong-lasting for the individual, thefamily and the community. Howeverthere is significant evidence tosuggest that many parents andcarers are unaware of how this simpleactivity can profoundly benefit theirchild.

At a national level, organisations likethe National Literacy Trust, through the‘Talk to Your Baby’ campaign, aretrying to get the message across thatthis simple activity can change lives. In2008 the Government-commissionedBercow Review argued strongly for anincreased focus on support for thedevelopment of speaking, listening andcommunication skills of children. Thereare now high expectations that educationand health policy and delivery willrespond to its recommendations.

However the real difference will be made at thelocal level – as projects like Stoke Speaks Out aredemonstrating. All services that have contactwith babies, children and families need to knowthat they have a vital role in creating communitieswhere adults talk to babies and children inlanguage-rich environments.

It is impossible to overstate the potential ofmuseums in this context. They are echochambers of the community’s memory. Inmuseums the voices of past generations as wellas the experience of today can be heard. Theyare centres of story and identity. They stimulatetalk like no other community space. Where else isthe potential for intergenerational reminiscing sorich and stimulating? Museums make peoplechat. They have a unique role in supportingparents, grandparents and carers in talking totheir children.

Through this publication and the support ofNESTA, museums have an important new tool indeveloping their approach to supporting babies’and children’s early communication skills. Thepractical examples for developingcommunication-friendly exhibitions, interpretationand resources will support museums indeveloping new approaches in tune with therequirements of the Early Years and FoundationStage Curriculum.

If museums respond creatively to this challenge,they will be positioning themselves as a powerfulresource in addressing what is increasingly beingrecognised as a national priority.

Jonathan DouglasDirectorNational Literacy TrustJanuary 2009

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Developing good communication skills is now,justifiably, at the heart of Government policy foryoung children. The Early Years FoundationStage (EYFS) places emphasis on children asskilful and confident communicators, stressingthe need to develop language for thinking, as wellas language for communication. Communication,Language and Literacy, along with Personal &Social Development, are the only areas of theEYFS on which Local Authorities have a statutoryduty to report. Communication has also been akey component in Sure Start initiatives, with SureStart commissioning ‘Communicating Matters’ -a training programme which helps professionalsbecome more effective in encouraging andsupporting children's development ascommunicators.

The significance of good communication hasbeen carried into the Children’s Plan (seewww.dcsf.gov.uk) with a pledge ‘to increase theskills of the whole early years and schoolworkforce in dealing with children with speech,language and communication needs.’ All thisdemonstrates that the development ofcommunication skills in young children is nowrecognised as a fundamental issue. Allorganisations - including museums - are facingthe challenge of how best they can respond.

Communication is thefundamental life skill for the 21stCentury. It is central to children’slife chances, directly underpinninglearning, attainment, friendshipsand well-being.

Virginia Beardshaw, CEO of ‘I CAN’.

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Communication is at the centre of our lives.Without good communication skills, children canstruggle to make friends, socialise and learneffectively. The consequences of growing up withlanguage delay include low educationalattainment and poor job prospects. Morefundamentally, we communicate to ensure thatour needs are met, to indicate our likes anddislikes, to request information and to refutesomething, as well as to establish and maintainrelationships. The ability to communicate is thebasis of our social, economic and emotional well-being.

Communicating is a nationalissueIn 2008 the Government published the BercowReport into services for children and youngpeople with speech, language andcommunication needs. This Report argued that itis crucially important to raise awareness of theneed to regularly communicate with children fromthe very start and that children should besupported at every stage in their development.Bercow also urged people and agencies to workacross traditional boundaries to addresschildren’s communication needs.

Evidence illustrates that there isinsufficient understanding of thecentrality of speech, language andcommunication among policymakers and commissionersnationally and locally, professionalsand service providers, andsometimes parents and familiesthemselves.

Bercow Report.

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“The need forcommunicationfriendly spaces

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Communicating is a local issueLocal research, often initiated by Speech andLanguage Therapy Services, has discovered highlevels of language delay in pre-school childrenacross the UK. Local Authorities, charged withthe duty to report on progress in communicationskills, have been keen to support initiatives thatsupport families.

One such example is in Stoke-on-Trent, whereresearch in 2001 indicated that around 70% ofchildren entering nursery had a language delay.These shocking statistics led to the developmentof a joint initiative called Stoke Speaks Out totackle the causes of language delay in the city.Partners from education, health and voluntarysectors joined forces to create a long-term visionof ‘a city that communicates’, where childrenand young people are able to take full advantageof health, education and employmentopportunities. Each agency contributes itsexpertise to help resolve the underlying issuescausing language delay and to improve children'scommunication skills.

Many other similar examples are taking placeacross the UK. But where do museums fit in? It is

widely acknowledged that a fundamentalpurpose of a museum is to communicate and toencourage discussion. But can museums helpchildren develop language skills and supportcommunication between children and adults?

This booklet aims to explore the idea ofmuseums as communication friendly spacesdrawing on the experiences of the museumsinvolved in this project.

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within the partner museums and to inform theproject planning. Each partner took part in theresearch, which included baseline studies andextensive observation of visitors. Museum staffalso went to other museums to investigatepractice and attended training in early years andcommunication issues.

The inclusion of Stoke Speaks Out, a multi-agency partnership focusing on the issuesunderlying children's language deficits, wascrucial in ensuring that project membersunderstood the issues surrounding familycommunication. Stoke Speaks Out also providedaccess to groups of ‘difficult-to-reach’ parents.Following outreach sessions, discussions withvisitors and focus groups, gallery improvementswere piloted, installed, evaluated and refined.

External evaluation of the project has clearlyshown that museums have a key role to play inproviding safe, welcoming environments thatencourage communication and close familylearning.

Developingcommunicationfriendly museumsBackgroundDuring 2006-08, four museum services – ThePotteries Museum & Art Gallery in Stoke-on-Trent, Peterborough Museum & Art Gallery,Worcester Museum & Art Gallery and The NewArt Gallery Walsall - took part in a partnershipproject, funded by NESTA. What makes thisproject significant is that its central aim was toinvestigate how collections and theirinterpretation can be used to nurturecommunication between babies, young childrenand their parents. Working with partners, theproject came about in direct response to thecommunication needs in these towns. As wouldbe expected, the changes also helped themuseums become more welcoming places forfamilies with young children, especially those whowere infrequent visitors.

The project was led by Amanda Heath of Stoke-on-Trent Museums Service. It was supported bya NESTA mentor, Jo Graham, who is an EarlyYears and Museums Advisor. Early in the project,Dr Vicky Cave was commissioned to carry outresearch to identify barriers to communication

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The projects in briefThe Potteries Museum& Art Gallery, Stoke-on-TrentThe Potteries Museum focused on the River andHedgerow display in the Natural History Galleryand the ‘Frog Mugs and Cow Creamers’ displayin the Ceramics Gallery. Following theobservational research museum staff consultedwith existing Stoke Speaks Out groups andcarried out further observational research in thegalleries. This led to the changes that are now inplace such as comfortable seating close todisplays, a special animal puzzle, treasurebaskets and a tree that you can go inside. Trailswere also introduced to help navigate families toareas and to increase communication about theexhibits.

Peterborough Museum& Art GalleryAt the start of this project, Peterborough had aMini Museum, a dedicated space for under fives.It was beginning to look ‘tired’, so it was decidedthat the best elements should be moved into thegalleries so that there was at least onepermanent space to play and learn in eachgallery. Following recommendations from theresearch, Peterborough developed a fun EarlyYears trail where families follow dinosaurs aroundthe galleries. They also introduced boxescontaining costumes, puzzles and books, all ofwhich encourage exploration of the galleries,interaction between family members and increasethe opportunities for communication.

Worcester City Art Gallery& MuseumThe Talking to the Animals project gaveWorcester City Art Gallery & Museum anopportunity to recapture the enthusiasm of familyvisitors for a previous project Big Art for LittlePeople. It came at an important period of changeas staff planned how to bring collections andmuseum users more closely together to supportthe future of the museum building. Education,Collections and Visitor Services staff haveworked together on pilot ideas based on sharedobservation of how families communicate in themuseum. The work has resulted in a much wideruse of fragile collections in family activity sessionsas well as ongoing changes to the displays thatencourage families to share the visit experiencetogether.

The New Art Gallery WalsallWalsall wanted to revitalise its popular hands onDiscovery Gallery to increase opportunities forfamilies to communicate. Significant changeshave been made, including the introduction ofmore appropriate seating and tables, prop bags,a ‘beast’ for families to play with, puppets,musical instruments, games and costumes, andmore activities focusing on developingcommunication skills, as well as creative andartistic skills. All of the new activities relatedirectly to nearby art works and aim to focusfamily discussions on the collections.

If you would like to contact or visit the partners,details can be found at the end of this booklet.

My two girls love the Museum.We’ve been three times in aweek… and there’s somethingdifferent every time.

Parent (quoted after changes).

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Benefiting fromthe changesMuseums that took part in the project benefitedin a wide range of ways. Developingcommunication friendly museum spaces:

Increases visitor numbers

The museum in general isbeing very well used withincreased visitor figures of 51% in2006-07. In particular schoolholidays visitor numbers haveincreased rapidly and evidenceindicates that a major factor inrising numbers, family visits andcustomer satisfaction is the familyinteractive content…

Museum Manager

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The improvements to theMuseum for children to enjoy itmore are brilliant. It is so fantastichere now. Thank you so much forall the thoughtful things for the littleones to make it fun for them.

Parent

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The nursery rhyme theme overthe holidays has opened up a newenvironment for us to accessparents and families. Families seethis as a neutral environment, i.e.not school or a statutory place, sotheir feedback is good and theyhave enjoyed the experience.

Museum Learning Officer

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Increases dwell timeVisitors with younger children spent more timelooking at displays, they explored more of thegalleries and interacted more deeply with theexhibits.

Attracts more families from awider range of backgroundsChanging your interpretation to supportcommunication provides an opportunity to workwith local families and gives you something toadvertise to draw in new visitors. Following thesuccess of the initial changes, the educationteam at The Potteries Museum were invited tocurate a summer exhibition on nursery rhymeswhich attracted even more new families.

Builds confidenceAdults were more able to support their children’slearning in a museum. Families enjoyed their visitmore and became more independent in theirlearning.

By involving our parent andtoddler groups it has empoweredparents to have influence over theircommunity environments whichhas given them in turn confidenceand a feeling of being listened to -all good for their self-esteem.

Stoke Speaks Out Manager

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Gets families talkingThe evidence from evaluation showed thatchanges made through the project haveincreased the number and length ofconversations.

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We have become more awareof the impact and importance ofquality experience and activity onour visitors. Involvement in thisproject has inspired us to explorefurther the family experience ingalleries.

Museum Learning Manager

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Develops and inspires staffMany of the staff working on the changes havedeveloped skills in areas such as team-building,learning, gallery design, visitor services andevaluation. Staff have been inspired to explorenew ways of improving services and working withcollections. For example, at The PotteriesMuseum, Front of House staff were involved fromthe beginning with the initial creative ideasmeeting and assisted with the training day heldfor the partner museums.

The main thing Stoke SpeaksOut has felt from this work is that ithas opened up new opportunitiesfor parents and for joint working.

Stoke Speaks Out Manager

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of House staff into the decision-making role – [they feel a sense of]ownership of the project andhopefully, therefore, there’s morelongevity.

Member of Museum Staff

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Partnering in this way will raisethe profile of the museum as avalued quality learning environmentboth for families and forprofessionals.

Museum Learning Manager

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Helps your museum becomemore visitor friendlyThrough involving curatorial, technical and VisitorServices staff, the projects have increased visitorunderstanding across the organisations.

Involves communitiesThe museums found that local parenting groupsand Children’s Centres were keen to be involvedwhen they realised that their ideas and opinionswould directly influence provision.

Raises your profile locallyThe Potteries Museum in Stoke-on-Trent hasparticularly benefited through working with a localstrategic agency like Stoke Speaks Out.

Develops a greater range ofpartnersThe museums demonstrated their role as equalpartners in delivering local services tocommunities, which has since led to them beinginvited to contribute to other programmes.

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How to createcommunicationfriendly museumsThe following sections of this booklet aredesigned to provide some practical ideasand advice on how to develop museumspaces to enable families with youngchildren to communicate.

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Getting startedInvolve other museum staffPlan your improvements with partners and staff.Work with a broad range of colleagues so thatthey have a chance to contribute ideas. This willalso help everyone understand the thinkingbehind any changes to interpretation and themuseum environment.

Activities for under fives needto be embedded into the galleryexperience, with all museum staffunderstanding and engaged withthe purpose and impact of thisprovision.

Museum Learning Manager

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museums, as well as visits to othermuseums, provide us with detailedinformation on what stimulatescommunication between carersand children. This information canbe used to improve the boxes andtrail, as well as the development ofthe gallery based activities forfamilies.

Museum Learning Officer

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We have been able to supportthis work because we were invitedto attend. So many departmentsonly talk to people from their ownagency and so much opportunityis lost this way. Think outside thebox!

Stoke Speaks Out Manager

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“Learn from othersLook at the experience of other museums andheritage sites, as well as reading literatureavailable from organisations, such as the NationalLiteracy Trust or I CAN. Planning forcommunication is a good opportunity to consultlocal organisations or departments you might nothave worked with before. It’s also a good idea toinvolve your management as early as possible inthe planning to make sure of support.

Testing out the activities was agood way to reach parents andtalk to them about the project asmany of them had preconceptionsabout what a museum was likeand viewed it as a place theywould not feel comfortable takingtheir young child.

Museum Learning Officer

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Make contactGo out to a Children’s Centre, Stay & Play orToddler Group where parents and carers meetwith their children to discuss ideas. You can trialactivities to see which ones encourage families totalk together. After a few sessions, when theadults and children are more familiar with you,invite them to come to the museum. Offerincentives if you can, such as free family entry, agoody bag or a discount in the shop or café.

Assess your museum forcommunicationEvaluate your galleries with communication inmind and study children and adults usingobservation templates. Invite families from EarlyYears settings in to assess your currentprovision and to suggest modifications (you canuse these contacts again when you havedesigned prototypes and need to pilotimprovements). Activities that encourage youngchildren to communicate need to focus on thethings they are really interested in so invest timein watching them in the spaces you are planningto improve, and identify which objects attractand hold their attention.

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Prompt adultsPrompts for carers can be helpful but should beused carefully. They should not be tooprescriptive and should help the carer and childtake the initiative. Use open questions and wordswhich suggest activity, such as: ‘See if your childis interested in…’ and ‘Why not try…’. Avoid quiztype questions which only work if you can findthe ‘right answer’. The New Art Gallery Walsallplaced large vinyl text above several artworks toencourage carers to talk to their children aboutthe art.

Provide seatingTo promote, support and extend communication,spaces need to be inviting and bring carers andtheir children close to each other (not separatethem). If carers are able to get down to theirchild’s level, they are more likely to communicatewith them. Providing cushions, carpet squares,mats or appropriate seating next to the displaysencourages families to stay longer, look moreclosely and talk together. In a relaxing space,children are far more likely to initiate activities andcarers are more likely to respond. Put well-lit,comfy seating in the centre of an activity, directlynext to the related display. The Potteries Museumhas integrated low level domes into paddedbench seating. The seating has made the gallerymore comfortable and the domes invite familiesto explore the collections with little need for awritten label.

The message to parents is:

get down to your child’s leveland look at him when you aretalking to him.

Stoke Speaks Out website.

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Make people feelcomfortableTell people what to expectFamilies with young children benefit greatly fromknowing what is available specifically for them assoon as possible. Staff at the front desk shouldwelcome the group and give out information onarrival. This could be a verbal explanation, aleaflet, trail or activity pack. Publicity materialaimed at this audience, such as flyersannouncing special events or a section of thewebsite, is equally important. Staff may needspecific ‘welcoming’ training.

Be clearGood signposting, clear orientation and signallingactivities were all found to be successful ininitiating and supporting communication betweencarers and their children. This can be distinctsignage, icons to spot or activities in clearlymarked containers which target youngeraudiences. Create a clear ‘brand’ for activities sothat resources have a similar look and feel. Thisencourages participation from families as they willrecognise the identity of the resource assomething for them and seek out the nextactivity.

Help the adultsIf carers are unsure what to do, they tend not tointeract with their child and they may even movetheir child on if they themselves feeluncomfortable. You need to provide activities thatgive the adult a clear role and are intuitive to use.Knowing how they can help and what they can(and cannot) do helps carers relax. They are thenmore likely to communicate with their child. Clearlabelling or trails can help adults know what tosay as they engage with their children and thedisplays.

Many parents were worriedthat their children would breaksomething …so some werereluctant to let their young childrenout of their pushchairs.

Member of museum staff

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Think about yourspaceBe aware of physical spacesSpaces which encourage a child away from theircarer can be an important part of a galleryexperience but they are not useful in terms ofcommunication. Intimate spaces, such as placesto crawl inside for both an adult and child, on theother hand, encourage communication, as longas such spaces are welcoming and children donot feel forced in. Routes which are atmospheric,such as a themed corridor leading to anexhibition, also encourage closeness betweenadult and child. But be aware of making a spacetoo interactive or stimulating - if you do, parentstend to sit back and let children play.

The aspects which have anegative impact on child-carercommunication include: location ofactivity, inter-related activities notbeing together, distractions, noise,low light, hard floors, lack ofseating adjacent to activities, anyactivities that cause carers toworry about health and safety, andlack of clarity.

Talking to the Animals;Observational Research. July 2007.Dr. V. Cave

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Making a noiseMaking a noise is our first step towardscommunication. You can encourage carers tomake the noises of animals or machines for theirchildren to copy simply by providing the relevanttoys, puppets, hats and so on. However,

everyone finds excess noise disruptive. Theresearch showed that musical instruments forexample, whilst child friendly, can stiflecommunication. Too much noise will mean somegroups move away from an activity or peoplebegin to shout. Planning for quieter activities andusing sound absorbent materials in more noisyareas can help keep the right balance.

Keeping the conversation goingHaving things to take away providesopportunities for adults and children to talk abouttheir day later. This gives children the opportunityto explain what they have been doing to otherfamily members, providing opportunities for themto remember aloud. Family trails, stickers tocollect or drawings done at the museum can allprovide something to talk about at home. It isalso a good idea to build in photo opportunitiesso that the visit to the museum goes into the‘photo album’ to be revisited and remembered.

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TrailsThe research has demonstrated that trails arevery popular with both adults and children. Aftertesting ideas, Peterborough Museum hasintroduced ten dinosaur pictures placed aroundthe Museum to show each stopping point for adifferent activity, such as a counting, spotting orcomparing game. Before the introduction of thetrail, the team at Peterborough identified keyobjects that attracted younger users and gotthem talking. The Museum then piloted a rangeof multi-sensory activities that related to theobjects and developed the dinosaur character asa link on the trail.

My daughter really enjoyed thefootprint trail… so I think that thereis a need for more activities thatare on the floor.

Visitor (before changes).

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Give families things to dotogether

Open-ended activitiesTry to provide activities that are open-ended anddon’t have specific outcomes (but nonethelessprovide a sense of achievement). Open-endedactivities that involve exploring, problem-solving,creating and decision-making give real reasonsfor adults and children to talk together.

GamesThe opportunities for communication areextended where there are more chances for jointplay between adult and child. The museums inthe project found tea-sets and table settings,magnetic fishing games and fabric pictures workparticularly well. Shape sorters have also provedexcellent in prompting conversations: ThePotteries Museum used a chunky, 3D animalpuzzle where children push the correct animalthrough the animal-shaped holes. This giveschildren simple choices, it is fun and the seatingallows parents to sit with the child to help out.

Get familieslooking togetherLooking inLet children get close to the collections, even ifthey are behind glass. Ideas which work well arepeepholes, magnifying glasses, lifting flaps, cleardomes and exhibits where visitors can poke theirheads in. The Potteries Museum introduced afox’s den and dome cases integrated intoseating, all of which are immensely popular withvisitors. Providing things for visitors to peerthrough doesn’t have to be expensive. ThePotteries Museum put a small willow screen intheir river display, with a hole cut out. Peepingthrough gave children a ‘secret’ view of a duck’snest and prompted lots of family communication.

Looking throughInitial research found children and adults likedlooking at each other through display cases. Thissimple effect prompted people to communicatetheir pleasure and excitement. This idea was not100% successful in piloting but could still beworth trying as it seems to work, especiallywhere the cases are low and families can movearound all sides.

Getting closeChildren get really excited if they can touchthings, especially animals, large objects andunusually shaped items. They also love differenttextures and things that provide an unexpectedsurprise (a sound going off or something poppingout). Carers will respond by also touching andtalking about the object. This activity will workwith both easily recognisable objects, such ashousehold items, and more curious objects fromthe collections. You can hide objects behindcurtains or in ‘feely holes’ to add an element ofexpectation. Make it clear to visitors what canand cannot be touched – if things can betouched, make sure everyone can reach them.

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Using dice introduces a game to play, focused onthe collections. The Potteries Museum provided adice with images of six animals on and childrenhave to find the animal they throw.

Masks & hatsMasks, hats and headpieces encourage a greatdeal of communication between carers andchildren, both verbally and non-verbally. Ensureyou have some for the adults too as aninteresting hat for a child prompts play, whilstinteresting hats for both children and adultsprompt communication. The observationsshowed that putting on masks and headgearencourages both children and carers to laugh,make eye contact,make up games andto communicate in arange of ways.

‘Unpacking thebox’Observations showedthat having activities inboxes to unpacktogether encouragedfamilies tocommunicate. Theresearch showed thatthe boxes gave parents aclear role. Children reallyenjoy taking things out ofboxes and bags, showingtheir carers what theyhave found and talkingabout them. Severalthemed, family-orientatedboxes around the wholemuseum work well: Peterborough Museumintroduced four boxes, each made attractive toyoung children and each with similar content. Theactivities in the boxes give families theopportunity to take part in both structured andunstructured activities, and encouragedexploration of the galleries.

Reading storiesWhilst not all carers are comfortable readingaloud to children, most recognise a clear role forthemselves in sharing a book. Provide bookslinked to your collections and encourageconnections between the story, the pictures inthe book (or the associated props you havesupplied), and the displays. You can also try propbags, like The New Art Gallery Walsall, toencourage discussion and story-making aboutyour collections.

Drawing and tablesCarers will spend time with their children atactivity tables, working alongside them, chatting,encouraging and asking questions. Like many ofthe other ideas here, this type of activity providesa valuable, shared experience for both carer andchild. It is essential that suitable adult seating isplaced in these areas. Colouring sheets do notgenerate conversations as they restrict choicesand ownership, and, as a result, conversationtoo. They should be used sparingly, if at all.However, carefully designed drawing and makingactivities do support communication. Walsallintroduced new craft activities linked to their artexhibition and The Potteries Museum used paperoutlines of a cowcreamer and invited children todraw their own designs. In both examples, theadults were seen to talk to their children muchmore about the activity and to show the childrenthe actual artefacts nearby for ideas.

Matching activitiesProviding matching objectactivities which relate to thecollections will encourage acloser scrutiny of the displaysand will prompt carers toinitiate discussion. Animalfigures to match with theanimals on display workedwell at The Potteries Museumand a xylophone placedunder a stripy art workhelped prompt conversationin Walsall. The researchshowed that structuredgames, such as puzzles orcard games like snap,need to be carefullydesigned and pre-testedas they are not alwaysappropriate for the

youngest children.

...and finallyRemember to monitor developments bycomparing your findings with your initial baselinenotes so you can continually improve activitiesand displays. This will also give you evidence todemonstrate the difference the changes aremaking.

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www.ican.org.ukI CAN works to support the development ofspeech, language and communication skills in allchildren.

www.literacytrust.org.ukThe National Literacy Trust is an independentcharity that changes lives through literacy. Itswebsite has very useful section on ‘Resources’and ‘Useful Links’.

www.stokespeaksout.orgStoke Speaks Out is a partnership approach totackling the causes of language delay in the City.

www.dcsf.gov.ukThe Department for Children, Schools & Families.

www.dcsf.gov.uk/bercowreviewBercow Report website where you can downloadthe report and keep up-to-date with progress.

www.surestart.gov.ukThe section on research into early languagedevelopment is particularly useful.

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Amanda Heath, Education Officer.The Potteries Museums & Art Gallery.Bethesda Street, Cultural Quarter.Stoke-on-Trent. ST1 3DW01782 232323amanda.heath@stoke.gov.uk

Philippa Tinsley, Collections Manager.Worcester City Art Gallery & Museum,Foregate Street, Worcester, WR1 1DT01905 25371ptinsley@worcester.gov.uk

Pam Russell, Education & Learning Manager.Peterborough Museum. Priestgate,Peterborough, PE1 1LF01733 343329pam.russell@peterborough.gov.uk

Zoe Renilson, Education Curator.The New Art Gallery Walsall.Gallery Square, Walsall. WS2 8LG01922 654403RenilsonZ@walsall.gov.uk

Janet Cooper,Stoke Speaks Out Programme Lead,Stoke Speaks Out. c/o Stanfields Nursey,Dollys Lane, Stanfields,Stoke-on-Trent ST6 7AW01782 234501

Jo Graham Learning Unlimited Director.jo.graham@learning-unlimited.co.ukwww.learning-unlimited.co.uk

Useful resources:

Contacting the project partners:You are welcome to contact or visit the partner museums to discussthe project.

NESTA is the National Endowment for Science, Technology& the Arts. Its mission is to transform the UK ’s capacity forinnovation. With the largest portfolio of early-stagebusinesses in the county, it is a leading authority on how tosupport and grow new ideas. NESTA also devises radicalapproaches and shapes policy to address today’s pressingeconomic, social and environmental challenges.www.nesta.org.uk

A copy of this booklet is available to download fromwww.stokemuseums.org.uk

Text: Ian BlackwellEditor: Amanda HeathProject and Publication Advisor: Jo Graham, Director,Learning UnlimitedDesign: Kingfisher Print & Design Limited, Totneswww.kingfisherprint.co.ukImages courtesy of The Potteries Musem & Art Gallery,Worcester City Art Gallery & Museum, PeterboroughMuseum and The New Art Gallery Walsall