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    Do Children Matter to Museums?

    Veronica Puleio

    I do not see the necessity for very

    young children coming into

    the Museum; they are apt to commit

    little indiscretions.

    Henry Ellis Principal Librarian British

    Museums, 1841.1

    1. Introduction

    We are appalled by todays childcare scandals, but they bear no

    comparison with the horrors of the mid-eighteenth century, when

    babies were abandoned on rubbish heaps (Lane, 2008). The

    situation of children and young people in society has changed

    significantly, and for the better since then. But are we doing

    enough to tackle vulnerability and social exclusion, and to

    1PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF COMMONS, GREAT BRITAIN. (1841) SelectCommittee on National Monuments., London, HMSO.

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    accessibility in attracting young people and children. This is

    explained by reference to Gardners theory of multiple

    intelligences. Yet, this section also acknowledges the relevance of

    working with families and schools in this context. Section 4

    concentrates on how the Foundling Museum performs in this

    specific area. It argues that despite its appearance, the Foundling

    Museum has developed a series of programmes and initiatives

    that successfully tackle the issues of inclusion, accessibility, and

    which are largely consistent with the key outcomes of ECM.

    Moreover, the Foundling has creatively approached informal

    education for children, attracting families, and providing

    interpretive tools. However, this essay also suggests that it has to

    some extent failed to attract young people in the context of

    informal education and that there are serious deficits in terms

    of collaborative efforts with neighbour institution Coram Parents

    Centre. In short, I argue that although the overall policy has been

    largely successful, there is still much room for improving its

    approach towards inequality and vulnerability through creative

    initiatives and a more integrated or holistic approach.

    2. The best place in the world for children

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    During recent years, the UK has claimed to be strongly

    committed to improve the situation of children and their well-

    being. In 2007 the Government created the Department for

    Children, Schools and Families (DCSF). This is a department

    focused exclusively on issues affecting children and young

    people. The DCSF contributed to the creation of The Children's

    Plan, a ten-year approach to make England the best place in the

    world for children and young people to grow up. Developed

    through consultation with the public and experts, it places

    families at the heart of everything [they] do. 2

    Based on DCSF consultation, five principles guide the Childrens

    Plan. First, government does not bring up children; parents do. So

    the government needs to do more to back parents and families

    up. Second, all children have the potential to succeed and should

    go as far as their talents can take them. Third, children and

    young people need to enjoy their childhood as well as grow up

    prepared for adult life. Four, services need to be shaped by and

    responsive to children, young people and families, not designed

    around professional boundaries. Finally, it is always better to

    2 http://www.everychildmatters.gov.uk/strategy/childrensplan/ last accessedApril 2009.

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    prevent failure than to tackle a crisis later (Secretary of State for

    Children, 2007).

    These aims will be pursued through a number of specific

    programmes. One of them is Every Child Matters (ECM). ECM

    constitutes a new approach to the well-being of children and

    young people from birth to age 19. The need for urgent change in

    the UK was made apparent in Lord Laming's report into the death

    of Victoria Climbi, the young girl who was horrifically killed by

    her great aunt and the man with whom she lived. The report

    highlighted a need for improved integration and accountability

    across children's services. Alongside its formal response to Lord

    Laming's report the Government published a green paper called

    Every Child Matters (ECM). The green paper created an

    astonishing debate about services for children and families. There

    was a wide consultation with children, young people, parents and

    people working in children's services. This ECM green paper

    identified five outcomes that are most important to children and

    young people. They are be healthy, stay safe, enjoy and

    achieve, make a positive contribution and achieve economic

    well-being.3 Following the consultation, the Government

    3 http://www.everychildmatters.gov.uk/aims/outcomes/ Last accessed,February 2009.

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    published Every Child Matters: the Next Steps4, providing the

    legislative spine for developing more effective and accessible

    services focused around the needs of children, young people and

    families (Hodge, 2004).

    To meet these challenges, children are likely to need as many of

    the elements of a good educational experience as possible. ECM

    recognizes that high educational standards and a wider concept

    of well-being go hand in hand in achieving better outcomes for all

    children especially the most vulnerable (Ferries, 2006).

    Education is therefore at the centre of ECM. However, this by no

    means entails that this programme is restricted to schools.

    Educating young people is not only about good teachers or up-to-

    date instructional materials, but a complex group of practices,

    policies, and organization working together that can make this

    happen. Everyone almost certainly can think of at least one

    circumstance in which they learned something despite the

    learning environment being defined in the broadest possible

    terms. Moreover, the programme stresses those organisations

    which provide services to children have to work together in more

    integrated and helpful ways. Partnerships must be developed in

    4 http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/consultations/downloadableDocs/EveryChildMattersNextSteps.pdf Last accessed, April 2009.

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    order to maximize impact and ensure that children in vulnerable

    situations receive as much help as possible.

    3. Museums and their contribution

    What is the rule respecting the

    admission of children when

    accompanying their parents? The rule is,

    that no children apparently under eight

    years of age shall be admitted.

    Henry Ellis Principal Librarian British

    Museums 1841

    Museums in the UK have an increasingly important focus on

    children and young people. The philosophy of museums for all

    acknowledges that efforts are required to identify and remove

    the many barriers (physical, intellectual, emotional, attitudinal,

    financial etc.) that exist to exclude many groups from museums

    (Sandell, n.d.). Often museums and what they offer do not appear

    to be relevant to young people. As a result of such assumptions,

    young peoples attendance at places such as theatres, galleries

    and museums declines as they progress through their teens

    (Harland and Kinder, 1999). The crucial question in this context is

    how museums can make themselves more accessible?

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    Accessibility, to some extent, depends on the learning process

    that takes place in the museum. And yet, changes in the

    approach to learning are improving access to the museums.

    Learning is now seen as an active participation of the learner

    with the environment (Hein, 1998:6). The focus of education has

    shifted from the written word to the learners active participation

    and his dealings with objects. This has made museums an

    amazing resource for learning. They create a unique opportunity

    for first-hand learning with primary sources, helping them to

    access to different learning styles and discover connections

    through artefacts that relate to their own experience. Pupils can

    speculate from their own observations and set hypotheses that

    are relevant to their own ideas (Ferries, 2006). Museums provide

    the freedom for people to make sense of their own life

    experiences through their personal responses to individual items

    or whole collections (Moffat and Woollard, 1999:ix). Gardners

    theory of multiple intelligences is closely connected to the child-

    centred learning philosophy of John Dewey. He maintains that

    every person is capable of seeing the world through the lens of

    multiple intelligences.5 Currently, the challenge that museums

    5 Gardners multiples intelligences: Logical-mathematical, Musical, Bodlykinesthetic, Visual spatial, Intrapersonal and Naturalistic. GARDNER, HOWARD(1983) Frames of mind : the theory of multiple intelligences, New York, Basic

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    face is to facilitate this kind of process, including not only hands-

    on activities, but also multiple-intelligences-on activities.

    Museums and galleries all around the country have responded

    actively to welcoming more children. This process has taken

    place in a particular context. Never before has there been such

    imaginative and innovative practice in Britains museums and

    galleries.6 Furthermore, MLA is helping museums to identify the

    special contribution that each of them can make to society,

    specifying what they should be aiming to achieve. Also, MLA

    encourages museums, libraries and archives to develop a broad

    range of learning experiences for school-aged children with

    national programmes, advocacy and by developing strategic

    partnerships to help deliver Every Child Matters.7 Institutions that

    depend principally on the state for funds are now also required to

    show serious commitment to bringing in new audiences,

    especially those that before felt excluded, like children and young

    people.

    Museums cannot alone meet this challenge. Research has

    demonstrated the importance of the home learning environment

    Books.6 http://www.kidsinmuseums.org.uk/ last access April 2009.7 http://www.mla.gov.uk/what/policy_development/learning/school_age_children last access April 2009

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    and the role of the parent as a child's first and most effective

    teacher.(MLA)8 Yet, they can make an effective contribution and

    a real difference as part of a holistic approach (Watson, 2006:6).

    This means promoting innovative activities focused on the

    interaction between parents, carers and children. As Hilary

    Ferries suggests, [w]e must broaden the opportunities for all

    pupils to reach their individual potential. The objective is not

    equality in the absolute sense of everybody achieving the same,

    but the removal of what are often referred to as barriers to

    educational success (Ferries, 2006:8). Museums can break down

    these barriers by making learning more accessible and significant

    for different styles of learning.

    The importance of providing children with access to museums

    cannot be underestimated. Some people say children and young

    people matter to the arts sector because they are the audiences

    and artists of the future, and because the arts stimulate creativity

    that is vital to the future economy (Barker, 2006:2). This is true,

    but not for the sake of preserving the future. Children and young

    people matter because they are important today as individuals

    with their own features, abilities, and talents. Robin Casson de

    8 http://www.mla.gov.uk/what/policy_development/learning/family_earlyyears_learners last accessed April 2009.

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    Director of Schools and Family Support, Northumberland County

    Council has argued that [c]reativity is the freest form of self

    expression; [t]here is nothing more satisfying and fulfilling for

    children than to be able to express themselves openly and

    without judgment (Casson, 2006:3).

    Indeed, [t]he ability to be creative, to create something from

    personal feelings and experiences, can reflect and nurture the

    emotional health and well-being of a child (Casson, 2006:3).

    Creativity promotes mental and emotional growth, and gives

    children the possibility to try new ideas, solving new problems

    and new ways of thinking. Creative activities acknowledge and

    celebrate children's uniqueness and diversity; and offer

    significant opportunities to personalise learning (Casson,

    2006:3). This is why museums are so important in delivering

    ECM. Museums have the strength to contribute to pursuing the

    five outcomes of ECM outlined in the previous section,

    particularly those related to their sectoral strengths, like enjoy

    and achieve or make a positive contribution. Participation in

    museums can change how children and young people explore the

    world around them, shifting the way they see themselves and

    their hopes for the future. Museums can contribute to the

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    learning process, both in terms of formal realization and by

    developing lifelong skills that help to make a rounded individual,

    a communicator, a problem solver, an innovator and a team

    worker (Watson, 2006:4). Finally, museums have the potential to

    reach millions of children and young people through positive in

    and out-of-school activities, supporting families and promoting

    diversity.

    And yet, [t]here is clearly not enough money (and consequently

    insufficient staff and support services) to do everything that

    might be desired. So questions arise as to which activities are

    most essential, or most beneficial to the museum and to society

    (Hein, 1994:305). Put differently, funding constitutes itself in a

    major constraint to pursuing these objectives. This challenge is

    particularly acute in private museums. Private museums are

    costly, and it is not clear how many would survive without the

    Governments help. Today more than ever it is clear that it is

    necessary to follow the Governments guidelines in order to have

    access to grants and funding. Sometimes the financial necessities

    of the museums determine their agenda and, often, they

    determine the face of the museum vis--vis the government and

    the public. It is not always easy to know when a particular activity

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    or program is part of the museums genuine mission, or rather it

    is part of its political agenda to secure funding. For example, if

    museums do not show enough outreach and education initiatives

    aimed at children, they lose funds. With this, they lose the

    possibility of developing new audiences and generating more

    income. As Gillian Reynolds eloquently puts it, Child-friendly

    galleries are a good thing - but trend-chasing for funds is not and

    it create organizations that become dependent on grants and

    sponsorships rather than earned income (Reynolds, 2009). This

    is something that creates dependency and control over private

    museums and something that needs to be examined carefully. I

    am not suggesting that developing a bigger audience, including

    children in particular is a bad idea. Yet, sometimes museums

    have other priorities. There are still people who go to galleries to

    look at pictures in peace and to museums to study rare objects in

    quiet. The thing is, in the Government's opinion, there aren't

    enough of them to justify the cost (Reynolds, 2009).

    4. Does every child matter for the Foundling

    Museum?

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    faint residue of dry, unwelcoming atmosphere (Reynolds,

    2009). Despite the last renovation of the building, at first look this

    museum is more like a traditional institution which motivates old

    people to come. It is a bit discouraging to enter, especially for

    young people. The entrance has a dull atmosphere and the

    beautiful collection inside is hardly appealing if you do not

    already know what it is about. It is a real challenge for the

    museum to place a visitor in the right frame of mind to engage

    with [its] collection (Black, 2005:4), and in particular to engage

    children and young people. It is, therefore, extremely important

    to think creatively in order to elaborate a programme that is rich

    and powerful. If that does not happen, young visitors are unlikely

    to enjoy their visit, and hence they will not have the right kind of

    stimulus to learn.

    Further an informal conversation with Ms Annette McCartney, the

    person responsible for Learning and Access programmes at the

    Foundling Museum, she pointed out that learning is the reason for

    the existence of the museum: Why as a society [do] we need a

    collection if it is not for learning? Learning is at the heart of all

    museums.9 But more importantly, the Foundling Museum seems

    to have taken seriously the spirit of ECM. The admission to the

    9 Interview with Ms Annette McCartney, London, April 2009.

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    Museum is free for school groups, and free workshops are

    tailored to meet particular needs across the curriculum: art,

    history, music, sociology, citizenship and more. It also offers a

    wide range of taught sessions with different activities like object

    handling (smell boxes!), interactive storytelling, dressing up, etc.

    Many of its activities are consistent with furthering specific

    outcomes outlined by ECM such as be healthy, enjoy and

    achieve, and make a positive contribution. For instance, the

    Museum carries out role-plays to experience life as, for example,

    a Victorian foundling growing up in the Hospital, a parent

    struggling to do the best for her child under difficult

    circumstances, a Governor of the Foundling Hospital making

    difficult decisions about which children they should take in, etc.

    This role-playing allows children and young people to be

    physically active while at the museum, improving their

    movement skills, coordination, sensory awareness and

    concentration. The museum also offers drawing sessions of self-

    portraits full of personal symbolism, inspired by and created in

    the presence of real 18th century portraits, creative writing

    (stories, letters, poems) inspired by Foundling childrens lives and

    artefacts on display, etc. Finally, former pupils of the Foundling

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    Hospital, which closed in the 1950s, are available to offer vivid

    recollections of their experiences and tell how it predisposed

    them later in life in terms of identity, self-expression, and in their

    relationships with partners and children. These are difficult issues

    to work with and, as Ms McCartney suggests, they constitute the

    main area of learning in this museum in particular.

    Ms McCartney argues that at the Foundling Museum, they work

    with the Human Experience in particular at an emotional level.

    They are interested to show what happened to the foundlings

    when they grew up and had to make their own way in the world.

    Children and young people gain unique access to priceless

    historical artefacts and contribute to the engage in the subject.

    The strength of the collection is that it makes children feel in a

    safe environment where they can share difficult experiences and

    fears, and through this sharing connect and explore their

    emotions. There is nothing more satisfying and fulfilling to see

    children to be able to express themselves openly and without

    judgment.

    But working with such delicate issues is not without risks. Ms

    McCartney mentions that it is important for the team to be aware

    before the learning session of possible conflicts that can arise

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    with a particular group. For this purpose they make a

    questionnaire for teachers to fill in prior to the visit. As I

    mentioned before, issues like legitimacy, abuse, lost identity,

    death of parents, etc., are common subjects in the sessions and

    this is a particularity of this museum. The subject-matter of the

    Museum is a strong catalyst for emotions. Ms McCartney narrated

    a telling story. In a creative writing session, one of the children

    wrote a letter as a Foundling child to his mother about how much

    he missed her and how he felt about not being with her. During

    the session this child gave Ms McCartney the letter for her to

    read. After this, one of his classmates approached, and

    embracing the child, he told her that his mother had died

    recently. The Museum encourages children and young people to

    express themselves and helped them to overcome some

    problems as a group that before the learning session were even

    difficult to discuss. This contributes to childrens mental and

    emotional health, and makes them feel that they can make a

    positive contribution to their pairs.

    Every adult closely involved in a childs life can influence her

    educational chances, so the Museums sees that they get involved

    in the learning process. This is why families with small children

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    are offered the option of bringing a buggy bag with them around

    the Museum. The Museum's youngest visitors now have more to

    do after the Buggy Bag Project was introduced the previous year

    with MLA funding. The buggy bags are small rucksacks, each with

    a selection of toys and activities that will make the Foundling

    Hospital and the Gerald Coke collections more accessible for the

    children carrying them in an informal visit to the museum.

    Similarly, the Museum's Family Fun drop-in activity programme

    was boosted by the introduction of free entry for accompanying

    adults. The programme is building a reliable audience and

    receives frequent mention in various media outlets (Trustees,

    2008). Also, in order to support its growth as a place for children,

    the Museum offers in-house Family Friendly Training to all staff

    and volunteers, conducted by the Museum's own Education

    Assistant. Finally, the Museum arranged two Open Days for

    families during 2007-8, the Foundlings Go to the Zoo in May,

    when 157 children and adults took part; and Pippi Longstocking

    Day in November, with 252 participants.

    Nevertheless, there remains a lack of adequate interpretation in

    informal learning activities for young people. There is no

    marketing, not even a single poster encouraging the participation

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    of young people. Even if they do cross the door of the Foundling

    Museum, what they see inside is really difficult to engage with,

    and this is something that the learning team needs to address in

    the future if they want to engage also young people through

    informal learning. It is as if they needed to control the

    educational environment to feel that they are teaching. But this

    creates a patronising situation with regards to young people and

    makes the museum less open and friendly. Clearly this is an

    audience that is not included in the day-to-day life of the

    museum. If they do not come with the schools, there is really

    little waiting for them inside.

    The Museums learning team consults visitors through regular

    visitor surveys, through the visitor book and through informal

    contact at front of house (Trustees, 2006). All feedback received

    from these sources is included into the planning of public

    programming, which changes and is re-developed continuously.

    Ms McCartney said that for her the best evaluation is one to one

    in each session when finalise the team has a meeting and

    discusses any issue that might have aroused and how they could

    improve the experience of those children. Nevertheless, [t]hough

    there is increasing consultation of audiences, (a trend

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    encouraged by the introduction of best value), few museums

    share decision-making with individual or groups outside of the

    organisation or genuinely empower audiences to influence their

    direction (Sandell, n.d.). This is, in part, due to a belief in the

    authorities of the museum professionals as expert. But this also

    has the potential to undermine partnerships and collaboration

    with other institutions. This is something that the Foundling

    Museums needs to re-evaluate if it wants to improve their social

    inclusion programme and contribute to ECM. ECM stresses that all

    organisations that give services to children have to work together

    in more integrated and helpful ways. Many museums are

    excluded from new initiatives aim at tackling exclusion as they

    are rarely considered as appropriate partners by social, welfare

    or health agencies (Sandell, n.d.).

    In my conversation with Annette McCartney I asked her if they

    have programmes in common with the Coram Parents Centre10

    thinking that they can contribute with each other with different

    areas of expertise in relation with the community, specially those

    people who are more at risk. She said that people in the Coram

    10 The Coram Parents' Centre provides community-based training in parentingand other skills for families in Kings Cross, many of whom are socially isolatedand unfamiliar with mainstream services. It is situated literally next door fromthe Foundling Museum.

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    did not know how to work with them; that the Foundling Museum

    has approached them with a lot of enthusiasm but that they have

    got no concrete response so far. Also, she remarked that there

    are some politics going on. However, I asked a person who works

    at Coram Parents Centre why there were no activities in common

    with the Foundling Museum and she also said she was really

    disappointed with the people from the museum. She argued that

    they have told them that they only had two days available in the

    whole year to do something in partnership with Coram. For any

    other activity, Coram would have to rent the space as any other

    institution wishing to organize an event in the Museum. Things

    like that are what ECM wishes to eradicate.

    This reluctance does not seem to be based on real economic

    constraints. With funds raised through the National Lottery, the

    Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) sustains and helps a wide range of

    heritage for present and future generations. The Foundling

    Museum has been given 322,000 towards a project that will

    record and preserve the memories of 80 people who were pupils

    at the former Foundling Hospital between 1918 and 1948

    (Heritage, 2008). From the Trustees report it is possible to see

    that the Museum has sufficient income from admissions,

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    donations, grants and funds to cover its expenditure. The

    Museum also has a trading subsidiary which runs the shop and

    corporate events from which the Museum also receives an

    income. The process is underway to raise funds for the purchase

    of the Foundling Hospital collections. Funding is available to

    support the Museum's marketing efforts targeting specific

    sections of the community. Furthermore ring-fenced funding has

    been obtained for work with children and young people.

    Rhian Harris, the previous director of the Foundling Museum, has

    led its three-year refurbishment and revitalisation, restoring the

    collection and raising 11 million to open it to the public. In an

    interview, she said that in the past the museum was completely

    run by the childrens charity Coram, and obviously wasnt cared

    for properly because it wasnt their priority, so the collection was

    deteriorating and the building was in an appalling condition. The

    trustees were keen that the collection should become

    independent and self-financing and The Foundling Museum

    became an independent entity and took possession of the original

    imposing site overlooking the Corams Fields playground (Mullen,

    2006:1). Thus, this reluctance to work together may go deeper

    into the institutional history of this institution. Yet, regardless of

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    the bad communication, internal politics, and financial issues

    between potential partners can have a devastating effect and

    undermine their capacity to tackle exclusion and vulnerability in a

    more holistic and integrated way.

    Overall, the Museum has been overwhelmed by the positive

    response from children and young people. Their responses have

    given a new perspective on [the] collection, reminding staff

    and volunteers of its continuing relevance and how it is much

    more than a memorial to the past wrongs of society (Mayers,

    2006). The learning programmes have been largely successful in

    providing insights into social progress and have indicated where

    improvements are still needed. It has extended a forum for

    discussion that highlighted issues that todays young visitors

    might one day be able to change. Taking part in this kind of

    creative opportunities can change the way children and young

    people explore the world around them, shifting the way they see

    themselves and what they hope to in the future.

    5. Conclusion

    This essay is about the way in which museums in general, and

    the Foundling museum in particular cares for children. I have

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    been concerned in the ways in which museum practice has

    tackled issues such as vulnerability and inequality, and how it has

    thrived to promote equality and learning among children and

    young people. Museums provide great opportunities for learning

    in this context. They can provide a number of activities and

    initiatives directed to children with different backgrounds or

    needs and help the realize their individual potential. Positive

    activities and experiences are a vital part of happy and enjoyable

    years. Moreover, in museums pupils can control the learning

    process; with guidance and support from both teachers and

    museum staff, they are able to reflect on their learning at each

    stage, identify their next steps and shape their own learning

    outcomes.

    This essay addresses ECM, an overarching general policy

    promoted by the UKs government to improve the institutional

    approach towards children and young people. I have

    concentrated on the way the policies and initiatives of the

    Foundling Museum vis--vis children and young people have been

    consistent with the central outcomes promoted by ECM. I have

    argued that the Foundling Museum has developed a consistent

    practice that largely succeeds in making its collection more

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    accessible to children and young people. Through a number of

    initiatives, it has creatively approached informal education for

    children, attracting families, and providing interpretive tools,

    making students reflect on their own experiences and situations.

    However, I have also contended that this museum needs to

    improve its overall performance in two particular respects. First,

    it does not seem to adequately approach young people in the

    context of informal education; and secondly, it has not

    developed an effective partnership with neighbour institution

    Coram Parents Centre. In short, I argue that although the overall

    institutional approach to addressing children and young people as

    audiences has been largely successful, there is still room for

    improvement.

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