FESTI’O’MUSE 2016: A wealth of ideas for museums and cultural centres
During the weekend of February 5–7, the Canadian Museum of History hosted FESTI’O’MUSE. Launched three years ago by two graduate students, Christine Gaudet and Noémie La Rue Lapierre, this creative activity was developed in partnership with two other organizations in the region, the Centre d’exposition L’Imagier and the artist-run centre AXENÉO7.
FESTI’O’MUSE 2016 at the Canadian Museum of History. Photo: Creative Commons (CC-BY-SA)
What exactly is FESTI’O’MUSE? For some 30 students, it is a unique opportunity to take over the Museum for 60 hours, during which they share ideas, work together and come up with innovative solutions to various issues presented by the three partner institutions. Travelling to the Ottawa-Gatineau region from across Quebec, the students are museology graduates from the Université Laval, the Université du Québec à Montréal, the Université de Montréal, the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, the Université du Québec en Outaouais and Collège Montmorency.
This year’s challenges:
- How should the Resource Centre, currently in development at the Canadian Museum of History, be programmed to revitalize visitor interaction?
- How could the Virtual Museum of Canada site and its social media be enlivened and reinvigorated by visitor-generated content?
- Identify new ways of promoting the expertise of the Canadian Museum of History, while developing closer ties between Canadians and their history.
- What methods can a small art museum use to support its research and distribution (publication) activities?
- How could works of art be presented, and profit be generated, through a major exhibition at the historical Fonderie site?
FESTI’O’MUSE 2016 at the Canadian Museum of History. Photo: Creative Commons (CC-BY-SA)
During two intensive days, students explored these topics, guided by professors from the Museum as well as the six educational institutions. At the end of the afternoon on the final day, working groups were required to make presentations to an audience eager to hear their recommendations for the most promising and dynamic proposals related to each challenge.
The experience was a great success. The work was so demanding and the students so involved in their work that the break room set aside for them was hardly ever used. Coffee, on the other hand…
FESTI’O’MUSE 2016 at the Canadian Museum of History. Photo: L. Renaud
The result? The Museum of History and the other partner institutions now have a range of recommendations arising from the vision of these young museological experts. Everyone involved in this outstanding experience came away a winner.
Museology’s new wave is primed and ready, and the future of our cultural facilities is clearly in good hands.