emphasised the importance of prioritising and
growth makes its investment of time in building
sustaining this work within museums, reminding
and sustaining relationships with the local
delegates that “no child in this country, be it
schools community worthwhile. She stressed the
from a new community or an ethnic community,
importance of these relationships in helping “to
should ever walk into an institution and not see
open the Museum up to parents who may not have
themselves reflected”.
otherwise brought their children to the Museum”.
Building NMI’s relationships with local
This point was also echoed by Aoife O’ Connor
communities has included working with an
and Mark Harmon, who had created an exhibition
increasingly broad range of schools. Anna
based on their documentary film recording the
O’Loughlin is Home School Liaison Teacher
community living in the O’Devaney Gardens
at St Gabriel’s, a primary school located in
flat complex prior to its demolition. At the IMA
Stoneybatter, a culturally diverse area of Dublin.
conference Aoife and Mark spoke about how,
At the IMA conference, Anna spoke about her
through working on this exhibition at Collins
experience of working on Stories Between Us, an
Barracks, their perception of the Museum had
intergenerational oral history project leading
become more positive. As a result, they called at
to an exhibition on games and pastimes at the
the conference for others to “get up and make
Museum of Decorative Arts and History. In
a difference in their community and get more
this project, which was co-ordinated by the
involved in museums”.
Museum’s Education Team, students and older adults collaborated with artist and Project Curator
Panel Chair Máire O’Higgins echoed the above
Janine Davidson. Anna described the collaborative
points. She highlighted the interdisciplinary
atmosphere as one of
nature of NMI’s learning programmes, stating that the projects from which students at Larkin
just pure fun and enjoyment. Where initially there
Community College in north inner city Dublin
was this age barrier between the young people and
had benefited “just can’t be done in education
the older people - it was just broken down by the
without museums”. Máire proposed “reimagining
reality that everybody likes to play and have fun
education” and “reimagining the cultural centres
together, and a real building of relationships…this
our young people engage in” and investing
kind of learning doesn’t happen and can’t happen
adequate resources in sustaining key relationships
without the setting of the Museum.
between schools and museums.
In her presentation, Anna stated that NMI’s
As stated at the outset of this article, becoming an
unique role in nurturing students’ educational
inclusive museum means creating opportunities
Mark Harmon and Aoife O’Connor, O’Devaney Gardens. 2018.
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