With the support of the Australian Government’s direct aid initiative, the Fiji Museum recently launched its Redressing Learning Gaps Education Program.
Fiji Museum project assistant Isireli Racagimalua said the program was aimed at harnessing the museum’s status as a repository of knowledge.
“There are a number of activities that will be implemented under the program,” he said.
“The first one being a toolkit that is focused on persons with disabilities and accessibility within the museum, then we have the museum and cultures workshop which aims to bring youths into the museum to familiarise themselves with the work that we do and the safeguarding of Fiji’s national heirlooms, the third one is the archaeological protection workshop which we are taking to Vanua Levu for youths to participate in safeguarding cultural sites and the last one being conversational dialogues.”
Mr Racagimalua said there was a disconnection between youths and cultural heritage.
“Museums are spaces where objects of cultural heritage are kept and with this program, we are able to make them learn more and the constructive work which the museum is doing.”
Head of special projects, Dr Katrina Igglesdon said the handling of collections, the learning of cultural heritage and the importance of a museum was something that hasn’t been talked about in Fiji previously.
“What we all need to remember and learn about museums is that they are guardians or caretakers of these collections, but the competitions are and will always be the communities,” she said.
“An exciting aspect of the experience was to engage and interact with the museum collections through spending time both in the new Voyages: Stories of an Ocean People exhibition and the museum storage rooms.”
A total of 12 youths participated in the Museums, Objects and Culture workshop.
