participatory science centre
DESCRIPTION
Participatory techniques for science centers and museums. First presented at the Ontario Science Centre on 26 Jan, 2010 by Nina Simon of Museum 2.0TRANSCRIPT
the participatory science centre
nina simon, museum [email protected]@ninaksimon on twitter
slides at http://bit.ly/participatoryscience
where i live
what i dobalboa park online collaborativeboston children’s museum calgary science centerchabot space science centerchicago history museumdenver art museumexperience music projectgirls math and science partnershipinternational spy museummonterey bay aquariummuseum of life and scienceoakland museum of californiaSFMOMA smithsonian museum of natural historystatens museum for kunsttech museum of innovation
why i’m here
what does this look like?how does it work?how do you know if it works?
the participatory institution is a place where visitors can create, share, and connect with each other around content.
what i advocate
in cultural institutions, that can mean...
lower: Chicago Children’s Museumlower: Science Museum of Minnesota
Center of Science and IndustryCantor Art Center
and it requires some changes
traditional institution participatory institution
Authority is content provider Authority is platform provider
why would you want to do this?
participation does five things best:
deliver personal relevance
celebrate and network diverse voices
deliver dynamic content
encourage interpersonal dialogue
support collaborative + creative practice
why would you want to do this?to deliver personal relevance
London Science Museum
why would you want to do this?to celebrate and network diverse visitors’ voices
The Wild Center
why would you want to do this?to deliver dynamic content and experiences
Worcester City Art Gallery & Museum
why would you want to do this?to encourage interpersonal dialogue
University of Washington
why would you want to do this?to support collaborative, creative practice
National Building Museum
why would you want to do this?
participation does five things best:
deliver personal relevance
celebrate and network diverse voices
deliver dynamic content
encourage interpersonal dialogue
support collaborative + creative practice
visitorswhat do they need?
what will these relationships look like?
INSTITUTION
how can you do it well?
what are you about?
150 entrants12 finalists4 concerts
1 cd
participation for institutional goals: Sound Off! case study
Current Program Participants
teen artists (13-17) - makers, musicians
family who come see performance/show
Their Audiences
teen bands (13-21) (don’t have tight relationship) friends who come
for the show
fans of the bands
Sound Off audiencebands who don’t get into
Sound Off
youth advisory board (13-18) who volunteer with Sound
Off + other projects
Interests/Desires from Site
behind the scenes influence
becoming pro musicians
learning to play music/cultivate arts
Experience the Band - ensemble musicians
Affinities
playing in a band
meet other kids like them/finding community
meet pros
get scholarships to Berklee
school groups
On Stage
SoundLab
reading
skateboarding
comic books
gaming
musiciansfans of rock
music collectors
people into music history
artistsdreamers
people into scifi history
car guys
tattoomovie buffs
DIY
science enthusiasts
architecture/design enthusiasts
graphic design/illustration
activate historic interest
be a part of the music making history
sharing passions with family/friends
personal quest for improvement
close to celebrity
play the music you love
meet heroes
specific program interest
finding new things you’ll like
validating your nichehope to replicate peak
experiences
entertainment
one-off programs
guest events
peers other teen musicians
teachers
out-of-school facilitators
part 1 - identifying audiences and their needs
Sound Off currently...
Creators: kids in bands
Critics: Facebook voting, pro critics, judges
Joiners: MySpace communities around bands,
Spectators: people who come to the show
ADD:-open submission process online (get other bands more out there)-YAB switch from judging to press corps/critics, bloggers-open vlogger competition-oral history live with youth-tracing past bands over time-fans and bands that lose have online community to support each -monthly challenges, lightweight, write a song based on X or using -Sound Off backstage - other roles
part 2 - identifying institutional opportunities
part 3 - rolling out new services with impact assessment
year 1: - digital, online submissions (private), culled by staff + youth advisory board - engage the other bands in social network around Sound Off!
- light merchandise contest, gig promotion, musician meetups - youth advisory board produces journalistic content about finalists and events - live event text voting “people’s choice” by audience
year 2: - digital, online submissions (public), culled by online audience, then staff + youth advisory board - social network members produce journalistic content inc. behind-the-scenes
- youth advisory board manages social network - youth advisory board begins oral history live project around all-ages scene
five techniques for participatory engagement
1. be personal / i like museums + talk to me bubbles
2. scaffold the experience / side trip + human library
3. design for thoughtful response / on the road + signtific
4. offer multiple engagement points / youtube
5. make it manageable / haarlem oost + mls
five techniques for participatory engagement
1. be personal / i like museums + talk to me bubbles
2. scaffold the experience / side trip + human library
3. design for thoughtful response / on the road + signtific
4. offer multiple engagement points / youtube
5. make it manageable / haarlem oost + mls
ilikemuseums.com
who are you relative to the science centre?
constrained profiles
five techniques for participatory engagement
1. be personal / i like museums + talk to me bubbles
2. scaffold the experience / side trip + human library
3. design for thoughtful response / on the road + signtific
4. offer multiple engagement points / youtube
5. make it manageable / haarlem oost + mls
Denver Art Museum90,000 visitors, 37,000 posters made
average time poster-making: 25 minutes
this is not enough to promote social dialogue
GoMA
I’ve never had a gay friend. It was unbelievably exciting to find myself facing him with his body, opinions and identity. It seems he was not very different from me and especially he was not an alien. From now on, I will not disrupt my communication with the gays, I will enhance it.
- Reader in Istanbul, 2007
five techniques for participatory engagement
1. be personal / i like museums + talk to me bubbles
2. scaffold the experience / side trip + human library
3. design for thoughtful response / on the road + signtific
4. offer multiple engagement points / youtube
5. make it manageable / haarlem oost + mls
Lowell National Historical Park
lab.signtific.org
using comment boards for dialogue
five techniques for participatory engagement
1. be personal / i like museums + talk to me bubbles
2. scaffold the experience / side trip + human library
3. design for thoughtful response / on the road + signtific
4. offer multiple engagement points / youtube
5. make it manageable / haarlem oost + mls
don’t focus solely on creators...
the vast majority of social media users are not creators
what makes YouTube different?
Ontario Science Cenre
participation can be for everyone
“museums that get better the more people use them”
Minnesota History MuseumAuckland Museum
five techniques for participatory engagement
1. be personal / i like museums + talk to me bubbles
2. scaffold the experience / side trip + human library
3. design for thoughtful response / on the road + signtific
4. offer multiple engagement points / youtube
5. make it manageable / haarlem oost + mls
mission-driven social participation at the museum of life and science
what makes sense on YouTube?
how can we encourage people to share their experience?
how can we encourage people to think like scientists?
what’s your idea?
contact me [email protected]
http://www.museumtwo.com
Download slides at http://bit.ly/participatoryscience