Why?
Museums don’t always feel like spaces for all.
We want Islington Museum to feel welcoming and relevant to all Islington residents.
This project will provide the new museum with a starter pack of resources to support families, adults, and school groups exploring and accessing the collection in meaningful and exciting ways.
Residents will work with the museum team to design these tools, ensuring they really fit local needs!
What will we make?
Residents and the museum team will collaborate to design 7 key resources, selected in response to community consultation and an access audit of the current gallery. The resouces we will create are:
Our Islington
A flexible mini-exhibition space at the front of the museum.
This space will always host community-led displays, placing resident’s voices at the heart of the museum.
Work with the curator to design this space and develop the first mini-exhibition in the new museum.
Tactile Images
Replicas of objects and images which can be touched and handled – like these from the Museum of London (pictured).
These support hands on learning and increase accessibility for blind or partially sighted residents.
Collaborate with the team to select star objects and develop these sensory resources.
Translated Gallery Text
Key information and gallery content translated into the 5 most commonly spoken languages in Islington.
Work with the team to discover the new gallery, select content, and design these resources.
Family Play Bags
Explorer bags for families and under 5’s to encourage play and discovery in the gallery – like this one at the Museum of the Home (pictured)
Work with the team and a storyteller to select family-friendly stories and create playful explorer bags for our young visitors.
Family Trail
A paper gallery guide highlighting star objects and providing family friendly prompts and activities – like these from The British Museum (pictured).
Explore the collection with the team, a storyteller, and an artist to help design a fun and engaging family resource.
School Resources
A pack of curriculum linked resources to support self-led school visits for Islington’s primary students.
Collaborate with the team to select themes, objects, and create a practical resource.
Audio-Descriptive Guide
An audio-descriptive trail supporting blind or partially-sighted visitors in accessing the gallery and discovering its key objects and stories.
Work with the museum team to identify objects, plot the visitor journey, and develop content.
Friends of Islington Museum 