A new collection of eight fun activity cards co-designed by local people with disabilities
Now available at Queen Street and Garden Reception
Over the last few years RAMM has been working alongside disability support organisations – CEDA, Magic Carpet and Pelican Project – to co-design a monthly programme of visits. Each visit started with a picture quiz card to encourage exploration of a particular gallery, then a short museum-themed activity, and ended with relaxed time for refreshments and creative feedback.
RAMM is keen to develop expertise in co-creation, combining its skills in telling objects’ stories and creating enjoyable museum experiences with the perspectives and requirements of people with varying disabilities.
Each picture bingo card was created between sessions by one of the partner organisations, with staff facilitating the active input of participants with disabilities. The museum activities ranged from opportunities to handle African masks or World War Two objects to experiencing a magic lantern slide show, hands-on creative time after a contemporary art exhibition, and meeting a live Roman soldier.
The project brought together organisations working in the same field, who often share clients but rarely communicated before. The three main partners reached out to others in the region, and enjoyed talking to each other.
“It’s lovely to see social time for carers. It’s an opportunity for them to chat about their… work and exchange.” Pelican Project
Covid unfortunately delayed the creation of the final resource, but the co-created bingo cards have now been professionally produced and printed into a series of eight A5 hand-outs. The final design was approved by our disability partners to ensure it was both accessible and fun for our audiences.
The cards can be used by carers and personal assistants when supporting people with disabilities in visiting the museum, but are also suitable for any of our visitors who would like an extra activity to enhance their visit and with some playful exploration. They are available free of charge for any audience to enjoy at Queen Street and Garden Reception.
“The game was easy and fun – nice to see some friends.” Visitor with disabilities
For further information contact Maya Herbolzheimer, Engagement Officer
What next?
RAMM hopes to continue to learn with and from visitors with disabilities to create multisensory activities and spaces for the museum, providing another way for visitors to engage with the multitude of stories and themes it houses.
RAMM is working with freelance facilitator Stuart Crewes and individuals supported by partner organisations Magic Carpet, Pelican Project, CEDA and Learn to Live: 19-25 to co-create a new audio resource for the museum. The RAMMSounds project will enable people with disabilities to access the museum spaces in a new and playful way in a similar way to the RAMMBingo cards.
Content for the audio guide is being collated from a series of immersive online workshop sessions led by local and national creative practitioners.
The sessions are drawing out stories, views, movements, ideas and reactions from the participant groups. The creative practitioners are using RAMM sights and sounds as stimulus for the sessions. The objects selected all have a link to the theme of movement. Disabled sound artist Gemma Nash is overseeing the creative aspect of the project and the final piece will be available to audiences in Jan ’23. This project is part funded by The Clare Milne Trust.
For further information contact Eleanor Coleman, Engagement Officer
