Historic shipwrecks: Increasing inclusivity and relevance through marine environmental themes
Project location: United Kingdom
The MAT ran a project through its museum, The Shipwreck Centre & Maritime Museum, aimed at encouraging families and Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) visitors to engage with maritime heritage through the lens of shipwrecks as underwater habitats. The resources produced as part of this project include the development of self-guided tours and a package of interactive activities to engage with a range of learning styles. They were designed to engage SEND younger audiences and their families, to create an inclusive and engaging experience that can be shared. The focus theme of the project was to present UCH both as a biological refuge and as a pollutant and to outline the links between local sites and the Ocean Decade Goals and Objectives to sensitise younger visitors to the importance of protection and preservation of UCH. The resources were designed to align with the National Educational Curriculum, but their structure is flexible and easily adaptable to museum settings in other regions and countries. Guidelines on how to replicate and build them will be made available online to encourage other museums and organisations to develop similar activities to contribute educating school-aged audiences to the importance of UCH. The activities delivered included dive kit dress-up stations, to inspire visitors in becoming maritime archaeologist, and “touch and feels” boxes and backpacks specifically designed to support SEND visitors and ensure they have a pleasant and engaging museum experience. Outreach events were held to further engage families and inspire them to become involved with UCH.
Themes
- Safeguarding maritime and underwater cultural heritage
- Promoting/Awarness-raising for maritime and underwater cultural heritage
Museums