Museum Educational Product Presented by Susana Vargas Mejía ARTE 660 Professor Richard Lachapelle Concordia University Montréal, Canada *All images are courtesy of the Museum of Modern Art of Medellín.
content 6 The City of Children 9 Educational Project 12 The Experience
the city of children The Educational Department at the Museum of Modern Art of MedellĂn (MAMM), since its conception, has been recognized as a platform for art production, but further than that, as a platform of knowledge, that aims to impact the society of today through art. The City of Children is one of the main programs within the Educational Department that has had a positive impact in the community, linking the Museum with the territory for 10 years. It aims to get children and young people dreaming about their city via a creative process that encourages citizenship through art. It also contributes to the restitution of the right of children to the free expression and development of the personality and consolidates a space for participation and the empowerment of the territory. The program is structured in three types of activities:
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Narrative workshops: focused on naming or expressing in the language of the arts, specific issues of their personal experiences or daily life in the house or neighborhood. Laboratories with artists: for the exploration of materials and art techniques with special guests. Experiences of cultural appropriation: outputs with pedagogical intention to other scenarios so that children and young people participate in the transformation of the city and meet other life references and future projections.
I want my parents and teachers to update their way of thinking.
educational project The City of Children runs different activities throughout the year to inventively engage children and young people by creating a feeling of belonging to the city. In this case, the activity consisted of discussing the importance of education and thinking about how it can be improved. The children were invited to write, draw, paint, dance or manifest in different ways what they thought about education, what they would like to change, and how the education system could be improved. A very interesting debate was generated in which the participants had the opportunity to speak openly about what they expected from education. This book brings together the phrases that the children told us. It gathers the dreams, goals and ideas that our young Colombians want in education. Children also have a voice!
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We would like to have more spaces to play.
the experience The voices of children deserve to be heard. Through this project, the Museum of Modern Art of Medellín seeks to accommodate all members of society. In this case, children and young people had the opportunity to share around a topic that matters to them: education. The MAMM uses art as an agent of transformation and improvement of the citizen’s daily life. Specifically, the Educational Department promotes activities, such as conferences, seminars, workshops, and guided visits, among others to engage the different publics. The Museum is recognized for being a space in which citizens confront their differences and understand that they are doing it as a way of thinking about the world. Visitors are also invited to spend time listening, seeing, feeling and thinking of art in their own way. The participation of children and young people is fundamental, and the museum wants to be a bridge between what children dream about their city and the city itself. Let’s hear what children want, let’s hear their voices!
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We want to feel safe so we can share with our friends in free spaces.
I want the classes to be more dynamic at school.
we want a school without bullying.
I want to take notes less and teachers who explain more. MAMM | 23
Create places of accompaniment to teach children creatively what kind of consequences participating in violence bring.
We want more cultural spaces to get to know people from other parts of the city.
I want my parents to always give me hugs and affection.
We want proficient teachers who demand work from us with respect.
www.elmamm.org MedellĂn, Colombia