Creative Museum Residency
Make Create Innovate team participated in the Creative Museum Maker in Residency Programme. Creative Museums is a network of 6 institutions, including the Chester Beatty Library in Dublin, exploring progressive museum practices. We were delighted to be accepted by Cap Sciences in Bordeaux, a dynamic science museum that houses 127ª Fab Lab.
The working title for our project was ‘The Head is a Magic Box’ (‘La Tête est un Boîte Magique’). It alludes to a Celtic belief that the skull contains the human spirit shared by our ancestors in Ireland and France. The concept has inspired many contemporary artists such as Irish artist Louis Le Brocquy, who created a series of portraits on this theme. One of the most of famous of these is of the Irish writer James Joyce who spent decades in exile in France in contempt of the repressive newly-established Irish State that censored and denigrated his literary works.
The theme of our project was intended to highlight how cross-cultural exchange generates innovative outcomes and new opportunities for learning and artistic exchange. Core to our mission has been the centrality of the arts in STEAM-based education (Science Technology Engineering Arts and Maths).
Eygptian Tech Art
The outcomes of the experience included Eygptian-inspired sensor-based art-tech works produced with students of Bordeaux International School (9-13 years) during a two-day workshop and other children (8 years) during a drop in maker session.
Cultural Exchange
The workshop plans and art-tech kits as well as some other items we designed endure as educational resources for the museum and Fab Lab in the future.
Skills Exchange
We also experimented with design for laser cutting and assembly techniques producing a set of small technology kit boxes, a large box that doubles as an exhibition plinth. We also created housing for light and sound circuits in the form of early 20th century inspired self-assembly lamp and radio that will feature in touring installation ‘Lonsdale’s Lab’.
“Make Create Innovate workshops are very hands-on, interactive, creative and fun. Their enthusiastic and creative approach engaged the group to co-create and develop ideas inspired by a museum collection, how to encourage museums and makers to work together using traditional and creative technology and to look at the historical development of well-known everyday objects such as lights, and how they can be interpreted today using creative technology tools.”
Jenny Siung, Head of Education, Chester Beatty Library.
We asked our students what they thought of our STEAM workshops and courses
9/10
Overall enjoyment of
students
9/10
Improved confidence
in creativity
9/10
Improved confidence
in technology
26%
Positive change
in gender equality
Similar Workshops:
Learner Centered
We believe in the growth mindset. Each hands-on session gives learners opportunities to use technology, design & creativity to find solutions to problems that arise.
Teacher Focused
We provide training and support to for educators so that they can meaningfully integrate creativity & technology in to their teaching
practice.
We have delivered workshops & courses with many inspiring organisations
