The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Making exhibition of themselves
Lots of fun and exciting events are lined up around Scotland for the annual Festival Of Museums, which takes place in various venues from May 18 to 20
If you hear the word “museum” and immediately think of a long afternoon spent looking at dull artefacts boringly displayed in a building that could do with a good makeover, then you’ve perhaps not been to a museum for a long time.
These days, museums are exciting locations displaying innovation, technological advances, performance and spectacle, and this is what the annual Festival Of Museums is all about.
Now in its 12th year, this nationwide event brings museums into focus over a weekend which also hosts International Museums Day, Museums At Night and its European equivalent, La Nu it D es Musé es.
Festival Of Museums features around 130 events spreading from the very foot of Scotland with a recreation of a Norse craft village in Whithorn’s Wood, Woad And Weave event, to the northernmost outpost in Stromness with a craft workshop for families.
“Museums are usually taken for granted and we don’t get to celebrate them often,” says Sarah Burry-Hayes, Marketing Manager at Museums Galleries Scotland.
“We want to highlight how fun, exciting, unusual and different museums can be the whole year round, not just for this one weekend.”
Launched in 2006 when it was known as Show Scotland, the event started off modestly, but rebranding it as the Festival Of Museums in 2011 gave it a real kick-start, with more and more locations coming on board.
For this year’s event over 80 venues are mucking in, with the festival announcing on the website that “museums are encouraged to let their hair down, take risks and try something new”.
So, which museums are truly letting their hair down this year?
“At Gateway To The Glens in Kirriemuir they’re doing a Make your own Gingerbread Bon Scott competition which I think is going to be awesome,” reckons Burry-Hayes.
“Arbroath’s Signal Tower has a Pirate Fun Day where you can build your own ship with LEGO.
“Over at the McManus, a series of innovative events are taking place.
“Under the banner Celebrating The Young & Young At Heart, events include ‘Are Ye Dancin’? We’re Askin!’ where audiences are taken on a fun journey across the history of dance in Dundee through a mix of theatre, oral history, a tiny bit of audience participation, and a homage to Lady Gaga.
“In I:D Jam, young people will be taking over the McManus’ Family Space to share information on what life is like for them in Dundee, featuring photography, film and a Wall Of Words installation, and in Living History Portraits, we take a step back in time to discover the lives of past generations of young people in the city through pop-up theatre performances.
“This year is particularly important as our theme is Scotland’s Year Of Young People,” notes Kevin McGinley, Communications and Public Relations Officer at Leisure and Culture Dundee.
“So, this is a national thing that we’re plugging into by making sure that our Festival Of Museums programme is co-produced by young people.
“It’s about us joining into the national celebrations and for the McManus this is our big showpiece event of the year.”
The phrase ‘something for everyone’ may be somewhat over-used these days, but it really is a perfect description for this year’s Festival Of Museums.
“You can see how each museum is tying into its local culture and heritage, whether it’s through ancient history or something modern,” says Burry-Hayes.
“Bringing a humorous take on things is something that people are very good at over Festival Of Museums weekend.
“We’re looking at history but making it fun and fascinating for visitors.”
festivalofmuseums.com