Karen Player, Australian Museum takes Flight, Australian Museum, 16 December 2014
The Australian Museum is unveiling our newest outreach initiative Museum on the Wall – Australian Museum takes flight.
As Museum in a Box celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2015 it is fitting that we end 2014 with an amazing new collaboration installing museum displays in hospitals. Australian Museum takes Flight is an Australian Museum display in partnership with Royal North Shore Hospital and Health and Arts Research Centre.
The project aims to promote an interest in Australia’s nature and culture for the children and their families during their visit to the outpatient services in Royal North Shore Hospital. Hospitals are busy places where children and their families are often feeling stressed. The Outpatient’s Play areas are often off –the-shelf plastic toys. This initiative has created a fun space that connected kids with nature and promotes the Australian Museum collection.
We worked with the Entomology, Ornithology and Mammals collections to select the best specimens for display. Our exhibitions team prepared the specimens and advised us on the best way to display the specimens. Design worked on the layout and the inclusion of playful animal graphics.
The result is an amazing display that will brighten up the day of children, families and staff in the new Royal North Shore Hospital building.
We are working with the Health and Arts Research Centre to develop the next display in 2015. So is hopefully the first of many new outreach opportunities to share the Australian Museums collections with a diversity of people across NSW.