How we keep in touch during the COVID-19 crisis
Ever since the world is battling against COVID-19, it is obviously impossible to visit partners and exchange best practices physically. However, in order to keep in touch during these strange times we organized a digital meeting on the 15th of December 2020. All partners prepared a presentation concerning relevant developments in their organizations.
The topics were:
- Poland: Educational programs for the Deaf in our museum
- Belgium: Volunteers in COVID-times – download presentation
- Finland: Inclusiveness in our museum – download presentation
- The Netherlands: COVID-19 and other relevant developments – download presentation
- Spain: Educating in COVID-times – download presentation
All partners had to cancel most of their meetings, events and exhibitions. However, this new situation created an opportunity to look for alternative ways to keep in touch with visitors and volunteers. The Finnish Railway Museum, for example, asked their followers on social media to help them capture train traveling during the pandemic through stories and pictures. Museum BroekerVeiling is even planning to offer a digital tour of the museum on their website and the Silesian museum created new tools and movies for the deaf, available online. The Adult Education Center of Olmedo had to change their way of learning, teaching and socializing for classes at (online or physical) distance. Moreover, they launched a website to reach (new) students online. Lastly, Histories now reaches and supports heritage volunteers online through interactive webinars, podcasts and multiple citizen science projects, suitable for volunteers at home.
Although we all work and live in different countries, it has become clear that the coronavirus causes similar challenges both in our personal as professional life. It requires us to reinvent and rethink (some) parts of our functioning towards a more digital and sustainable organisation. However, we do hope that we can exchange ‘good practices’ regarding Inclusive Museums in the future in person.
