Julian, a white woman, is an anti-racism writer and facilitator (who, with Cheryl Garvey designed and delivered the Museums Association programme); Rob Lewis is Director of Transformation at Birmingham Museums Trust, a white man and participant on the Museum Associations pilot Anti-Racist Leadership programme in 2024. This conversation offers a personal reflection on coming to understand whiteness for Rob and Julian and took place following the conclusion of the Anti-Racism programme, and from within the construct of whiteness.
This article explores the role of museums in the democratization process using the case of Tunisia. Using several case studies, including the Bardo museum, I illustrate the ways in which museums have been seized upon to shape a new democratic culture of citizenship marked by freedom of expression and civic engagement. It argues that museums, like traditional political institutions such as referendums and parliaments, can act as operators and generators of democracy. The findings highlight both the potential and challenges faced by museums in this transformative role, shedding light on their significance in post-revolution Tunisia, beyond their traditional functions of cultural repositories.
In February 2009, the Museum of Markazi Province’s Luminaries officially opened in Arak, Iran, to honor prominent figures from Markazi Province. The museum, housed in a historic building, displays a number of busts, photographs, and documents related to these luminaries. However, the museum fails to effectively fulfill its intended purpose. This paper seeks to show that the main reason for this failure is unreasonable inclusion and unjust exclusion of figures. The former reason stems from a misunderstanding of Arak’s historical and historical geography, which is related to the etymology of the word ‘Arak’. The ‘unjust exclusion’ is partly due to a lack of clear definition of luminary, and partly as a reflection of the prevalent views of the regime.
Integrating virtual museum experiences into education has gained increasing attention for its potential to enhance students’ critical thinking skills. This study investigates the impact of virtual art museum experiences on fostering critical thinking among elementary school students. Conducted in a formal school setting in Sharjah (United Arab Emirates), the research employs an experimental design to compare the development of critical thinking skills in students exposed to virtual museum environments versus traditional art education methods. The study evaluates a selection of critical thinking skills, including observation, interpretation, evaluation, analysis, association, and creation, examining how virtual tools shape students’ cognitive engagement with artworks. Findings reveal that virtual museum experiences significantly enhance observation, interpretation, and evaluation skills, allowing students to interact more deeply with artworks. However, a decline is noted in analysis, association, and creation, suggesting that certain critical thinking skills require more open-ended and exploratory engagement than virtual platforms may typically provide. The study underscores the importance of balancing structured and exploratory learning approaches in virtual museum designs to optimize educational outcomes. These findings contribute to the broader discourse on the role of digital technologies in museum education and provide insights for educators and museum professionals seeking to integrate virtual learning tools effectively into art education programs.
