Hands On! Logo int. Accociation of Children in Museums

Graz 2016

June 09-11 Graz, Austria
On 8 June 2016 Hands On! offered an exciting pre-conference workshop at 2016 Ecsite conference “Colours of cooperation”. In cooperation with the hosts, FRida & freD Children’s Museum, the Universalmuseum Joanneum and the association ScienceCentre-Network, who organized a vibrant participatory opening, in which school classes, kindergarten groups, universities, companies and conference participants built an incredibly long chain-reacting-machine, we were able to offer our members an event in-between the HO! conferences. Around 50 Participants from all over the World e.g. India, Israel, Australia and Dubai, took part in the HO! pre-conference.
Colours of Cooperation

Theme Description

Hands On! pre-conference! 2016

In collaboration with Ecsite, the European network of science centers and museums, we offered the first HO! pre-conference in Graz, Austria! Graz welcomed us very warmly and made it possible for us to meet our own HO! family, as well as the much larger Ecsite association. The event was facilitated by the Graz Children’s Museum, who organized a vibrant participatory opening, in which school classes, kindergarten groups, universities, companies and conference participants built an incredibly long chain-reacting-machine.

Focus Topics

In the morning session, eight different approaches to museum work were introduced to us. A particularly inspiring presentation came from the Discovery Center in Boston, who see their museum as a laboratory and closely cooperate with universities and parents. The research tools they use for their studies could be helpful for other museums seeking to gain more information about children in museums.
In the afternoon, we offered various workshops, dedicated to the theme ‘Colors of Cooperation’. Over the course of the program, we visited different partners in order to gain a deeper understanding of how children’s museums can cooperate with schools and universities as well as art museums and companies.