Development and implementation of a multimedia child friendly museum within the National Museum of Romanian Literature (NMRL)
The National Museum of Romanian Literature (NMRL) is managing an authentic literary treasure consisting of manuscripts, books, personal objects, art objects, photographs, audio-video recordings that present in a metaphorical image the depth and complexity of the whole arts of the word in Romanian literature.
The National Museum of Romanian Literature is a unique museum in Romania currently storing more than 300,000 pieces (15th-20th centuries), including manuscripts of Romanian writers (M. Eminescu, I. Creanga, V. Alecsandri, L. Blaga, IL Caragiale, T. Maiorescu, etc.) and foreigners (M. Proust, Th. Mann, P. Valery, G. Papini, G. Ungaretti etc.), old and rare books, historical and literary documents, works of plastic art (graphics, painting, sculpture), periodicals, photos, audio and video recordings.
A significant part of the books of this museum (totaling 100,000 volumes) is the old and rare book collection, preserved and protected in a specially designed room, an authentic bibliophilic exhibition called the Book of Sanctuaries.
These are, in general, letters of literary personalities addressed to Romanian writers, correspondence attesting friendship or occasional collaboration, common concerns, projects of anthologies or translations, letters demonstrating the cultural presence of Romania in the international spiritual life.
The National Museum of Romanian Literature has an authentic literary treasure consisting of manuscripts, old and rare books, historical-literary documents, personal objects and pieces of furniture belonging to Romanian writers, art objects (painting, graphics, sculpture), periodicals, photographs, audio-video recordings that give a thorough picture of the depth and complexity of the Romanian literature.
According to the law, NMRL is a culture public institution, subordinated to The City Hall of Bucharest.
NMRL is currently searching a partner to develop a project financed through EEA Grants 2014-2021 Priority Sector Culture, Civil Society, Good Governance and Fundamental Rights and Freedoms, Programme Area 14 “Cultural Entrepreneurship, Cultural Heritage and Cultural Cooperation”.
We estimate that we’ll define within the application form together with our partner(s) the following draft information:
Projected title: “Development and implementation of a multimedia child friendly museum within the National Museum of Romanian Literature (NMRL)”
The project main objective will be the development of a multimedia version of NMRL that will extend museum audience to children (3-12 years old) and preteenagers (13-15 years old)
NMRL arguments to develop a multimedia museum for the benefit of children are:
- Spaces that are specifically designed for children are an essential element and resource for the community
- Developing a space that allows the child to enter the culture of writing, into the world of literature, stories and illustration
- Providing a pleasant experience, a connection based on the joy of discovering together with the family, the development of skills and the desire to learn new things
- Change of paradigm and vision: from a museum that is holding national patrimony, to an interactive space and a multisensory environment
- Adaptations (copies) of heritage items in the permanent exhibition of the NMRL are a way of bringing the child closer to the museum world, with these objects they will be able to interact and stimulate the sense of mind, the development of curiosity and imagination
- Developing the ability to memorize, imagination, attention and concentration, cognitive abilities, emotional intelligence by exploring spaces
- Digital tools that encourage children and preteenagers to read and learn
- Changing the beliefs and opinions of young parents and adults about the usefulness and importance of the museum among the community and the social development of their child
- Supporting groups of disadvantaged children who will be encouraged to visit the museum for free
- Switching from child-centered design to focusing on family idea, especially for the little ones, as they come along and family time is getting shorter.
- The time spent by children in the museum contributes to the development of social interaction and cognitive skills.
Our draft project activities at the moment, which will be detailed together with the selected partner(s), are:
- Developing accessibility of culture and cultural heritage for disabled visitors
- Capacity development of NMRL related to multimedia galleries (equipment; multimedia content development)
- Developing cultural attractiveness for the young visitors of NMRL (interactive digital games that will allow children and preteenagers to better understand the content presented within the museum)
- Developing cultural and creative activities for the young visitors of the museum, related to sustainable education and social cohesion in a new era dominated by digital transformation.
- Audience development by adapting NMRL premises to the diversity of culture, outreach and educational activities
- Networking (knowledge transfer from donor countries related to cultural digital transformation) and international cooperation (international exhibition of NMRL in one of the donor countries)
- Design and arrange 3 rooms with the following scope
- Replicate a school classroom from XIX century
- Develop augmented reality for up to ten children stories
- Provide interactive spaces for children
- Build listening spaces for children stories
- Provide light touch design for floor puzzle
- Install Literary Mind-Maps based on touch-screens
- Install Braille displays
- Voice recording booths
- “Pared de clavos” connected to a 3D printer
- Literary quizzes for children
- Interrogative spaces, using touch screen displays with simple YES/NO buttons
- Storytelling through playful and user-friendly materials like touch-screens
- Mobile vehicle (container) for heritage promotion in cultural/social events
- QR codes and mobile application for story telling
- 3D printers
Our project will support the following measures indicated in the Programme Area 14 “Cultural Entrepreneurship, Cultural Heritage and Cultural Cooperation” Blue Book:
- Reinforcing cultural heritage management to strategically revitalize heritage and/or contribute to sustainable local and regional development
- Adapting to digital developments
- Documenting cultural history and/or safeguarding cultural heritage and making it accessible
- Increasing public inclusion and awareness about cultural diversity
- Outreach and educational activities
- Developing cultural heritage routes
- Stimulating job potential in the cultural and creative sectors
- Developing skills, competencies and know-how
- Developing new working methods/business models
- Bridging the gap between creativity, culture and business, for example, through public-private partnerships
- Supporting minority culture
- Promoting dialogue on history narratives
- Bilateral cultural cooperation between cultural players
- Good governance/shared European values through culture and local community development
Because of the complex objectives of our project, one or more partners will be selected to work with us. Our partner(s) should meet at least the following requirements:
- To be an NGO, university, research institute, private company or public institution from one of the donor countries: Norway, Island or Lichtenstein. The partner should submit a presentation of their entity describing its activity, previous projects, employees and competences, interests and capability to share knowledge about culture domain.
- To have implemented at least one project in the multimedia / digital domain where they’ve delivered services like: domain consultancy, mobile & digital development, training and cultural design. The potential partner(s) should submit a presentation of relevant similar projects.
After the selection process, according to the call of projects calendar for Priority Sector Culture, Civil Society, Good Governance and Fundamental Rights and Freedoms, Programme Area 14 “Cultural Entrepreneurship, Cultural Heritage and Cultural Cooperation”, the applicant and its partner will sign a partnership agreement and will work together to submit the application form for the project.
Expressions of interest will be sent by fax at: +40 21 212 96 52 or by email at: relatiipublice@mnlr.ro till 01.10.2017.
Attachments:
- Draft description of Programme Area 14 “Cultural Entrepreneurship, Cultural Heritage and Cultural Cooperation”;
- NMRL brochure.
