How can a
historic house successfully engage the community?
What kinds of
exhibits, activities, media presentations – or unique interpretive techniques
could be successful?
These are big
questions with many possible outcomes. To begin to answer these questions, in
the coming summer we will work closely with students to help determine what
types of content speaks to them, the kind of interpretation that engages them (and
their families), and finally how to share their own creative work based on the
stories the Hempsted House has to offer.
Initial thoughts on techniques that
might work:
Based on my
past museum experience, I can make an educated guess as to some of the stories at
the Hempsted House that will appeal to a wide audience. The kitchen has a lot
to offer. From the basic idea that there is no refrigeration, or even canning,
to the massive foot print of a cooking hearth, a historic kitchen’s basic
operation can engage the imagination of almost any visitor. It also provides an opportunity for
conversations around social roles that family groups can identify with like:
this is how the Hempsted family would have organized the kitchen work, how do
you organize the kitchen work within your family? From superstition to food
science the Hempsted kitchen could be a great place to start.
Stories of
class and station can be fascinating for visitors as well. From slavery to
indentured servitude to free Africa Americans to the place of women, the
colonial period has a very complex story to tell. What’s more the community is
already getting to know the story of Adam Jackson, who spent 30 years enslaved
in this house. It might be that we could look at other historic properties that
have had success interpreting class and/or slavery for useful interpretive
techniques. The Lower Eastside Tenement Museum’s kitchen conversations brought
visitors together with an interpreter for active discussions- could this model
work for teens and adults? Connor Prairie Interactive History Park used first
person interpreters to engage in open ended conversations that often revolved
around class and sometimes slavery. Visitors could direct what was basically a
dramatic presentation – could this be a way for visitors to explore Adam’s
story? Finally Connor Prairie’s very successful Follow the North Star
program might be a model for exploring the harsh limits of what was possible in
the 1730’s to 1760’s for Adam and his family. While these techniques rely on
very well prepared interpreters, there might be ways to use interactive media,
games or visitor feedback to promote the same kinds of social interactions
between visitors.
It seems that teenagers – and at this point
many adults – are never far from social media. Could the Writers Block InK students,
our partners in this endeavor, help Connecticut Landmarks create the structure
and content for social media intertwined with exhibits? How could that work?
Would it provide a successful conversation between visitors around the stories
of the Hempsted House?
For now there
are many more questions than answers.
Robert Kiihne of RK Exhibits will be participating in the
teen audience research this summer and will draft the exhibitions component of
the interpretive plan in the fall.
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