adminSharon Chigeza Mutare Correspondent
MUTARE Museum has integrated new technology in its repository to make visits more appealing and attractive to the tech savvy generation.
The development resonates well with this year’s international museums day commemorations theme; “Hyper-connected museums: New approaches, new publics”.
It seeks to push museums to higher dimensions of engagement and renew public interest.
Mutare Museum’s regional director Mr Paul Mupira said they had embraced the theme and introduced new technologies and created a children’s corner in the museum.
“Digitisation and the use of new technologies are the new approach to almost every sector and the National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe (NMMZ) has not been left behind.
“The present generation is tech savvy and they understand computers and the virtual world more than the old fashioned way of research and display.
“This has seen the introduction of computers in the galleries that provide gaming platforms and repositories to assist in the dissemination of information,” he said.
He said the museum world appreciates the continuous changing visitor preferences hence the need for new approaches, which go beyond the sole purpose of object collection and exhibition to becoming interactive theatres for diverse audiences and Mutare Museum has taken in new visitors with the introduction of a children’s corner or Children’s gallery.
The museum’s regional marketing officer, Mr Lloyd Makonya said the new generation was more technical and fascinated by things that appear on screens hence the introduction of new technologies that aid in disseminating information within the museum’s galleries.
“The introduction of new technologies such as computers and tablets that accompany the galleries static displays has since proven useful and appealing to the museum visitors and the promotion of domestic tourism.
“The initiatives have also seen the museum introducing a new gallery known as the Kids’ Corner.
“The corner is more or less a reflection of the existing gallery meant to provide edutainment to our young visitors. We realised that most children do not enjoy the visits and find them rather boring and tiring.
“To cater for their needs the museum has set up a kids’ corner, which provides them with edutainment as their chaperones take a tour around the museum. The corner also has plans of including new technology such as tablets that are age specific and in a way introduces the museum to them in a way the understand better,” said Mr Makonya.
The children’s corner is expected to be in full operation beginning of next month. It will be catering for three to nine years age group.
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