Finding a space

Using your space and resources

Image: Your space should match your group size!

Most museums, especially small ones, are not blessed with a well-resourced space that is available to be a designated education room. You have to work around what you have and that can be gallery space, staff-room or even a spacious corridor as long as it is not an essential entrance or emergency exit in constant use. If you have access to outside space it can be used as long as it is safe and there is no danger of pupils wandering off. Outside space does make it difficult in terms of planning as you cannot rely on the weather, but marquees can be a useful asset if you are going to use the space regularly. Activities should be designed to take the available space into account, so if space is limited to half a class sized group (20 or less) then workshops should be planned so that you only deal with half the group at a time while the rest are doing other activities, for example a museum trail. It is not necessary to have tables and chairs for most activities. Primary pupils are quite used to sitting on the floor, and if you only have a hard, cold floor it is possible to acquire a pile of carpet sample squares from a carpet retailer, or perhaps your local scrap store, for children to sit on. For older pupils simple benches will suffice if you are giving them a talk so all you need is one table to put objects or resources on. Of course, if you do have tables and chairs in a nice space this will allow you to do a wider variety of activities. Whatever the space you use, it is nice to find somewhere to display children’s work. You will receive thank-you letters and pictures which the general public like seeing. If you designate an area for school groups that often appears to be just an empty space when there is no group in – a display of this type explains what normally goes on and gives a more fulfilling experience to other visitors. Work can even be displayed in damp draughty entrances as long as it is protected well. A simple laminating machine provides a cheap, quick and flexible way to do this. Creative activities are more problematic and you will need at least some access to washing facilities and probably some working height tables. If you don’t have the space to do these things, don’t try – do something else instead. The best alternative is to suggest art activities as follow-up sessions back in the classroom. You do not have to have a separate room. If possible designate one part of the museum as an education area. Design activities that your museum can accommodate without disruption Make sure that some pupils’ work is displayed. Allow other members of the public to see the facilities and pupils work when there are no groups in. Include activities which are impossible in your museum in the teacher's pack as suggested follow-up sessions. Older pupils will want some sort of basic seating – younger pupils are happy on the floor.