Samsung Digital Discovery Centre opens
New technology centre sponsored by Samsung Electronics
Use the latest technology to build your own Greek temple, or
create your own Museum comic strip in a new offer for school
children and families
As the British Museum celebrates the 250th anniversary of
opening to the public, it is looking to the future to find new ways
to engage the next generation with the collection. Located just
beneath the Great Court, the Samsung Digital Discovery Centre
provides a state-of-the-art technological hub for children and
young people to learn about and interact with the Museum’s
unparalleled collection. Using the latest Samsung digital equipment
in facilitated sessions, children will learn about all aspects of
world cultures, from Chinese tombs to Egyptian paintings and from
clocks and watches to clothing from around the world. This is the
first project of its kind that the British Museum has undertaken
with a technology partner.
The Centre will be run by two full-time members of staff who
will develop, manage and evaluate the sessions and resources and
establish the centre as a leader in museum-based e-learning.
Specialist artists and other educators will also be recruited for
specific programmes and projects as required so that the Samsung
Digital Discovery Centre can provide audiences with the chance to
encounter the very best practitioners in digital technologies.
The two primary audiences for the Centre are schools – through a
varied programme of facilitated sessions throughout the week, and
families who can experience regular family learning sessions at the
weekend. Programming will be targeted at children and young people
between the ages of 3 and 11. The first programme of schools
sessions will include:
- Clothes from around the world (for 3-5 year
olds).
This session introduces young children to the diversity of cultures
that are found at the British Museum and helps develop confidence
in using Information and Communication Technology. First children
explore the galleries, talking about the different clothes they see
and taking photographs using digital cameras provided by the
Centre. After a break they will develop art work using the
interactive whiteboard. Teachers will be able to take away or
e-mail back to school photographs and children’s work from the
interactive whiteboard for follow-up after the visit.
- Chinese Tombs: preparing for the afterlife
(for 7-11 year olds).
In the first part of this session students will be explore the
Museum’s award-winning website Ancient China using the latest
laptops and discover how the ancient Chinese buried their dead.
Afterwards they will continue their investigation in the China
Gallery using specially prepared activity sheets.
- Greek Temples: worshipping the gods (for 7-11
year olds).
Utilising the Museum’s website on Ancient Greece, the children will
design and build their own Greek Temple. They will continue their
investigation in the Parthenon Galleries.
Family programmes will be held every weekend and during the
school holidays with sessions using digital photography and
animation. Programming will include a mix of informal, drop-in
sessions and more structured activities which are free to the
public but ticketed. These will allow families to make richer use
of the Samsung Digital Discovery Centre over longer periods of
time. There will be special projects which will relate to specific
exhibitions and events at the Museum.
Samsung have partnered with the British Museum for five years in
order that the project can continue to develop, and have provided
wireless technology for the Centre that includes notebook
computers, tablet PCs and digital video and stills cameras for use
by pupils, plus presentation equipment including LCD TVs and photo
frames, printers, projectors and DVD players.
For further information or images please contact Katrina Whenham
or Esme Wilson on 020 7323 8394 or communications@britishmuseum.org