CeCASt Seminar Week 3

Re-enacting Memories, Re-interpreting Histories: An Exploration of Museum Theatre at Prempeh II Jubilee Museum, Ghana

Speaker: Emmanuel Jewel Peprah Mensah (University of Education, Winneba)

Abstract:

There have been several calls from diverse stakeholders in the museum sector in Ghana for creative programmes that enliven the cultural objects in a museum’s holding. This study aimed at exploring the use of museum theatre as an intervention to enhance the museum experience of visitors at the Prempeh II Jubilee Museum, a popular museum in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. The researcher produced The Linguist Staff, an interactive drama to present the historical narratives of the eight Akan clan systems. The study was carried out using arts-based research under the qualitative approach with observer-as-participant and semi-structured interviews as data collection tools. Data were analysed using qualitative thematic analysis. The findings revealed that museum theatre could potentially improve learning while enhancing the understanding of museum objects. The study contends that museum theatre when used tactfully by museum management could be a very useful intervention in increasing visitors’ experience and engagement.