Museum Ideas Study Day: Participatory Theatre in Museums

This exclusive study day explored how immersive participatory theatre is being used in museums to create transformative experiences for audiences. The event took place on Friday 19th June 2015. We teamed up with the National Maritime Museum, ground-breaking theatre company Punchdrunk and other pioneers in the field to examine how museums can use participatory theatre to engage audiences in new ways and develop memorable and enriching experiences. The study day included talks, workshops and Q&As and delegates were able to explore how to develop ways to bring collections and narratives to life through immersive participatory theatre. As part of the day, delegates had the opportunity to experience Against Captain’s Orders: a Journey into the Uncharted – Punchdrunk’s game-changing production at the National Maritime Museum.

Contributors to the event included:

Mike Sarna, Director, Programming and Exhibitions, National Maritime Museum
Sarah Lockwood, Head of Learning and Interpretation, National Maritime Museum
Peter Higgin, Enrichment Director, Punchdrunk
David Robertson, Contemporary Science Content Developer, Science Museum
Sarah-Jane Rawlings, Co-Director, Fun Palaces