Fragile Collections and Early Years Audiences

Kettles Yard in Cambridge hosted this Magic Acorns Network meeting, where we considered the very pertinent topic of fragile collections in museums and galleries, and how we welcome early years audiences into those spaces. Artist Ian Brownlie offered some interesting and thought-provoking ideas as ways to think about moving through spaces with very young children and wondered whether "not touching" can be an invitation? Charlotte Arculus offered a provocation of moving through gallery spaces with sound makers and invited the attendees to explore the museum/gallery space using different senses. Roma Patel shared her beautiful sensory objects that invites touch from inquisitive hands.