Raising awareness of Oman’s history and cultural heritage
In July 2019, two children workshops were held at the National Museum of Oman. The workshops were attended by school children between the age of 7 and 17 years old, as part of the National Museum’s Learning Centre activities and were focused on the content of the Civilization in the Making and Aflaj Galleries.
The workshop activities were designed with a research-driven learning approach in mind, which aimed to actively involve the children in creative processes, while broadening and enhancing their understanding and knowledge of Omani traditional architecture and the ancient aflaj irrigation system. Activities offered participants an opportunity to “learn by making” in an effective and enjoyable way, and provided a sensory experience by engaging them with different materials and textures.
About the project
The project consisted in two half-day workshops for children of different age groups – 7-11 years old and 12-17 years old – at the National Museum’s Learning Centre, which intended to disseminate existing knowledge among the younger generation. The workshops respectively focused on the Oman’s traditional architecture and the ancient “aflaj” irrigation system. Workshop activities included model making, drawing, painting, collaging and quizzes, offering an innovative, engaging and motivational way of reaching out to the young public, thus complementing the museum visit experience, as well as an opportunity to test understanding, knowledge and perception of traditional built environments amongst young Omanis.
The project aimed to:
1) raise awareness of the richness of Oman’s history and cultural heritage;
2) develop, broaden and reshape knowledge of the subject, thus indirectly contributing to curriculum enhancement;
3) record feedback on both the workshop and the two above mentioned galleries; and
4) assess the impact on young visitors of the research content underpinning the exhibits.
Related publications
Key people
Dr Giamila Quattrone
Principal Investigator
Prof Soumyen Bandyopadhyay
Co-Investigator
Dr Ataa Alsalloum
Co-Investigator
Dr Konstantina Georgiadou
Research Associate
Claudia Briguglio
Research Assistant
Matina Vrettou
Research Assistant
Sara Ferrarotto
Erasmus+ Trainee
Pasquale Larosa
Research Technician
Said Al-Mashrafi
PhD Student
Workshop booklets
