ABSTRACT
The museum presented the programme, as do many others, as an example of ‘outreach-as-active agency’, simply based upon the fact that it targets marginalised communities and offers them ‘participation’ in museum-led programmes. There are other museums emerging that have embedded themselves in this ethical rights-based activist practice. The Multaqa guides add that ‘the reality of civic discourse is difficult’ in international development context, observing that more time is needed for reflection in a dialogical process between the guides and the public involved in the museum tours. The Multaqa project, an award-winning and much-watched programme, is a brave attempt by a network of national museums to address a high-profile local, national and international issue—the lack of communication between recent migrants and ‘host’ communities. The Museum also focuses on training for social workers, mental health workers, teachers and local authorities through role play reversals and facilitating active interaction with care leavers.
