ABSTRACT

This chapter discusses how public programme, known as Little Feet, developed and the type of activities offered to our young learners aged 6 weeks to 4 years old. It considers the opportunities and challenges of running a programme for under 5s in a large public building, dating from the Victorian era, full of diverse spaces and filled with objects chosen to represent a myriad of historical and contemporary cultures. The British Museum’s collection spans two million years of human history and culture including world-famous objects such as the Rosetta Stone, Parthenon sculptures and Egyptian mummies alongside less well known but equally important artefacts. The starting point for Little Feet was the diverse and inspiring spaces of the Museum, which include over 50 galleries, the central Great Court and a learning centre with seminar rooms and lecture theatres with accompanying foyers. Little Feet is shaped by the Museum building and the objects on display.