CFP: Children’s Museology

The editors of an upcoming book invite submissions from researchers, curators, museum practitioners, artists, and other interested parties on the emergent field of Children’s Museology. Submissions are due by March 30, 2022.

Children’s museology is defined as “the production of museum content and programming not just for or about children, but also by and with children in ways that engage them as valued social actors and knowledge-bearers” (Patterson 2020). 

Focus and key questions

• How can children’s active participation and contribution foster change in museum practice? 
• What are the possibilities and challenges of bringing child-centred praxis into museology? 
• What examples and future possibilities exist for museums to engage children as valued social agents, knowledge-bearers, and active contributors rather than mere receivers of museum content and programming provided for them by adults? 
• How can museums better share authority with children and break from the adult-dominated status quo? 
• What can children’s museology do? What is the value and potential impact of this work?