A video about “Reading The Museum”, the literacy program of the Canadian Museums Association (CMA), had its premiere at the annual conference of the association in Charlottetown in May. A screening will also take place at the McCord Museum in Montreal in early October as part of the Canada Post literacy awards presentation for Quebec.

The video explores how museums are an inspiration and resource for literacy by focussing on three of the program’s most successful demonstration projects. Featured are the Edmonton Art Gallery-Prospects Literacy Association project, the collaboration between the Carrefour d’Éducation Populaire de Pointe St. Charles and the McCord Museum, Montreal and the New Brunswick Museum-Read Saint John literacy project. The video conveys the courage of three remarkable individuals who took on the challenge of reading and writing. Julie is determined to be able to read to her daughter; Claude wants to be able to pick up a newspaper or book and understand current events; Patricia finds writing every day makes all parts of her life better. The video also shows these adults and other participants in various museum settings and highlights works they created including a catalogue, photo albums and story books.

Museum and literacy educators provide commentary about literacy in the museum and on related issues such as lifelong learning. The English narration is read by celebrated Canadian poet Dennis Lee and the French narration by award winning children’s book illustrator and playwright Marie-Louise Gay. The video was made by Tim Schwab and Chris Craton of First Light Films.

Plans have begun to market the video to museums and literacy organizations and to broadcast it nationally and regionally in the Fall of 2000 and in 2001. The video will be accompanied by a study guide and other information about the “Reading The Museum” program. During the past six years, the program, with funding from the National Literacy Secretariat, has supported 34 projects across Canada in which museums and literacy organizations have worked in partnership to encourage skills in practical and imaginative ways.

If you are interested in purchasing an English or French version of the video or would like more information, please contact Lon Dubinsky *, Coordinator of “Reading The Museum”, CMA, 280 Metcalfe, Suite 400, Ottawa ON K2P 1R7, Tel. (514) 489-0571, Fax (514) 489-5442,
Email: ldubinsky@museums.ca
Website : http://www.nald.ca/rtm.htm

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