Oxford University To Train More Refugees As Tour Guides For Its Museums
Image via University of Oxford / Ian Wallman
Oxford University officially announced that over 200 refugees and asylum seekers in the UK will be trained as tour guides for its two museums over the next five years.
The project, which was first launched in Berlin at the State Museums and the Deutsche’s Historisches Museum, was recently buoyed by a generous £1 million (US$1.3 million) donation from the Saudi foundation, Alwaleed Philanthropies.
Named ‘Multaka’, which means meeting point in Arabic, the initiative has trained nearly 100 volunteer guides in the UK hailing from Syria, Egypt, Iraq, Zimbabwe, and Sudan. The guides were taught to interpret and co-curate collections at the History of Science Museum and Pitt Rivers Museum, with a focus on historical artifacts from the Islamic world.
“This program, which opens its arms to refugees and helps to integrate them into the local community through the power of art and culture, plays a powerful role in strengthening cross-cultural understanding in society,” said Princess Lamia of Alwaleed Philanthropies.
“Islamic art tells a story of our heritage, which can be often misunderstood; the Multaka-Oxford program bridges these gaps and brings museum collections to life,” she remarked.
Image via University of Oxford / Ian Wallman
According to The Art Newspaper, the expansion will allow new volunteers to learn how to give museum tours in both English and Arabic, how to handle artifacts, and how to co-curate in-person and online events for the museums. There’s a possibility the project will extend to other museums in the near future.
“When I first saw things from Syria here, I felt I was back again at home. Without Multaka, I wouldn’t ever see these objects and get knowledge about them,” quipped a volunteer.
Image via University of Oxford / Ian Wallman
[via The Art Newspaper, images via University of Oxford / Ian Wallman]
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