IN-PERSON: Prague – Section A

Abstract

The role of museums has undergone a paradigm shift––traditionally, they were seen as educational institutions or archives of historical and cultural artefacts, but now they are increasingly viewed as public spaces that are expected to educate, engage, and immerse audiences . This latter perspective has resulted in changes in how information is presented, the most widespread and significant of which can be said to be the introduction of digital and interactive media. On the one hand, this can be considered a necessary response to attract and retain visitors. On the other, it also offers museums the opportunity to consider how interactivity can strategically be used in conjunction with visual storytelling to augment the visitor experience. Experiences like these are engaging and memorable because they not only connect disparate artefacts together by constructing them into a narrative for the visitor––they also connect the visitor to the history and culture of their community through these artefacts, by providing the necessary context for the visitor to situate themselves in relation to them. The creation of quality experiences, however, requires a commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration. This paper discusses how interactivity, visual storytelling, and interdisciplinary collaboration collectively contributed to the success of a joint project between Curtin University, Fremantle Ports, and the Western Australian Museum. The project involved the creation of an animated panoramic video sequence of Fremantle Harbour using archival photos from the Fremantle Ports collection. Following its completion, the video was exhibited at the WA Maritime Museum in Fremantle, Western Australia.