A different kind of story: pedagogy of hope at The Ration Shed Museum, Cherbourg

Article


Smith, Carly. 2018. "A different kind of story: pedagogy of hope at The Ration Shed Museum, Cherbourg." Queensland Review. 25 (2), pp. 191-207. https://doi.org/10.1017/qre.2018.28
Article Title

A different kind of story: pedagogy of hope at The Ration Shed Museum, Cherbourg

ERA Journal ID36905
Article CategoryArticle
Authors
AuthorSmith, Carly
Journal TitleQueensland Review
Journal Citation25 (2), pp. 191-207
Number of Pages17
Year2018
PublisherEquinox Publishing
Place of PublicationUnited Kingdom
ISSN1321-8166
2049-7792
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1017/qre.2018.28
Web Address (URL)https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/queensland-review/article/different-kind-of-story-pedagogy-of-hope-at-the-ration-shed-museum-cherbourg/8BBFFE3458C12E49166214C25C6215BD
Abstract

In recounting the history of Cherbourg as an Aboriginal settlement, the Ration Shed Museum presents some traumatic narratives. It paints a picture of violent geographic and cultural dislocation, crude living conditions, forced labour and administrative oppression by infusing historical artefacts with the personal recollections of Cherbourg residents. The intent behind the Ration Shed Museum itself, however, is something quite different: its curators want to tell a story that speaks of hope for this community’s future, and to work towards some form of reconciliation. They do this by actively engaging with the ‘terrible gift’ of the past in the present, and by providing spaces for encounters that can lead to open discussions of difficult social issues and celebrations of contem- porary Cherbourg life. This article draws on ethnographic interviews and observational data alongside the theoretical work of Roger I. Simon and Andrea Witcomb to describe how the Ration Shed Museum engages its community and visitors in a dual process of both understanding Cherbourg’s history and reframing traumatic narratives to enact a pedagogy of hope.

Keywordsmuseums; pedagogy of hope; museum and heritage studies; memorial studies; Indigenous histories; museum pedagogies
ANZSRC Field of Research 2020430299. Heritage, archive and museum studies not elsewhere classified
430205. Heritage and cultural conservation
470299. Cultural studies not elsewhere classified
Public Notes

File reproduced in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher/author.

Byline AffiliationsSchool of Arts and Communication
Institution of OriginUniversity of Southern Queensland
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