The Zum-Zum Children’s museum launched its ‘Make Mas!’ exhibition on Monday which is aimed at providing a more interactive environment for children to understand Carnival culture. It’s the second iteration of a similar exhibit done last year titled Play Mas.
“The difference between a children’s museum and a regular museum is that the children’s museum is much more interactive...they can experience the exhibitions in a tactile way in an experiential way rather than just seeing it on the wall and not being able to touch it,” museum creative director Sonja Dumas explained during the launch.
She said provided within the experience for the children would also be a mas camp behind the museum.
Dumas said local designers and artists have donated their time to be a part of the exhibition and to teach the children the various arts within Carnival’s history such as wire bending.
“We have a set of fantastic artisans and artists from the community of artists in Trinidad and Tobago. Some of the exhibits were designed by a young artist called Jade Drakes. Part of the exhibition was designed by veteran artists Parker Nicholas, we have Daniel Elliot...we have a set of people who have very kindly offered to come and teach the children different aspects of design,” she said.
Dumas said it has always been a dream of hers to start a children’s museum.
“I had wanted to do a children’s museum for a very long time in Trinidad because I had seen children’s museums abroad and I saw how children responded and how their creativity would grow when they had the experience of a children’s museum,” she said.
This is the first of three exhibits the museum plans on hosting for the year which she said was made possible with the help of Republic Bank’s Power to Make a Difference programme.
“We’re kicking off with the Make Mas and then we’re going into a series of other ones that have different themes,” she explained.
The exhibition caters to children between the ages of three to 12 years and runs until March 1.
More information can be found on the museum’s Facebook page Zum-Zum Museum.