Travelling history museum reaches Colombo!

 Vraîe Cally Balthazaar, Colombo mayor, at the exhibition opening

By Aakil Riyaz

It’s About Time, a travelling history museum, made itself mobile to the public from the 19th to the 23rd of August at the Colombo Public Library. Curated by the Collective for Historical Dialogue & Memory (CHDM) and jointly organised with the European Union in Sri Lanka & Maldives, and the Strengthening Social Cohesion and Peace in Sri Lanka (SCOPE) programme, which is co-funded by the EU and the German Federal Foreign Office and implemented by GIZ in partnership with the Government of Sri Lanka.

Since its inception in 2019, the museum has completed an island-wide circuit, with pitstops in 11 towns across the country. This year, the museum opened its doors for the first time in Colombo, with visitor hours from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm. The inauguration of the travelling museum was graced by the presence of members of government, media and non-governmental institutions. Moreover, dignitaries such as Deputy Minister, Muneer Mulaffer, Ambassador to the EU in Sri Lanka & Maldives: Carmen Moreno, Deputy Head of the German Embassy to Sri Lanka & Maldives: Sarah Hasselbarth and Mayor of Colombo: Vraîe Cally Balthazaar were in attendance.

The museum was not a simple ‘open for visiting experience’, but also held within its walls an invitation to explore, engage and express what visitors felt. This was carried out via interactive games, screens replaying historical incidents, exhibits and informative placards. It’s About Time left no stone unturned as it showcased a chronological progression of events from Sri Lanka’s post-independence history to the present. Incidents such as Black July in 1983, the 25-year Civil War, the Tsunami and the recent Aragalaya were showcased in digestible and interactive ways to the audience.

Johann Peiris, Manager: Education Programmes, had this to say on the museum:

 “The new version of It’s About Time – the travelling history museum – aims to engage the youth, particularly in cultivating a critical approach towards learning history. It is important as leaders and decision-makers of the future to be aware of how history is constantly being instrumentalised for other goals”.

“In addition, to be curious about the vast nature of history and its methods. Where are the stories of ordinary people in specific events? Where are the perspectives of workers/women/minorities in our museums, advertisements, TV shows and books? Our aim is to encourage children to employ a critical lens to question stories and perspectives of the past decades, but also be smart consumers of facts being fed through the media today,” Johann also added.

With a focus placed on the age demographic between 14–20, the exhibition aims not to just give out random tidbits of history, but to showcase a meticulously crafted experience with depth and meaning. Further, with interactive games and visitor educators engaging with the audience, it all but makes for an engaging experience.

During its 5-day run in Sri Lanka’s bustling metropolis, the exhibition unpacked a series of previously known and unknown facts about Sri Lanka from its independence to the present, also touching on areas overlooked in the school history syllabus. It’s About Time did not simply serve as an exhibition on Sri Lanka’s past, but also served as a looking glass for our current circumstances as a nation.

Visitor Educator Addressing School Students

Past and Present problems in Sri Lanka presented via a Jenga set

Showcasing the ration card system in Sri Lanka