Please do not touch! learning through object-work and arts-based expression in museum theatre, a South African example

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article proposes that participatory museum theatre can provide a platform through which learners studying history can engage a troubled past, specifically looking at South African history, to generate a more complex understanding of it. Through the use of performance, object-work, and creative arts-based responses, such as poetry and drawing, in the museum space, learners are able to connect with the performed historical narratives, characters, and events creating a sensory learning experience. The argument is presented through the example Beer Halls, Pass Laws and Just Cause which was performed at the KwaMuhle Museum, Durban, South Africa during March 2020.