The Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM) launches Up Close with ACM, a free public programme, supported by Keppel Corporation, that aims to bring its participants closer to museum objects through sensory experiences conducted by facilitators with Visual Impairment (VI) from Dialogue in the Dark Singapore (DiDsg). Operating under Ngee Ann Polytechnic (NP), DiDsg curates and runs programmes that aim to develop empathy and foster inclusion of persons with VI.

Co-developed by ACM and DiDsg, the 90-minute long public programme consists of a dialogue and touch session, and closes with a tour:

A Dialogue & Touch Session

The 3D-printed objects provide programme participants with an opportunity to touch ACM’s masterpieces – an action forbidden in museums, of course. Blindfolded participants will get to converse with DiDsg facilitators and experience these objects through their sense of touch. To complete the tactile experience, the 3D-printed objects are accompanied by object cards, on which participants can draw their object, and answer a thought-provoking question, further engaging them with the objects they are interacting with.

A Sensory Tour

Experiencing the museum in a new way, participants will gain a unique perspective from the DiDsg facilitators as they are taken on a tour of ACM’s Maritime Trade and Court & Company galleries, where they get to view the four objects they interacted with on display. During the tour, the facilitators will engage in conversation with participants – sharing their take on the objects, their perspective as a facilitator, and living life with VI.

Dates: 25 Sep, 30 Oct, 27 Nov and 18 Dec 2021
Visit ACM’s Peatix Page to sign up for a session.

When: 25 Sep - 18 Dec 2021,

By: Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM)