How to Build a Museum: Co-Creating Purpose with Young People

What would a museum designed by children look like? What stories would it tell, and who would it serve?

These questions shaped How to Build a Museum: Co-Creating Purpose with Young People, a special edition of the MOWAA Listening Sessions held at CCA Lagos on Sunday, 24th May, in collaboration with Studio P&C.

Bringing together children, parents, guardians and educators, the session invited participants to explore ideas of heritage, memory and museums through multi-sensory storytelling, drawing, play and hands-on activities. Interactive prompts encouraged young learners to share what they think museums are, how they engage with cultural objects, and what they would like museum spaces to become.

Through collaborative exercises and conversations, children imagined new possibilities for museums shaped by curiosity, accessibility and community. The session also created space for intergenerational reflection. Parents and guardians considered the histories, values and traditions they hope to pass on, while young participants encountered new ways of thinking about heritage and cultural memory.

As part of the wider MOWAA Listening Sessions, the programme reflects MOWAA's commitment to listening before building. By inviting children and families into the conversation, the session recognised that the future of museums is shaped by the communities they serve.

The MOWAA Listening Sessions continue across Nigeria, West Africa and the diaspora, gathering ideas, experiences and perspectives that will help shape the institution's future programmes and public engagement.

Join the conversation at wearemowaa.org/listening-sessions.