"Spektrum" project

The National Museum in Krakow is the leader of the "Spektrum" project under "Erasmus+ Youth. Action 2 - Strategic Partnerships". The NMK runs the "Spektrum" project drawing on the rich and long-standing experience of European partners in working with people on the autism spectrum. The main idea behind our efforts was to develop a strategy to make museums in Poland more friendly to people on the autism spectrum.

To do this, we collaborate with cultural institutions and research centres from the UK, Italy, Spain and Belgium. One way of gaining knowledge has been through study tours to a number of cultural institutions in the cities where our partners operate.

The activities included an analysis of the current educational offer, accessibility of cultural institutions, exchange of good practices and inspiration to develop new measures in Poland for visitors with ASD and their families.

We invited employees of Polish cultural institutions and people working in organisations to take part in the Spektrum w Muzeum (Spektrum in the Museum) survey, from which we collected responses on experiences and observations on how people on the autism spectrum experience the exhibitions.

Over the course of the project, we worked with our partners to develop practical tools for museums to help assess what measures the institution needs to implement in order to be more open to people with ASD and their families.

During a study tour in Madrid, with the collaboration of staff from the Universidad Nacional De Educación a Distancia (UNED), project participants, we produced a series of educational videos with partners discussing some of the aspects of adapting a museum to the preferences of people with ASD.

The project was accompanied by changes at the National Museum in Krakow itself - as part of testing solutions and gaining experience, we introduced quiet hours and equipped our branches with sensory baskets and quiet areas for people with special sensory needs.

For World Autism Awareness Day, 2 April 2022, we have arranged an alternative guided tour of the Vilhelm Hammershoi exhibition, led by and for people on the autism spectrum by Maja Luxenberg, an actress, educator and self-advocate as well as a member of Fundacja Dziewczyny w Spektrum (the Girls on the Spectrum Foundation).

We are planning to hold training sessions for museum employees from Krakow and Lesser Poland (and maybe not only?), bringing awareness to the needs of people with autism - the first such opportunity is created by open day conference of the Spektrum Project on the 6 October 2022.

WE INVITE YOU TO USE THE TOOLS DEVELOPED BY THE PROJECT TEAM! -> downloads