Education: primary school programme
Music enriches and connects. Mathieu Kessels knew this almost 150 years ago. His vision of production, which was in line with the industrial innovations of the time, ensured affordable musical instruments. In doing so, he made music and music practice accessible to a wide audience.
The Kessels Museum manages the heritage of Kessels Music Instruments Factory and is now making it accessible. It is a great challenge to make the enriching and connecting power of music accessible and experienceable for a wide audience; from specialists and music connoisseurs to families with children and school groups, and to do so in a way that is fitting for Tilburg Music Makers' City.
In future, the museum plans to further expand the top floor with special sections for children, but until then we are already able to offer an educational programme. The museum is included in the ‘Museumschatjes’ programme, where we provide a suitable programme for either the upper or middle years of primary school.
Aim of the Education Programme
Through Kessels history and heritage, pupils can learn about Tilburg’s history as well as gain an understanding of music and musical instruments. The preparatory lesson, the museum programme and the concluding lesson at school are all cross-curricular and serve as a substitute for the standard curriculum. A clear, concise description of the programme’s core and objectives has been drawn up. This includes a description of the links between the various components and an overview of which key learning objectives are covered. Namely: cultural heritage and music education, nature and technology, and people and society; these topics offer numerous points of reference. The aim has been to develop and deliver the programme in such a way that it has a clear beginning and structure, whether or not preparatory work and/or follow-up activities are carried out.
Components of the Education Programme
- An (optional) preparatory lesson and/or suggestions for a brief introduction to the visit.
- A museum visit programme; where the programme consists of 3 different parts. The group is divided into 3 groups and rotates.
Museum Treasures
North Brabant is home to a wealth of museums with a wide variety of collections. What all these museums have in common is that they are treasure troves of objects that, for one reason or another, are worth preserving. But what exactly is value? That is the focus of the Museumschatjes project. Schools that have registered for ‘Museumschatjes’ will receive the teaching materials, including the voucher for a free museum visit, during the first week of lessons in the new school year.
What is ‘Museumschatjes’?
Erfgoed Brabants has been organising ‘Museumschatjes’ with great success since 2006. This educational project was developed as part of the ‘Treasures of Brabant’ initiative and is subsidised by the province of North Brabant. Through ‘Museumschatjes’, primary school pupils in Years 5 to 8 visit a museum as a class. They prepare for the museum visit at school using the teaching materials provided.
Before visiting the museum, pupils are first encouraged to think about what actually makes an object valuable. An object is not only valuable because it is literally worth a lot of money, but also because, for example, it is very rare, or because it has a special story behind it. What is heritage? This introductory lesson is followed by the museum visit. Using a specific task, the pupils work in small groups to find an object that represents a particular value. And why is it important to preserve things? By the end of the ‘Museum Treasures’ project, pupils will look at old objects (heritage) in a different light.
You can find all the information about the project, the registration procedure and the rules on the Erfgoed Brabant website.
Kessels Museum is also included in the ‘Museumschatjes’ programme run by Erfgoed Brabant. This offers all Year 5 to Year 8 classes at primary schools in North Brabant the opportunity to visit the Kessels Museum free of charge.
