Researchers invite input on Kamloops culture in interactive museum exhibit

“By coming here and participating, your voice will count. It’ll be well documented,” said Will Garrett-Petts, VP of research at TRU.

“We’ll ask you to create a visual map of Kamloops today, and your conjectural Kamloops — the Kamloops that you’d like to see — and we’ll ask you some questions about that.”

Kate Fagervick is the learning strategist with the project. She says cultural mapping is a passion of hers due to its simplicity.

“It’s an arts-based research method where people get to draw a response to a question and they get to talk about it,” said Fagervick.

“It’s fairly basic, yet it’s not, because amazing things get pulled out of people when they’re invited to express themselves in more creative ways.”

The data collected will be used to inform the city’s Cultural Strategic Plan.

“What a Cultural Strategic Plan does — it’s the city working with other partners, and working in conversations with citizens, to outline and help visualize its future, and where should we put resources for an even stronger culture for that future,” said Garrett-Petts.

The City has waived the museum entry fee for the summer to encourage people from all walks of life to participate.

“We want everyone to come in and participate,” said museum supervisor Julia Cyr.

“Even from a child’s perspective, coming in and seeing these photographs, even just about two minutes ago we had a family coming in and a mother saying, ‘Do you recognize parts of Kamloops? We live here.’ (…) And children are responding.”

The researchers will deliver a draft Cultural Strategic Plan to the City by December.

You Are Here is open Tuesday to Saturday, from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., until September 24.

by Stephanie Swensrude

Researchers invite input on Kamloops culture in interactive museum exhibit

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