Museums @ the Mic Podcasts
Welcome to Museums @ the Mic, a five part podcast series
focussing on stories of disaster response and recovery. The series
will highlight Alberta museums during the flooding of 2013, mental
health in disaster situations, and an account of an earthquake
response from a New Zealand museum.
Episode One: Psychological First Aid
In the rush to recover and restore damaged objects, the physical and mental toll that emergency response has on those involved is sometimes overlooked. Debbie Grey and Catharine McFee from Alberta Health Services address the concept of Psychological First Aid and the importance of mental health care during and after a disaster.
Visit museums-cei.blogspot.com for additional resources from Alberta Health Services, or visit albertahealthservices.ca for more information.
Episode Two: When the Floods Came to Calgary
The National Music Centre was in the process of moving to a new facility when the 2013 floods struck, forcing recovery efforts to span collections storage and a construction site. Jesse Moffat, Director of Collections at the National Music Centre, recounts the intense disaster response and recovery process.
Episode Three: Fire and Water in High River
This episode recounts the two disasters that affected the Museum of the Highwood. Irene Kerr, Director / Curator, takes us through the difficult process of responding to the massive flooding of June 2013 when the museum had not yet fully recovered from a fire that occurred in 2010.
Episode Four: Disaster Lessons from New Zealand: Part One
Disaster Lessons from New Zealand: Part One features a conversation with Sarah Murray, Curatorial Manager at the Canterbury Museums in Christchurch, New Zealand. It focusses on the community responses in Christchurch following a series of deadly earthquakes and aftershocks that hit the region between September 2010 and February 2011.
This interview took place following Sarah’s presentation at the Yukon Heritage and Museums Association’s workshop, Cultural Organizations and Traumatic Events, in May 2016.
Episode Five: Disaster Lessons from New Zealand: Part Two
In Disaster Lessons from New Zealand: Part Two, Sarah Murray, Curatorial Manager at the Canterbury Museum in Christchurch, New Zealand discusses the reopening of the Canterbury Museum following the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes. The Canterbury Museum is working to help the Christchurch community heal by providing interpretation for the recent quakes through a permanent exhibit, Quake City, and a temporary exhibition Hearts for Christchurch.
This interview took place following Sarah’s presentation at the Yukon Heritage and Museums Association’s workshop, Cultural Organizations and Traumatic Events, in May 2016.
Acknowledgements
Museums @ the Mic is funded through the Museum Flood Funding Program. As a multi-year initiative supported by Alberta Culture and Tourism, the Program provides assistance to museums affected by the June 2013 floods, and ensures at-risk museums are able to mitigate potential damage in the event of future flooding emergencies. The AMA appreciates the Government of Alberta's commitment to assisting flood-affected cultural institutions.