Authors: Alice Semedo, Chris Reynolds, Cláudia Garradas, Sofia Alexandre Carvalho and Tamara Banjeglav
Introduction
This introduction outlines the contexts—both broad and specific—that shape the aims and objectives of this educational resource. It provides an overview of the key terms and debates that underpin its development, highlighting the innovative framework it seeks to advance. Beginning with an introduction to the team, the resource’s core goals, and its intended audience, the section explains how the proposed activities offer potential strategies for addressing the challenges of engaging with the past in post-conflict contexts. These strategies leverage the strengths of the education and museum sectors while deploying the concept of ‘slow memory.’
The introduction briefly explores what ‘slow memory’ entails, along with the context of its emergence and development, emphasizing its potential benefits in navigating post-conflict challenges. Recognising the inherent difficulties of adopting a ‘slow’ approach in today’s fast-paced world, it acknowledges the unique pressures faced by educators and museum professionals. Yet, it is precisely these challenges that the resource aims to address. By fostering thoughtful, reflective engagement with the past, the resource aspires to make the concept of ‘slow memory’ a practical tool for promoting meaningful learning and reconciliation in post-conflict settings. This section sets the stage for exploring how such an approach can drive impactful change.
Slowness In Action
In this section we give concrete examples of the deployment of the “slow” in the museum sector. Slowness already exists in the museums worldwide and in this section we provide a short overview of some of these practices in museums that have been using the slow approach. We show how certain museums, in different parts of the world, decided to slow down the museum visit for their visitors by: showing a smaller number of objects; creating designated spaces, such as reflection spaces; providing wider historical contexts and diverting attention from single events to socio-political processes; using different information and communication technologies; connecting past, present and future in museum narratives or by displaying the oral history interviews. All this is done in order to help visitors to better engage with, process and reflect on the museum exhibitions.
Slow Activities
Slow Activities explores the integration of “slow” educational practices into museum visits, focusing on activities that foster critical engagement, reflection, and inclusivity. Through a framework titled “Slow Trails,” educators can guide students on thematic, multi-perspective museum experiences that enhance historical understanding and promote social awareness. The approach encourages focusing on often-overlooked artefacts and narratives, accommodating diverse cultural voices and addressing complex themes like conflict and memory. “Thematic Slow Trails” allow students to delve deeply into specific subjects, while “Slow Connecting Narratives” link objects across time and culture, revealing shared human experiences. Additionally, “Student-Curated Exhibits” also empower students to connect museum artefacts with personal or family items, creating a rich, personalised narrative that bridges the past with the present. Each activity emphasises reflection and critical thinking, encouraging students to understand how historical events resonate with contemporary issues and shape collective memory. Preliminary teacher-museum collaboration supports effective implementation, ensuring curriculum alignment and meaningful exploration. These slow activities aim to encourage inclusivity practices by integrating marginalised perspectives, promote curriculum-based discussions, and inspire an ongoing learning process that builds a reflective, socially conscious understanding of history. The overarching aim is to cultivate a mindful, inclusive society better equipped to confront complex pasts and their ongoing impacts.
Images 2 & 3: Photo credit: Claudia Garradas at National Museum of Soares dos Reis, Porto, Portugal
Conclusion/Plenary
This concluding section proposes a tool that may help educators evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of applying a “slow museum visit” when dealing with conflict-related themes. This tool consists of six questions educators may ask themselves. Although these questions are to be made in two separate moments (pre-visit and post-visit) they are interconnected and designed to act as a circular pathway for reflexivity.
First, to help assess if applying a slow museum visit is suitable, this tool guides educators (pre-visit) to reflect on some of the characteristics of a slow approach: possible time constraints, the complex emotions that may arise, and if it is possible to examine the conflict-related theme at hand in a museum visit. If the educator chooses to apply a slow approach, then a unique opportunity arises to take stock and adjust strategies for future slow museum visits. As such, this tool invites educators to gather feedback from learners and museum staff post-visit, supporting them in evaluating if applying slow museum visits can benefit learners in dealing with conflict-related themes.
We hope that the practical tools described throughout this document can support educators in navigating through the difficulties inherent in dealing with conflict. This is a delicate but necessary endeavour to move collectively from conflict to peace.
Glossary/Bibliography
This final section brings a glossary and a bibiliography/list of electronic references. The glossary presents a curated collection of key terms and concepts underpinning critical discussions on memory, history, and societal dynamics in conflict, reconciliation, and heritage contexts. It draws on interdisciplinary research to provide definitions that are not only academic but also practical, offering insights into how these terms are applied in studies of cultural memory, social narratives, and political transitions. By engaging with the entries, readers will gain a deeper understanding of complex phenomena such as agonistic memory, difficult pasts, political violence, and slow curating or slow memory that inform contemporary practice in these areas.
These terms illuminate the tensions and opportunities inherent in remembering, forgetting, and interpreting histories that remain contentious, highlighting the role of museums, education, and public discourse in navigating these challenges. In doing so, the glossary seeks to foster informed dialogue, critical reflection, and collaborative approaches to understanding the past in ways that resonate with present and future social transformations.
The material ends with a list of blibliographic and electronic references used throughout the text.
