It was a genuine, honest question following a guided tour.
The gent had no idea why half the tour group were trying not to laugh.
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This happened once a month or so at a site where I worked with hand held audio tours. We would get a coach of old dears, some of whom instantly shoved the handset in a pocket and ignored it, some of whom stabbed buttons and confused it, and some of whom eagerly listened to every word going.
And the one who forgot that they needed to put their hearing aid on for a change, or turn it up. (Brilliantly, there are a couple of handsets which are screens, with the full tour in British Sign Language, rather than just offering profoundly deaf people a print out of the script.) ![]() If you've worked as, known, or met people who play costumed characters helping to interpret historical sites for visitors, then you'll have encountered some laugh out loud tales of the thoughtless or heartless questions asked. So imagine the questions which were asked of Azie Mira Dungey, when she played various black characters from history, in the DC/Maryland/Virginia area. Yup, because she was a black actress, Azie, in her own words "must have played every black woman of note that ever lived... I liked to call myself the time-traveling black girl. " You don't have to imagine what Azie was asked, as she's turned her experiences into a comedy series, currently two episodes in. In character as Lizzie Mae the slave, she fronts it as if on a talk show, where she gives funny and thought provoking answers to some occasionally dumb, and sometimes outright painful questions. And she's darned funny, giving a unique voice to a much misunderstood group from the past, as well as challenging some of our assumptions about the era's attitudes and America's founding fathers. Find out more, and go to her site to watch the rest of the show! ![]() I was surprised when a teacher rocked into the room I was working in, and in his loud opening sentence he whacked three sweeping and inaccurate facts in, one after the other. For instance, we can't FIT "the entire collection" in that room, so telling kids that is what they are looking at is grossly misleading. I feel like I'm whining a lot recently about pushy or dumb visitors. However, I do feel gifted with prize specimens right now, and this one has bigger issues behind it. All the information the teacher was confidently wrong about can be read on our website (on a single page thereof) and on the text panel by the door (which he was stood beside) So Why hasn't he done his homework? Click the read more link for a plea to educational staff, and some ideas to help with visits... So as I'm in a mood about fire alarms going off, legal issues over incorrect fine print requiring me to destroy some already completed work, endless customer queries about bank holiday opening hours, a pile of query emails and a display screen loosing all it's display formatting, the Make A Wish foundation get in touch to arrange a visit for a terminally ill 12 year old, and his family.
Suddenly, the troubles of a grumpy Exhibitions Manager seem a bit inconsequential. You know that you know someone who will appreciate this, either as a staff member or a put upon teacher trying to herd students and disinterested colleagues around . Stick a copy in the staff room and be prepared for the next visit! ![]()
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February 2023
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