Social Impact accolade

Hidden exhibition wins award

The judges praised Hidden as "an innovative and experiential exhibition, which powerfully conveys Holocaust stories".

Hidden exhibition.Photo: supplied
Hidden exhibition.Photo: supplied

At the Australian Museums and Galleries Association (AMaGA) Awards on September 17, the Melbourne Holocaust Museum received the Social Impact Award in recognition that its Hidden: Seven Children Saved exhibition made tangible and positive impacts in response to key societal issues, with outcomes including community wellbeing, fostering inclusivity and diversity, education and social awareness.

The judges praised Hidden as “an innovative and experiential exhibition, which powerfully conveys Holocaust stories”.

“The thoughtful design inspires visitors of all ages to embrace lessons of kindness, empathy and bravery.

“It is a mindfully, artistically and rigorously presented project that leverages first-person storytelling to achieve impactful outcomes within strong learning frameworks and audience safety strategies.”

Lead curator Jennifer Levitt-Maxwell, curator and education specialist Lisa Phillips and former CEO Jayne Josem utilised their expertise in Holocaust education and exhibition curation to create the exhibition.

Using the museum’s Learning Framework, the team focused on drawing out several key character strengths. Kindness, bravery, perspective, hope, judgement and fairness, from the stories of survival, to empower visitors to understand the impact of their individual choices on the world around them.

One student who visited the Holocaust exhibition reflected on their experience, saying, “I will remember the people who stood up to save others regardless of the differences, and now I know how I can stand up to help other people.”

MHM partnered with experience-design experts Art Processors, to create this multisensory experience for ages 10-plus, which incorporates sound and image projections and interactive features to keep the visitor engaged throughout.

The museum recognises its funders, Gandel Foundation and Claims Conference, who made this exhibition possible.

Most importantly, congratulations and gratitude go to the seven survivors who feature in the exhibition: Paul Grinwald, Joe de Haan z”l, Halina Zylberman, Sonia Kempler z”l, Floris Kalman z”l, Henri Korn and John Lamovie.

By sharing their stories of bravery, resilience and hope, they inspire future generations to make a difference.

For more information: mhm.org.au/hidden-seven-children-saved

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