19-07-2025
SMP 2025: History Comes Alive For Kids With 'Kurator Cilik'
By Siti Azila Alias
BATU KAWAN, July 19 (Bernama) -- The Department of Museums Malaysia (JMM) has introduced a unique and educational experience called 'Kurator Cilik' (Little Curator) in conjunction with the 2025 National Unity Week (SMP) celebration held at the grounds of Stadium Batu Kawan, here.
Part of the department's 'Susur Masa' (Time Trail) exhibition, Kurator Cilik targets young visitors, particularly primary and secondary school students, offering them a hands-on opportunity to experience life as a professional archaeology curator.
Assistant Curator of the Exhibition and Development Division at JMM, Noor Wahida Hasan, said the programme was not a typical museum activity, but rather an education module based on the national school syllabus, crafted to be practical and interactive.
The experience is divided into two components — excavation and conservation — reflecting two key aspects of archaeological curation.
'Excavation involves fieldwork — research and discovery — and here we simulate the real thing. We provide them with basic tools such as gloves and hats so they can feel what it's like to be in the field, while also introducing them to the curator profession,' she told Bernama.
'Many children are familiar with jobs like doctors or engineers, but when I mention 'curator', it's something they've never heard of. This programme is meant to spark their interest in this field,' she said.
For the conservation section, participants learn how to handle replicas of artifacts such as the 'Perak Man', assess their condition, and perform basic restoration techniques on pottery and ceramics — mimicking the real process before an artifact is displayed in a museum.
'Today is the highlight of Kurator Cilik — we're bringing in a replica of a dinosaur fossil for excavation. Stocks are limited, and the lucky few may even get to take a dinosaur home,' she added.
