IncluVisity

People and experiences at the centre of inclusive itineraries for visitors to partner museums

Every day, thousands of museums open their doors to people from all over the world and become places where ideas, knowledge and experiences are exchanged. Promoting wider access to our cultural heritage is therefore not only a goal to pursue, but a way to reach important social and workplace inclusion milestones. This is why many museums are exploring new ways for people to experience their collections: because art belongs to everyone and it’s important for everyone to feel welcome.

“Incluvisity” is our project to support this commitment, amplifying the initiatives of several of our partner museums that are introducing inclusive itineraries for the widest possible audience. Each museum has chosen to be more inclusive based on its own offering and developed specific tools for this purpose, by making sure exhibitions are accessible for visually impaired people, or by promoting tours led by guides with disabilities, or by creating workshops for elderly people suffering from cognitive decline, or itineraries that meet the needs of parents with newborn babies. Because the language of art is a universal tool, one that can engage with and connect different cultures and communities, as well as opening up learning perspectives that would otherwise be impossible.

Launched in 2023, the project initially focused on supporting test experiences that were often developed and implemented with local organisations and associations. Then the feedback collected through a voluntary post-visit questionnaire was used to improve the range of itineraries, which are now optimised based on comments and suggestions received from people who experience diversity on a daily basis.

The history of photography in your hands

“Don’t touch” is the warning we often encounter during so many museum visits. Camera - Centro Italiano per la Fotografia in Turin has decided to turn this rule on its head by developing, with our support, a visual and tactile experience that allows blind and visually impaired people to experience the emotions that fine art photography can convey. “The history of photography in your hands” is the permanent exhibition in which 20 of the most iconic images in the history of photography are reproduced using the technique of embossing, which not only faithfully reproduces the image on panels but also allows visitors to experience it through touch. A transparent ridge around the subject’s main contours means that it can be appreciated through the sense of touch. Each panel, which has captions in Braille, is also accompanied by audio-visual descriptions and Italian Sign Language videos (LIS).

Cinema for all the senses

To mark the exhibition My Name Is Orson Welles, the Museo Nazionale del Cinema in Turin has created a series of accessibility features, including visual-tactile panels for some of the works in the permanent exhibition. The Museum also offers a new service in the form of ten “Sensory Kits” designed in conjunction with ANGSA, offering various sensory tools, communication materials and noise-cancelling headphones for visitors with autism and neurodivergence, in order to make their visit to the Museum easier.

The Museum has been classified as inclusive and sustainable by the International Council of Museums since 2022, but for almost 20 years it has incorporated visitor support tools into its exhibitions, including visual and tactile models and drawings, simplified texts, bilingual audio descriptions, captions in Braille, text printed in easy-to-read fonts, and videos in Italian Sign Language (LIS).

“Nella Pancia di Tauret”

The Museo Egizio in Turin offers new parents with children up to nine months old the chance to spend some quality time together, exploring the collections in a quiet and private atmosphere after the museum has closed. Tours are guided by an Egyptologist as part of the “Nella Pancia di Tauret” project. Inspired by the Egyptian goddess of childbirth and fertility, the initiative offers a programme that focuses on the theme of motherhood in Egyptian culture and is designed to encourage visitors to discuss a reality with which they can easily identify.

EduCard: a new way to engage with art

The EduCard GAM Collections project turns artworks into tools that bring people together and promote dialogue and inclusion, with the aim of moving beyond the traditional frontal approach to knowledge transmission. The initiative invites the public to play an active role, working together to explore the meanings, emotions and connections evoked by the works in the collection. At the core of the project is a kit containing educational cards designed to stimulate cognitive and interpersonal skills through three stages: Visual Analysis, Identification and Empathy, and Narrative. The kit is also an accessible educational resource developed by the Turin-based firm imperfect comunicazione, featuring easy-to-read text and ergonomically designed cards to ensure immediate and inclusive use, in line with Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles.

Art Cast: where images speak

Art Cast is a social inclusion project developed by La Grande Brera in partnership with the Piazzetta Day Centre in Milan, a service offered by Caritas Ambrosiana and managed by the Farsi Prossimo cooperative with a mission to help homeless people, the severely marginalised and adults in difficulty – whether Italian or foreign, documented or undocumented. The artworks provide an opportunity to explore emotions that are processed and transformed into words, short stories, verses or poems, and a podcast. The goal of the project is to help guide and support these people as they gradually overcome their isolation and reclaim their rights as citizens.

Learning Through Art

Learning Through Art (LTA) is the annual arts education programme curated by Guggenheim New York, taking artists and teachers from New York’s public schools on a shared creative learning journey. Through residencies in schools, artists work closely with teachers to develop projects that integrate art into the school curriculum, creating a dynamic space for creative expression and interdisciplinary learning. Throughout the programme, students observe, discuss and create works of art, combining classroom work with museum visits that encourage critical thinking and the ability to interpret the world through the language of art. At the end of the school year, a selection of the work produced is showcased in the annual exhibition titled “A Year with Children”, staged in the galleries of the Guggenheim and open to the public. Learning Through Art demonstrates how art can become a space for connection, discovery and shared growth.

“Io Vado al Museo”

The Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice has developed an educational programme for people from migrant backgrounds that promotes intercultural dialogue, challenges stereotypes and fosters empowerment. The “Io Vado al Museo” initiative consists of programmes that involve observing artworks and taking part in activities based on the use of translanguaging, an approach that promotes multilingual education and encourages people to embrace the view that all languages and cultures are of equal value. During visits, everyone is encouraged to use all the languages they speak, especially their own mother tongue, and given the opportunity to meet, get to know one another and share an experience that helps them affirm their identity, contributing to the mental and physical well-being of everyone involved.

Espresso Tour: art in 20 minutes

At Kunsthalle Basel, artistic mediation transforms observation into participation. By creating social spaces that bring questions and certainties together, art becomes a starting point for dialogue. The Espresso Tour offers a 20-minute introduction to the world of art, providing accessible but meaningful insights into current exhibitions, as well as a fresh take on the traditional guided tour. This format responds to the needs of a diverse audience by deliberately lowering barriers and promoting easy access to art. The tour culminates with an espresso coffee break in a relaxed atmosphere that encourages spontaneous conversation and enriches the exhibition experience.

“In Tandem”

The “In Tandem” learning project, developed by the MUSE Science Museum in Trento with our Group’s support, aims to prepare people with disabilities to take Museum visitors on special guided tours. A museum guide and a person with a disability work together “in tandem” to turn a visit to discover the museum’s exhibits into a truly engaging experience. The current tour explores the ‘Big Void’ designed by Renzo Piano at the heart of MUSE, a space containing dozens of suspended animals that have lived and live now in Alpine environments at all altitudes.

“Vedere Oltre”: art without barriers at Palazzo delle Papesse

The programme of visits promoted by Palazzo delle Papesse as part of IncluVisity is titled “Vedere Oltre”. The goal is to make the language of art accessible to everyone, through events and workshops organised in collaboration with local associations that support people with various disabilities and vulnerable individuals.

With “Vedere Oltre", the Museum offers guided visits and creative activities, all tailor-made to reduce the distance between visitors and contemporary art. Guided by a visual artist, participants can explore the exhibitions at Palazzo delle Papesse with special visits, video screenings, workshops and other manual and sensory activities tailored to the needs of those taking part. 

This represents an opportunity to establish a unique dialogue with works of art, as part of an experience that opens new horizons and perspectives.

Touch Tour

Touch tours are organised by Piccolo Teatro’s public relations, cultural activities and training department to help blind and visually impaired visitors explore the stage, costumes and set just a few hours before the performance begins. Once the tour is over, after taking their seats in the auditorium, participants can follow the performance by listening to the audio description on headphones, allowing them to visualise and interpret the events on stage, including the characters’ emotions.

“Mi ritorni in mente”

Triennale di Milano has developed a project for people affected by cognitive decline and their families and carers. A programme tailored around the specific needs and characteristics of participants and managed by specialist staff, it offers opportunities for socialising, inspiration and engagement. How? Through events that combine a shared meal with a guided tour of the exhibitions and the Triennale’s Museum of Italian Design.

“Nel tempo di una visita”

“Nel tempo di una visita” is the name given to the multisensory workshop activities developed by the Lavazza Museum jointly with AISM for members of the Italian Multiple Sclerosis Association. The project focuses on time, and particularly on the concepts of slowness and pleasure, drawing inspiration from the idea of “having a coffee” and “enjoying a moment in good company". The idea is to build a journey around the convivial mood of a coffee break, one that provides members and carers with a fun educational experience that aims to create opportunities for social interaction and to stimulate the senses with aromas, textures and auditory cues.