This document provides a summary of Michael Van Tiel's programming work at the Powerhouse Museum from 1999-2014. It highlights his role in managing school holiday programs, developing museum mascots Zoe and Cogs, producing a variety of performances seen by over 120,000 people, and creating successful programming formulas that increased visitation. The document consists of 18 pages outlining Van Tiel's accomplishments in building the museum's reputation and engaging family audiences.

1. Michael
Van
Tiel
–
Programming
SnapShot
Page
1
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18
Michael
Van
Tiel
Powerhouse
Museum
Programming
Snap
Shot
1999
–
2014
This
document
highlights
the
range
and
diversity
of
programs
I
have
managed
and
produced
at
the
Powerhouse
Museum.
Contact
details:
Phone:
0403
751
516
Email:
michael.vantiel@gmail.com

2. Michael
Van
Tiel
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Programming
SnapShot
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2
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18
School
Holiday
Programs
As
Manager
of
the
Family
&
Community
Experiences
team
I
have
been
responsible
for
the
overall
management
of
the
programs
delivered
throughout
the
NSW
school
holiday
seasons
at
the
Museum.
As
a
Producer
I
have
been
responsible
for
the
creative
development
and
project
management
of
these
programs.
I
have
created
a
highly
successful
programming
mix
formula
that
includes:
• Large
scale
performance,
installation
and/or
immersive
experience
• Revenue
generating
drop-­‐in
workshops
• Full
Day
workshops
• Complimentary
volunteer
delivered
programs
These
elements
are
explored
further
in
this
document.
Over
150,000
visitors
come
to
the
Museum
during
the
holiday
periods
and
in
2010-­‐
2011
this
represented
42%
of
total
visitation
to
the
Powerhouse
Museum
(excluding
school
and
event
clients).
This
excellent
profile
and
reputation
with
family
audiences
was
a
key
reason
for
the
Museum’s
success
that
year
in
winning
a
significant
sponsorship
with
the
company
Glaxo
Smith
Clyne
and
its
Bright
Sparks
Macleans
brand.
In
2012
I
achieved
the
highest
winter
school
holiday
visitation
since
2003
with
39,131
visitors,
this
was
a
suite
of
programs
in
conjunction
with
the
Chronicles
of
Narnia
exhibition.

3. Michael
Van
Tiel
–
Programming
SnapShot
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18
Museum
Mascots
-­‐
Zoe
&
Cogs
Zoe
and
Cogs
are
the
Museum’s
mascots
for
children
and
were
developed
in
2005.
Zoe
is
an
amazing
girl
who
is
curious
about
the
world
around
her.
She
is
creative
and
clever,
with
loads
of
imagination
and
energy
to
burn.
When
Zoe
visits
the
Museum
it
always
involves
fun,
she
can’t
wait
to
find
something
new
and
shout
‘look
over
here!!!’
Cogs
the
robot
is
Zoe’s
friend.
They
met
one
day
while
exploring
the
Museum.
Cogs
is
different
to
other
robots
you
might
know.
Cogs’
is
a
problem
solving
robot
that
is
full
of
information
but
still
learning
how
to
use
it.
So
Cogs
might
not
have
all
the
answers,
but
has
fun
trying
to
find
them!
I
managed
the
use
of
the
Zoe
&
Cogs
brand
across
the
Museum.
Where
you
will
find
Zoe
&
Cogs:
• On
the
Play
at
Powerhouse
website
• In
print
material
such
as
trails
• Doing
Meet
&
Greets
• Featuring
in
their
own
performances
• Branded
across
programs
and
spaces
such
as
Zoe’s
Garden
&
Cogs’
Playground
• As
product
found
in
the
Museum
shop
–
dolls,
magnets,
cards
etc

4. Michael
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Tiel
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Programming
SnapShot
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18
Performance
I
have
developed,
produced
and
led
the
creative
teams
behind
a
vast
array
of
performances
in
the
Museum
which
cross
over
the
genres
of:
• Theatre
• Dance
• Circus/Acrobatics
• Puppetry
• Music
I
have
worked
collaboratively
with
prominent
well
respected
theatre
groups
such
as:
• Erth
Visual
&
Physical
–
Cogs
&
the
Dragon
• Zeal
Theatre
–
The
Paperbag
Princess
• Theatre
of
Image
–
Pixel:
The
Colour
Show
• Footsteps
Dance
Company
–
The
Thriller
Experience
• NDS
Productions
–
The
Great
Australian
Quiz
Show
Performances
predominantly
occur
in
the
Museum’s
large
“centre
court”
open
space
known
as
the
Turbine
Hall
and
are
a
feature
of
the
school
holiday
period.
I
am
currently
the
Secretary/Treasurer
on
the
International
Museum
Theatre
Alliance
–
Asia
Pacific
(IMTALAP).
In
2010,
I
coordinated
the
5th
National
Forum
of
Performance
in
Cultural
Institutions
attended
by
over
100
delegates.
I
represent
the
Museum
on
Young
People
and
the
Arts
Australia
(YPAA)
of
which
the
Powerhouse
is
one
of
only
a
few
represented
cultural
institutions.

5. Michael
Van
Tiel
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Programming
SnapShot
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Zoe
&
Cogs
Performances
I
have
written
and/or
produced
20-­‐30
minute
production
shows
featuring
the
Museum
mascots
Zoe
&
Cogs.
The
shows
cumulatively
have
been
seen
by
120,000
young
visitors
since
they
began
being
performed
from
2005.
The
shows
include:
• The
Zoe
&
Cogs
Show
(in
collaboration
with
NDS
Productions)
• What’s
Cooking
Zoe?
(in
collaboration
with
Zeal
Theatre)
• Zoe’s
Lucky
Charm
• Cogs
and
the
Dragon
(in
collaboration
with
NDS
Productions
&
Erth)
• Twinkle
Twinkle
(to
celebrate
the
International
Year
of
Astronomy)
• Cogs’
Marvellous
Machine
(in
collaboration
with
Creative
Cross)
• Cogs’
Chemistry
Show
(to
celebrate
the
International
Year
of
Chemistry)
• Cogs’
Steam
Show
• Cogs’
Flight
Show
Cogs
and
the
Dragon
toured
to
the
Fun4Kids
Festival
in
Warnabool
and
also
toured
to
Singapore.
This
was
in
collaboration
with
Erth.
Twinkle
Twinkle
and
Cogs’
Chemistry
Show
were
both
produced
for
the
International
Years
of
Astronomy
and
Chemistry
respectively.
Cogs
Steam
Show
is
delivered
in-­‐house
and
is
also
a
feature
performance
at
Steamfest
in
Maitland
and
Trainworks
in
Thirlmere.
Cog’s
Steam
Show
and
Cogs’
Chemistry
Show
are
also
part
of
the
booked
educational
programming
offer
to
school
groups.
I
managed
the
creative
process
behind
the
3D
costume
characterisation
of
the
mascots.

6. Michael
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Tiel
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Science
Shows
I
managed
the
development
and
delivery
of
science
shows
delivered
in
the
Experimentations
Theatrette
under
the
Science
On
Show
brand.
Up
to
four
science
shows
a
day
are
delivered
each
weekend
with
up
to
100
visitors
per
show
and
up
to
500
people
per
show
when
performed
in
the
Turbine
Hall.
I
have
written
over
12
original
shows
for
delivery
in
the
Theatrette.
The
shows
on
offer
have
often
been
developed
for
school
holiday
periods
and
are
then
used
as
part
of
the
repertoire
of
Science
On
Show.
Shows
are
developed
in
collaboration
with
the
Education
Programs
team
to
ensure
the
suitability
for
both
an
educational
&
public
audience.
Current
shows
that
I
have
written
and
are
still
included
in
the
repertoire
include:
Triton
Adventure;
Cogs’
Super
Silly
Slime
Show
and
The
Glow
Show.
Triton
Adventure
was
the
major
school
holiday
offering
in
conjunction
with
the
international
touring
exhibition
Star
Wars:
where
science
meets
imagination
exhibition.
The
creative
process
behind
the
development
of
this
show
was
presented
at
the
2011
IMTAL
World
Conference.
A
major
highlight
was
the
interpretation
of
Leonardo
da
Vinci’s
work
into
a
30
minute
science
show
as
part
of
the
international
touring
exhibition
Leonardo
da
Vinci:
the
Codex
Leicester
–
notebook
of
a
genius.

7. Michael
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Tiel
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Children’s
Gallery
Experiences
I
was
responsible
for
the
development
of
innovative
children’s
play
spaces
that
incorporate
a
variety
of
play
types,
are
cross-­‐generational
and
link
to
exhibition
themes
and
Museum
collections.
The
first
major
experience
I
developed
was
in
2005
with
the
construction
of
The
Shire
Play
Space
in
conjunction
with
Lord
of
the
Rings:
the
motion
picture
trilogy
–
the
exhibition.
It
was
considered
highly
successful
and
attracted
over
20,000
children
over
the
summer
2005
school
holidays.
This
play
space
was
kept
in
the
Turbine
Hall
for
eight
months
and
was
reincarnated
as
the
Toy
Box
and
Persephone’s
Palace.
In
2006,
it
was
moved
to
a
gallery
space
and
renamed
The
Pocket.
The
space
was
created
totally
out
of
recycled
Museum
materials.
It
consisted
of
the
5
identified
play
zones
and
included
Museum
objects
in
showcases.
Another
highlight
experience
produced
in
2011
was
Oikodome:
Building
Architects
an
immersive
building
experience
that
involved
the
construction
of
geometric
structures
using
cardboard
tubes
and
foam
nodes
and
linked
to
proposed
Museum
forecourt
cardboard
tree
structures.
The
program
was
repeated
and
expanded
upon
in
2013
to
include
a
wider
range
of
hands-­‐on
experiences.
What
was
also
unique
was
the
use
of
volunteer
architecture
students
in
the
delivery.
I
was
an
active
team
members
in
the
development
of
The
Wiggles
exhibition
including
gallery
craft
activities
and
development
of
the
Party
Room.

8. Michael
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Tiel
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Drop-­‐in
Take-­‐Home
Activities
A
core
component
of
the
school
holiday
and
festivals
offer
is
a
drop-­‐in
activity
craft
or
science
based
activity.
The
activities
link
to
the
school
holiday/festival
theme
or
directly
to
an
exhibition.
The
activities
include
a
high-­‐value
take
home
item
that
participants
have
created
themselves.
As
such,
these
activities
now
attract
a
charge
to
cover
materials.
Charging
for
the
activity
has
allowed
us
to
use
high
quality
materials,
control
wastage
and
generates
a
revenue
stream
for
the
Museum.
The
charge
is
generally
$5
or
$10
depending
on
the
activity.
This
transition
from
being
free
to
a
charge
has
occurred
without
any
issues
with
the
visitors.
After
the
activity
has
completed
its
time
on
the
Museum
floor
a
downloadable
make-­‐
and-­‐do
version
is
created
for
the
Play
at
Powerhouse
website.
Cogs’
Slime
Workshop
is
a
drop-­‐in
slime
making
activity
I
have
developed
that
is
used
on
a
rotational
basis.
This
activity
is
also
currently
on
offer
to
commercial
clients.

9. Michael
Van
Tiel
–
Programming
SnapShot
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All
Day
Science/Design
Workshops
Each
school
holidays
I
have
written
and
produced
or
supervised
the
production
of
full-­‐
day
workshops
for
budding
young
scientists
and
designers
aged
7-­‐13.
Workshops
that
have
been
offered
covering
a
wide
variety
of
science
and
design
topics
and
include:
• Science
of
Light
• Spy
School
• Science
of
Architecture
• Fun
with
Chemistry
• Wallace
&
Gromit’s
Inventors
Workshop
• The
Narnia
Experience
• Glow
in
the
Dark
Science
The
workshops
consistently
achieve
their
target
of
80%
capacity.
The
Workshops
are
offered
to
children
of
Powerhouse
Museum
staff
at
50%
off.
This
aids
greatly
in
the
work-­‐life
balance
of
staff
and
provides
their
children
with
an
opportunity
to
experience
programs
in
the
Museum.

10. Michael
Van
Tiel
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Programming
SnapShot
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Family
Print
Based
Trails
I
have
written
and
produced
a
variety
of
paper
based
trails
for
the
family
audience.
The
trails
generally
support
the
permanent
exhibitions
or
temporary
exhibitions
that
the
Museum
has
developed
in
house.
I
have
collaborated
with
the
Publishing
team
to
create
the
Great
Aussie
Inventions
Trail.
This
trail
promoted
the
new
publication
as
well
as
highlight
the
range
of
Australian
inventions
found
throughout
the
Museum’s
permanent
exhibitions.
Over
10,000
trails
were
given
out
over
the
summer
2013
school
holiday
period
resulting
in
an
additional
print
run
of
2,500
trails.
The
Reveal
Trail
was
a
collaboration
with
author
Morris
Gleitzman.
This
trail
used
UV
torches
to
find
hidden
messages
painted
on
the
walls
throughout
the
Museum.
This
trail
was
used
as
a
stand
alone
feature
program
of
the
2011
Autumn
school
holidays.

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Tiel
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Writer
Overnighter
&
Museum
Sleepovers
Writer
Overnighter
is
a
rare
opportunity
for
children
to
meet
an
Australian
children’s
author
and
combine
it
with
a
sleepover
inside
the
Powerhouse
Museum!
Capture
the
sights
and
sounds
of
the
Museum
after
dark
in
an
all
nighter
designed
for
fun,
inspiration,
storytelling
and
storymaking.
Our
Writer
Overnighter
guest
children
authors
have
been:
• 2010
Anna
Fienberg
• 2011
Morris
Gleitzman
• 2012
Michael
Pryor
• 2013
Christopher
Cheng
Writer
Overnighter
was
an
annual
event
of
the
Sydney
Writers
Festival.
This
sleepover
model
has
been
successfully
implemented
at
other
times
and
with
other
themes
such
as:
• The
Big
Science
Sleepover
for
Ultimo
Science
Festival
• Harry
Potter
Sleepovers

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Tiel
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International
Speaker
Talks
My
career
at
the
Powerhouse
has
involved
the
ongoing
development
and
delivery
of
guest
speaker
talks
on
a
variety
of
subjects
and
topics
and
to
a
wide
variety
of
audiences.
This
has
involved
all
elements
of
event
product
from
sourcing
and
engaging
the
speaker
to
running
the
event.
For
example,
I
initiated
the
inaugural
Einstein
Lecture
with
the
Australian
Institute
of
Physics
in
2005
with
renowned
British
astrophysicists
Malcolm
Longair.
The
program
continues
today
as
part
of
the
Ultimo
Science
Festival.
Over
the
years
I
have
developed
a
strong
relationship
with
curators
in
the
development
of
speaker
programs.
For
example
I
work
with
the
Curator
of
Space
Technology,
Kerrie
Dougherty,
who
herself
highlights
significant
milestones
in
the
history
of
space
exploration,
while
guest
speakers
many
include
astronauts,
visiting
scientists
from
NASA
and
other
space
agencies,
and
other
prominent
men
and
women
who
love
to
share
their
passion
for
space
exploration.
Highlights
for
2013
included
a
presentation
by
the
first
Korean
Astronaut,
Dr.
Soyeon
Yi
and
former
SETI
Director
Dr.
Jill
Tarter.

13. Michael
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Tiel
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Festivals
&
Community
Programs
I
have
developed
and
delivered
a
wide
range
of
programs
as
part
of
internal
and
external
festivals
when
appropriate.
I
was
instrumental
in
the
development
of
the
Ultimo
Science
Festival
partnership
between
the
Museum,
UTS,
ABC
and
TAFE
alongside
Education
Officer
Derek
Williamson
&
Science
Curator,
Jesse
Shore.
The
programs
offered
in
Sydney
Design
and
Ultimo
Science
Festival
consist
of
a
mixture
of
the
offerings
mentioned
earlier.
The
Big
Science
Weekend
at
the
Ultimo
Science
Festival
in
2011
contributed
to
two
thirds
of
the
overall
participation
by
visitors
in
the
festival.
I
have
created
programs
for
other
festivals
and
celebration
weeks
when
a
link
to
the
audience
and
the
Museum
collection
can
be
made.
These
have
included
and
not
limited
to:
• Sydney
Writers
Festival
(Writer
Overnighter)
• UTS
International
Animation
Festival
(host
festival
for
children’s
animations)
• National
Science
Week
&
History
Week
• NAIDOC
&
Reconciliation
Week
• City
of
Sydney
Chinese
New
Year
Celebrations
• Pyrmont
Ultimo
Uptown
Festival
• Steamfest
–
of
which
Cogs
is
a
defacto
mascot!

14. Michael
Van
Tiel
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SnapShot
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Partnership
Programs
Quite
a
few
programs
are
developed
in
partnership
with
other
organisations
and
government
agencies.
I
have
developed
In
2012
I
produced
the
Sydney
Brickshow
in
partnership
with
the
Sydney
Lego
Users
Group
(SydLUG).
SydLUG
are
adult
fans
of
LEGO
who
produce
large
scale
models
and
displays
made
out
of
LEGO.
This
event
attracted
over
9,642
visitors
over
a
weekend.
I
partnered
with
the
Sydney
Children’s
Choir
in
2013
as
part
of
their
Composer
in
Residence
Program.
In
this
partnership
composer
Luke
Byrne
produced
three
pieces
of
choral
work.
This
partnership
culminated
in
the
performance
of
these
works
at
the
Museum
in
May
2014.
I
have
developed
partnerships
with
Universities.
In
2012
The
Wiggles
exhibition
acted
as
a
research
site
to
understand
how
museums
can
engage
non-­‐traditional
audiences,
specifically
those
with
low-­‐level
literacy
and
numeracy,
through
a
Special
Partnership
Grant
that
FACE
has
entered
into
with
UTS.
This
has
resulted
in
a
journal
article
published
in
Literacy
and
Numeracy
Studies
(Vol
21,
No
1)

15. Michael
Van
Tiel
–
Programming
SnapShot
Page
15
of
18
Teacher
Professional
Development
I
have
a
strong
commitment
to
making
the
Museum
and
it’s
resources
accessible
for
teachers.
This
includes
teachers
previews
and
presentations
at
schools
and
conferences.
In
2003
I
was
responsible
for
the
establishment
of
the
Darling
Harbour
Educators
Network
(DHEN)
with
other
educational
providers
in
the
Darling
Harbour
precinct
such
as
Sydney
Aquarium,
IMAX
and
the
Australian
National
Maritime
Museum.
Encouraged
partnership
packages
and
hosting
of
precinct
wide
annual
open
days
that
involved
hundreds
of
participating
teachers
and
their
families.
Significant
success
was
gained
when
the
Sydney
Harbour
Foreshore
Authority
recognised
education
alongside
weddings
as
an
important
audience
group
on
the
darlingharbour.com
website.
I
have
partnered
with
Professional
Teacher
Associations
in
the
delivery
of
professional
development
workshops
and
conferences.
A
notable
partnership
was
with
the
Primary
Science
Network
of
the
Science
Teachers
Association
of
NSW
(STANSW)
where
I
co-­‐
convened
the
Annual
K-­‐8
Science
&
Technology
Conference
series.
As
a
show
of
commitment
to
this
sector
of
teachers
I
sat
on
the
Council
of
STANSW
from
2004
-­‐
2007.
I
have
been
an
active
member
of
the
Sydney
Environmental
Educators
Network
and
have
served
as
President
in
2009-­‐2011.
In
November
2007
was
part
of
the
SEEN
team
that
coordinated
the
first
conference
to
be
held
on
Cockatoo
Island
making
use
of
the
convict
&
ship
building
precincts
which
had
over
300
delegates
and
a
schools
component
with
over
100
students
at
the
Museum.

16. Michael
Van
Tiel
–
Programming
SnapShot
Page
16
of
18
Educational
Print
Materials
&
Programs
I
have
produced
and
delivered
a
wide
range
of
The
educational
Museum
programs
I
develop
are
of
international
standard.
An
example
of
this
is
the
curriculum
linked
resources
and
teacher
professional
development
programs
I
developed
for
the
Star
Wars:
the
Magic
of
Myth
exhibition
to
which
Anna
Cohn,
Director
of
the
Smithsonian
Institution
Travelling
Exhibition
Service
stated
that
“The
unique
educational
programs
the
Powerhouse
has
planned
combined
with
new
artefacts
take
this
presentation
beyond
what
we’ve
seen
in
the
US.”
I
believe
I
have
set
the
benchmark
at
the
Museum
in
regards
to
programming,
in
particular
regards
to
how
this
is
conveyed
through
performance
with
several
production
shows
transitioning
from
a
family
audience
to
a
schools
audience
such
as
Cogs
Chemistry
and
Triton
Adventure.
I
have
also
developed
a
range
of
study
days
that
are
linked
to
particular
curriculum
areas
for
student.
I
have
developed
a
range
of
print
materials
such
as
Powerhouse
Discovery
Challenges
which
are
inquiry
based
learning
programs
that
have
pre-­‐
and
post-­‐
sessions
that
integrate
with
the
self-­‐guided
trail
based
visit
in
the
Museum.
I
have
reviewed
the
teachers
notes
and
produced
the
structure
for
exhibition
teacher
notes
which
is
still
used
today.

17. Michael
Van
Tiel
–
Programming
SnapShot
Page
17
of
18
Volunteer-­‐Led
Public
Programs
I
work
closely
with
the
Volunteers
Team
in
the
development
of
new
programs
to
be
delivered
by
Museum
Volunteers.
With
the
reduction
in
available
resources
I
recognise
the
important
contribution
that
the
volunteers
make
to
the
visitor
experience.
The
range
of
public
programs
the
volunteers
deliver
are:
• Touchtables
• Object
Talks
&
Tours
• Storytelling
in
the
Kings
I
have
recently
developed
the
volunteer
led
activities
for
The
Oopsatoreum
exhibition,
such
as
Printing
Press
demonstrations,
and
has
just
launched
a
new
Storytelling
in
the
Kings
program
linked
to
the
new
Museum
publication
Rail
Tales:
Emily’s
Big
Train
Ride.

18. Michael
Van
Tiel
–
Programming
SnapShot
Page
18
of
18
Play
at
Powerhouse
website
As
Department
Manager
I
have
been
responsible
for
content,
design
and
management
of
the
children’s
website
element
of
the
Powerhouse
Museum
called
Play
at
Powerhouse
(http://play.powerhousemuseum.com/).
Play
is
specifically
designed
for
families
and
children
and
is
designed
to
extend
an
complement
in
house
experiences
as
well
as
engaging
people
with
Museum
objects
and
themes.
The
website
receives
over
200,000
visitors
a
year.
An
updated
version
of
the
website
was
launched
in
September
2012
and
received
a
Highly
Commended
Award
in
the
Museums
Australia
Museums
Australia
Multimedia
and
Publishing
Design
Awards
(MAPDA)
in
the
website
category.
The
Play
website
is
divided
into
five
sections:
• Meet
Zoe
&
Cogs
• Visiting
• What’s
On
• Make
&
Do
• Play
&
Interact
The
website
contains
over
130
downloadable
activities
in
the
Make
&
Do
section
ranging
from
craft,
colouring-­‐in
and
science
experiments.
There
are
6
games
in
Play
&
Interact
with
plans
to
produce
at
least
one
new
game
a
year.