It’s not just a game: playing selected modern board games as a decolonising tool in museums through participatory action research

Abstract

This paper traces an ongoing research project exploring the intersection between decolonising in museums and the modern board game industry, focusing on the iterative methodology employed. It begins by contextualising the board game industry and its (largely uncritical) use of colonial settings and themes, and the origin of public museums in Britain as places that fostered imperial nationhood. I describe how my professional experience in museum education and personal interest in board games led to the development of a participatory action research methodology involving me joining participants in playing selected board games in museum settings. The research argues that by this particular methodology, playing the selected games can contribute to knowledge construction around colonial histories and legacies, and crucially, these games can act as a tool to facilitate meaningful discussions around these histories and legacies, including museum practice, past and present. The reflexive and iterative nature of the research is discussed using an auto-ethnographic approach, including the unexpected value of the play experience for museum professionals pursuing decolonising work. Finally, I propose a wider role for play than currently employed in museum environments, including opportunities for adults to play, and through this play, engage in critical conversations about complex topics.