Celebrating a Global Canada
The Canadian Museum of Immigration (CMIP) at Pier 21 sought to highlight how Canada’s history and culture were shaped by immigration. To bring this vision to life, CMIP asked us to create a suite of media experiences that convey both the excitement and difficulty that faced Canada’s immigrants throughout history.
Our approach fused first-person narratives with opportunities for hands-on engagement, allowing visitors to hear the real voices of Canadian immigrants and identify with their stories through thoughtful interactions.
In Our Canada, visitors contribute to a dynamic mosaic of Canadian culture by taking a photo of themselves and watching as it merges with a fluid display of Canadian landscapes.
A series of virtual role-playing experiences use thought-provoking scenarios to help visitors understand the critical decisions that faced immigrants and immigration officers. In one example, visitors respond to Canada’s most difficult refugee challenges from the experience of an immigration officer. In another, visitors consider important questions from the perspective of an immigrant, like “Where do I want to live when I get to Canada?” and “What must I leave behind to make it through Customs?”
At 30 oral history stations, visitors have access to stories told by hundreds of immigrants. RLMG created a highly flexible display and content management system for this network of experiences, allowing CMIP staff to manage and update content easily and curate new collections for other galleries.
