MusLi (Museums Literacy) - Fondazione Fitzcarraldo

MUSEUM LITERACY IN PRISON
A Louvre Museum case study (France)
Context
MusLi - No qualifications needed: museums and new audiences
The Louvre Museum’s mission is to expand its activity and promote the museum experience, whether
it be on-site or remotely, for a larger audience. Access for those who are most removed from cultural
activity occupies a central place in the museum’s policy, whether this distance is “intellectual”, physical,
economical, or socio-cultural.
Since 2008, the Louvre and the Maison d’Arrêt de la Santé 1 , a correctional facility 2 in Paris, have been
working together to address this issue of accessibility. The goal was to create a cultural program to
be carried out in a “closed” environment, offer activities on a regular basis, and reach an audience far
removed from cultural practices and from the Louvre Museum.
Target audience
An array of difficulties faces the prison population: a low level of education, illiteracy, a difficult life
marked by failure and exclusion, and risky behaviours. The incarcerated population is also characterized
by an over representation of men and young adults, who are mostly foreign or come from immigrant
backgrounds.
Key data concerning this audience
Male population
About 500 inmates present
50 nationalities represented
More than half of the inmates are foreign nationals
High level of illiteracy (Lack of “basic” literacy skills; Level of formal education is predominantly low, or
much lower than secondary school; Absence or low level of proficiency in French)
1 Partnership between the Louvre and the Service Pénitentiaire d’Insertion et de Probation de Paris and the Maison d’Arrêt de la Santé in Paris. The evaluation was carried
out by the Louvre’s Studies and Research Department.
2 The Maison d’Arrêt de la Santé receives inmates carrying out short sentences or holds those in temporary custody.
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