Project Formats

Exhibitions: Immersion in History

Planning for Journey to Sanctuary is in Phase 3, during which we will complete the long-term and traveling exhibit designs. Design goals include immersion, accessibility and engagement. We hope to inspire curiosity and further study for school-aged children and adults alike, as well as evoke empathy and encourage personal reflection. Visitors will be immersed in the time through recreated scenes from the era, such as replicas of Mother Bethel’s façade and sanctuary and a lively entertainment night spot. Hanging mural tapestries will display additional scenes, while computer monitors with headphones provide interactive access to oral histories, music, letters and maps.

Planning Public Programs: World Café Dialogues

World Cafés are round-table public forums designed to engage audiences in contributing to the historical record, beginning with their personal, family and community memories. Through World Café events, we will invite members of the public who experienced or heard stories of the Great Migration to contribute to the content of the exhibits and website. In addition, audiences will discuss the themes, to expand understanding and bring the histories and ideas closer to home.

Website Development: Journey to Sanctuary Virtual Exhibit

The team is developing an interactive website that complements the exhibitions and creates a jam-packed educational experience. Our educational curriculum consultants will lead the development of age-appropriate materials. Website content will include interactive timelines, maps, essays by humanities scholars, lessons plans for educators, digital versions of archival objects, and audio/video oral histories. The website will assist teachers and others to integrate primary source materials into their curricula, in order to provide a comprehensive rendering of the experiences of African Americans migrating from the South to the Delaware Valley Region during the Second Great Migration.