Switch Ups For Sustainability The Focus Of New MOTAT Exhibition

MOTAT’s newest exhibition Switch Up: Sustainable Solutions opens on Saturday 1 October and sees the museum partnering with community action groups and 15 of the most exciting sustainable commercial enterprises in Aotearoa and the world.

“Working alongside all of these businesses and community groups has enabled us to make Switch Up a fully immersive, future-focused experience,” explains MOTAT Exhibition Curator Karla Bo Johnson.

“When visitors arrive they will each be given a digital (NFC) tag, on a recycled cornfibre lanyard. They’ll then be invited to register as one of four special character profiles and then they’re ready to embark on a problem solving digital adventure ‘in character’ to become a ‘Switcher-Upper’.

We recognise that tamariki are already well versed in this kaupapa, and they’ll be the ones taking the lead around living sustainability into the future. Switch Up will surround them and their whānau with inspiring Aotearoa businesses and community leaders who will show them how to live more sustainably, now.”

Switch Up is targeted towards 9–13-year-olds and their families, but the depth of content, especially around STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths) technologies means there is plenty of inspiration for visitors of any age.

“Tamariki and rangatahi tell us that climate change is the number one issue they are concerned about,” said MOTAT’s Museum Experience General Manager, Sally Manuireva.

“As a science and technology museum, it’s important we respond to that need and what better way to do this than by surrounding ourselves with brilliant people who are out there leading the way with viable, sustainable solutions.

We’ve worked closely with 15 of New Zealand’s brightest sustainable thinkers and some phenomenal community leaders to help make Switch Up happen. This exhibition will really stimulate conversations and get ideas flowing amongst our visitors. Switch Up will encourage them to participate and to challenge their own sustainability decisions at every turn.”

Switch Up: Sustainable Solutions opens in time for the school holidays at 10am, Saturday 1 October at MOTAT’s Great North Road site. Entry to the exhibition is included in general admission ticketing.

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