The emergent role of edutainment in the fruition of cultural heritage

Abstract

In a post-modern “liquid” society education tends to become edutainment,i.e. a more or less articulated mix of education and entertainment. This appears especially evident in many practices already present (even in Italy) in museums and archaeological sites. Edutainment should not be demonised—as often is as a consequence of cultural snobbery on behalf of those who speak, for instance, of an increasing Disneyization of culture—but it must be used because of its potential, that is: not only in school education but also in lifelong education, particularly as for cultural heritage. In this context, great attention must be paid to reenactment and living history.Many of these activities have a serial character (especially in the historically themed festivals that have proliferated in many cities and villages), although some deserve appreciation for their orientation towards vulgarisation of cultural values and the scientific understanding of the reenacted periods. Anyhow, it is suggested they are carefully governed in order to make their entertainment purpose match possible educational purposes