First children's director for Overloon War Museum

First children's director for Overloon War Museum

In addition to the 'big' director, Overloon War Museum also has a Children's Director since last Saturday. The museum found the perfect candidate in Liam Spikmans, 13 years old, from Eindhoven. Liam gave an impressive speech about freedom and his involvement in World War II stories during the National May 5 celebration on television. With the appointment of the children's director, the museum believes that it will connect even more and better with the younger target group.

Before Liam was appointed as children's director, there was first a closer introduction to the museum with, among others, museum director Erik van den Dungen. There was an immediate click and both Liam and the museum indicated that they wanted to take on this fun challenge together.

Not long after that, the first management meeting followed, during which people brainstormed about his role and the subjects he would like to work on to make the museum more child-friendly. Liam, together with his parents and little brother, had already done a lot of preliminary work and had a real 'hei session' in nature. This resulted in no less than fifteen very useful ideas that are currently being further developed.

Last Saturday, November 19, the time had come for the official appointment of Liam as children's director of Overloon War Museum. This happened during the annual Friends Day in the museum. After Liam had introduced himself extensively to the audience present and proudly presented his first ideas, he was handed his own museum polo shirt with name badge and a sash with 'child director' by the great director. Liam is the first children's director since the opening of the museum in May 1946.

Crisis cupcakes

Surprisingly, the museum's cook had already worked out one of Liam's ideas. Liam is very curious about what people ate during the Second World War. Especially because many products were not available and often it was still on the receipt. Does that taste, for example, flower bulbs? And what else did they eat? The museum chef had prepared crisis cupcakes especially for this day. Dried fruit cakes, baking flour, tea, sugar and a few other ingredients that sometimes made for a tasty treat during wartime. Liam was the first to taste and approved the cake! The cakes are offered free of charge during the Christmas holidays to visitors who are also curious about the taste.

Liam is bursting with ideas and would like to involve other children and young people in this. Liam's own words were “I'm going to do my very best and hope to involve many other children in this. Hopefully we can ensure that the parents do not say 'come, let's go to the Overloon War Museum for a day', but that the children say that to their parents".