Thesis Defence: Technologies of Nation-Building and the Curation of Canada: Immersion, Interactivity, and Federal Mandates in Canadian Heritage Museums

Emily White, supervised by Dr. Emily Murphy, will defend their thesis titled “Technologies of Nation-Building and the Curation of Canada: Immersion, Interactivity, and Federal Mandates in Canadian Heritage Museums” in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Graduate Studies – Digital Arts and Humanities theme.

An abstract for Emily White’s thesis is included below.

Defences are open to all members of the campus community as well as the general public. Please email emily.murphy@ubc.ca to receive the Zoom link for this defence.

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Abstract

This thesis examines how federally funded Canadian heritage museums utilize immersive and interactive practices in exhibit design as mechanisms for constructing national identity. While institutions such as the Canadian Children’s Museum have historically relied on physical, hands-on models for engagement, the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated reliance on digital programming, virtual tours, and immersive technologies across galleries, libraries, archives, and museums (GLAM). These developments highlight the longer trajectory of Canadian heritage institutions experimenting with digital tools while also navigating financial realities, the experience economy, and shifting visitor expectations. Rather than measuring levels of immersion or interactivity, this thesis analyzes how these terms are articulated and applied in institutional discourse and exhibition practices. Drawing on institutional documentation, including financial reports, corporate and strategic plans, and interpretive materials from 2020–2025, my research situates immersive and interactive technologies within broader processes of corporatization, mediatization, and nation building. My thesis investigates how federal and provincial institutions deploy immersion and interactivity both to foster unity and collective memory and in some cases, to advance reconciliation initiatives using content analysis and case studies of the Canadian War Museum, the Canadian Museum of History, the Canadian Children’s Museum, the Royal Alberta Museum, and the Royal British Columbia Museum.

The findings from this analysis demonstrate that immersive and interactive strategies in Canadian heritage museums are not wholly novel, but extend to a longer history of technological adaptation in response to crises, political priorities, and public demands. These strategies reveal tensions between educational mandates, entertainment imperatives, and commercial pressures, underscoring the complex interplay between federal funding, corporate influence, and cultural responsibility. Ultimately, my research finds that immersive and interactive practices in Canadian heritage institutions function as both tools of nation building and reflect the challenges of presenting inclusive cultural narratives within the twenty-first-century experience economy.