Museum Tours for Inmates—the Ancient Greek Encounters

In an era marked by the redefinition of education, social inclusion, and cultural participation, the issue of access to culture gains special significance—particularly for vulnerable populations such as incarcerated individuals. The MuTourIn project, which was formed as part of a broader postdoctoral research program entitled “Museum-based Correctional Education: The educational value and importance of creating museum activities and museum spaces within Detention Facilities, in conjunction with Second Chance Schools,” sought to explore how engagement with the museum experience and ancient Greek culture could serve as a means of personal empowerment, social reintegration, and the shaping of personal and educational identity within correctional structures.

MuTourIn (Museum Tours for Inmates—The Ancient Greek Encounters) was an innovative initiative implemented during the period 2024–2025 with the invaluable support of the CHS. It was essentially built upon the foundation laid by the pilot project Museum Whispers in the Panopticon (2022–2023), which established remote connections between inmates and major international museums, introducing participants to a cycle of digital cultural experience.

The decision to focus this time on ancient Greek cultural heritage as the thematic core of the research was not accidental. The Greek antiquity—with its timeless values of democracy, philosophy, theatrical art, and political ethics—offers fertile ground for cultivating reflection, empathy, and human dignity: essential elements in the process of reintegration. Through digital museum tours, interactive discussions, and qualitative research, the MuTourIn program aimed to develop an integrated pedagogical framework that would strengthen the educational mission of the Second Chance School within the prison setting.

This project initially outlines the historical background, pedagogical orientation, and theoretical foundations of the research, positioning MuTourIn within the broader international dialogue on the role of cultural education in promoting social reintegration and restoring human rights in contexts of incarceration. The questions raised touch upon the core of educational justice: Can the ancient Greek cultural experience serve as a pillar for personal transformation? Can a museum visit—even a digital one—become a point of reference for the psychosocial recovery of an inmate?

The findings of the research affirmatively suggest so. Culture—and more specifically, the ancient Greek culture—can become a bridge of communication, a vehicle for self-awareness, and a catalyst for educational and social change, even within the most confined environment. [1]

MuTourIn was designed with the aim of redefining cultural access as a fundamental right for all individuals, including incarcerated populations who are often excluded from opportunities for participation in cultural life. Through digital tours of museums and archaeological sites, the project aimed at cultivating empathy, critical reflection, and cultural self-awareness—creating conditions for profound personal and social transformation.

The vision of MuTourIn was to establish an inclusive, dialogical, pedagogical culture within Correctional Institutions. The recognition of the inmate not as a passive recipient of education, but as an active cultural human being was at the heart of this approach. The ancient Greek cultural heritage serves as a vehicle for the emergence of a polyphonic identity -one connected to historical continuity, collective memory, and the fundamental human need of belonging.

The MuTourIn research had theoretically its foundation on critical museology, cultural policy, restorative justice, and dialogical pedagogy. Drawing from the concept of culture as a dynamic, participatory process, [2] the study sought to reinterpret cultural heritage through the perspective of the incarcerated individuals themselves. The notion of Authorized Heritage Discourse [3] is deconstructed, as cultural narratives are reframed through the lens of those traditionally marginalized from official cultural representation. Dialogical museum pedagogy, [4] combined with digital tools, reenforced participation, emotional engagement, and the co-production of cultural meaning. At the same time, transformative learning theory [5] and Freire’s [6] critical pedagogy affirmed the status of inmates as active, reflective, and creative individuals. The museum was approached not merely as a venue of historical representation, but as one of restoration, personal empowerment, and social reconnection.

Methodologically, the study adopted a qualitative, participatory, and interpretive approach, combining elements of ethnographic research, action research, and pedagogical observation. More than 300 participants took part (men and women of different ages, education levels, and ethnic backgrounds), and data were collected mainly through participant observation and semi-structured interviews. The analysis followed the method of thematic analysis, [7] identifying key patterns such as cultural reconnection, emotional response, digital empowerment, and transformative learning. Special attention was given to non-verbal expression and social interaction. Finally, the research was conducted in full compliance with ethical guidelines, ensuring anonymity, the protection of personal data, and the written consent of the participants, in accordance with the standards of the British Society of Criminology [8] and international research ethics. [9]

The pedagogical activities of MuTourIn were implemented across seven active Second Chance School (SCS) units within Correctional Facilities, as well as through a multicentric session—during the final digital tour—that brought together participants from multiple prisons (Nigrita, Domokos, Chania, Korydallos, Malandrino). In total, more than 300 learners from diverse ethnic and educational backgrounds took part, alongside seven archaeologist-guides who volunteered their expertise. Participation was strictly anonymous and based on informed and signed consent.

The museum tours were conducted both remotely and in real time, followed by reflective post-tour discussions. The thematic focus of these sessions was about cultural concepts such as memory, identity, resistance, catharsis, democracy, and virtue—values permeated with moral and reflective depth.

The selected cultural themes were chosen for their potential to evoke personal identification, historical awareness, and critical reflection among the inmates. At the SCS in Patras, a virtual tour of the Archaeological Museum of Corfu highlighted themes of memory and connection with the past. At the SCS in Trikala, the Nikopolis Museum of Preveza facilitated discussions on citizenship and democracy. Learners at the SCS in Grevena explored the notion of virtue through the lens of struggle, centered around the Museum of the Ancient Olympic Games. In Diavata (Thessaloniki), the Archaeological Museum of Arta brought attention to cultural resistance and historical heritage. At the SCS in Thebes (Elaionas), the Asclepieion of Epidaurus provided the starting point for a discussion on the healing power of art and the potential for personal transformation. Meanwhile, the SCS in Larissa engaged with the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki, focusing on themes of identity, temporal continuity, and cultural transmission. Finally, the multicentric group of participants from SCS units in Corfu, Nigrita, Domokos, Chania, Korydallos, and Malandrino engaged with the Benaki Museum, examining topics of national identity and diversity through the lens of the modern Greek heritage.

Data analysis was conducted using thematic analysis, [10] highlighting concepts such as cultural integration, emotional response, empowerment through digital mediation, alienation, and individual agency. These themes were not predetermined but emerged organically from the analysis of linguistic, non-verbal, and narrative elements within the context of incarceration.

The participants’ experiences revealed the power of cultural engagement in fostering self-perception and reintegration. The virtual museum journeys functioned not only as a form of symbolic escape from confinement but also as spaces for intellectual reconstruction and social reflection.

Through digital museum tours and dialogical pedagogical practices, the encounter with the ancient Greek culture emerged as a catalyst for personal transformation, cultural reconnection, and reflective thought.

The participants themselves, in emotionally resonant and authentic language, described the experience as something that carried them “beyond” the confines of incarceration:

Cultural engagement became a source of renewed self-perception and a new sense of purpose to one’s identity. As it is powerfully captured in a reflective narrative from a participant in SCS Patras:

Educators confirmed the transformative power of this experience:

This same sense of collective cultural identification and empowerment was echoed by museum educational teams:

In a similar spirit, a learner noted:

Beyond its cognitive impact, the program fostered tangible signs of psychosocial resilience, self-confidence, and empathy. In terms of technological mediation, participants developed practical digital skills and dialogical engagement, many of them accessing digital cultural content in an active, reflective way for the first time.

Yet the program’s deepest impact may be best summarized in the words of a participant who poignantly captured its transformative potential:

MuTourIn was not merely a series of digital lectures or virtual visits. It became a form of “embodied distance education”—a dialogue between the individual and history, culture, and one’s self. It became an existential reflection under constraint. As one teacher mentioned:

My warmest thanks go to the Center for Hellenic Studies (CHS) of Harvard University, whose award of the Early Career Fellowship and invaluable support during the whole research journey laid the foundation for the realization of MuTourIn. Without such generous assistance, the project might have never taken form. Access to scholarly resources, the freedom to pursue independent research, and—above all—the opportunity to meet people, engage in dialogue, and be moved by shared humanity were priceless gifts.

In essence, MuTourIn was not merely a cultural or educational initiative; it was an experience of transformation—for all of us. Learners, educators, museologists, and researchers alike emerged as better human beings through this journey. We learned to listen more deeply, to see more meaningfully, and to recognize—beyond the prison walls—the enduring light of dignity, empathy, and shared humanity.

For in the end, as André Breton so aptly said: