Nancy Zomer-Carolus sometimes slips into conversation with school pupils incognito. She does not need a trench coat or a disguise. Most of the pupils have no idea that she is the director of Museon-Omniversum. She casually asks what they think of the museum and whether they would come back in their free time. Zomer-Carolus laughs. “Most of them simply say no. But after a short silence someone often adds that the whale skeleton is actually quite cool. And that they would come back for the Filmdome.”

Her mission is to move people. When that spark catches, natural curiosity takes over. “What matters to me is that we manage to enter the world of our visitors. That is when people begin to ask questions. How does this work? How is the world put together, in the past and today? And what can I do myself to help keep the planet liveable?”

Value

Zomer-Carolus (1979) started her position as director last year. Previously, she worked in retail and cosmetics, in the media world, in sales, had her own business and was active as a supervisor for cultural institutions. After discussions with her daughters (17 and 19) and husband, she opted for a new turn and made the move to the Museon-Omniversum. “I love that everything I do here revolves around content. Culture, nature and science. Behind every detail is something of value. That feels very pure. In the commercial world, from a certain profit size, it didn't matter much to me whether we made, say, 27 million euros in profit or 27.1 million. But here, the difference between 100 and 101 visitors means one person. For that positive influence I do it.”

Stimulating curiosity

A central part of her vision is that everyone learns in their own way. “Some people need to touch things with their hands, others prefer to watch a video or read about it. In this unusual museum we combine all those forms of learning. You might first encounter a whale skeleton and learn about it. Afterwards you see the animal swimming across the enormous three hundred and sixty degree screen in the Dome.”

Zomer-Carolus is often surprised by how strongly education still clings to old formats. “Why is Pietje still going to the baker in examples in maths lessons when you could just as easily explain the same sum using TikTok likes? Form is part of the message. That is an important lesson we apply here at Museon-Omniversum. Negative stories full of doom and pessimism do not work well. Climate fatigue exists at every age. We notice that focusing on positive developments resonates far more. When you feel wonder when seeing the beauty and mystery of nature, protecting it becomes a natural response.”

Everything comes together

“For me it is essential,” says Zomer-Carolus, “that we also reach people for whom museums are not a natural part of everyday life. That is why I am so proud of our MuseumLAB, the satellite location Museon-Omniversum Zuidwest. It is an educational platform for families, children and adults in Den Haag Zuidwest. Anyone can come here free of charge to investigate, discover and create.”

The films shown in the Dome are aimed at all ages. During the day there is a museum programme, while the evenings have their own line up of events. “We organise evenings for astronomy enthusiasts,” she explains, “but you can also listen to live music, watch concert recordings and sometimes even follow live performances happening elsewhere. Organisations can hire our spaces for their own events and gatherings as well. They end up in a unique setting and at the same time contribute to something meaningful. Everything connects. The income from the evening programme in the Dome and from business events helps us keep MuseumLAB Museon-Omniversum Zuidwest free for everyone.”

Cooperation

“At the moment we are presenting the One Planet exhibition,” Zomer-Carolus says. “It centres on the seventeen Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations. Human beings are capable of creating problems, but we are also capable of solving them. We caused acid rain and the hole in the ozone layer, yet we also found solutions for that. That gives hope that we can reduce the amount of plastic in our oceans, slow the mass extinction of species and cut CO₂ emissions.”

On the immense screen of the Dome you are given a glimpse into life beneath the ocean’s surface. The ocean is often portrayed as a hostile world where it is eat or be eaten. The film 'The Secrets of the Sea' reveals something different. Even the shark, the ultimate predator, has unexpected partnerships with other species. “Remoras are fish that remove parasites from sharks,” Zomer-Carolus explains. “They have an extraordinary relationship. The remoras even swim fearlessly inside the shark’s mouth and nothing happens. The shark simply waits patiently, as if it is being helped by its doctor.” She laughs. “It makes you look at the world in a different way. Hope, but hope grounded in facts.”

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