Objects of Inspiration Why target Young People? Underrepresented - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Objects of Inspiration

Why target Young People?  Underrepresented audience – Access For All agenda – Museums are public venues: paid for by everyone so everyone should feel there is something for them.  Museums can provide object-based learning opportunities both for formal and informal learners.  Young people can make museums fresh and relevant for everyone.  The arts were central to national policies tackling social problems for vulnerable and disadvantaged young people.

RCM / UCF partnership 2006 Consultation revealed Youth-led programme of activities unsustainable … nothing for YP in museum. 2007 Worked with Jason Cleverly (UCF) and Christian Heath (Kings College London) 2007-11 Objects of Inspiration partnership with UCF BA courses (Contemporary Crafts (annually), Textile Design, Illustration, Spatial Design, Photography, Digital Design, Choreography) Overall aim: for students (mostly young people) to develop interpretations in the galleries for youth audiences.

Lessons learned Flexibility course – Contemporary Crafts have introductory lecture at campus plus tour – or focus group cf textiles only wanted tour. year – varying abilities of students / commitments / – changing needs of organisations e.g. redisplay of main gallery shifted – exhibition to summer… difficult to get students work back Experiment with ways of working and new tools e.g. Facebook – Partnership agreements Clarity of written brief, and in all instructions from museum university staff is essential. – e.g. some students misunderstanding YP to mean ‘ children ’ . Regular review Strategically embed - marketing, senior support, expanding reach.

Fruits of partnership: Engagement with objects ‘ It was very interesting to analyse and study museum pieces. ’ ‘ It ’ s certainly made me much more aware of what is in the museum. ’ ‘ The best part of the project was discovering what was in the collections and interpreting these discoveries in my own way, through this I learnt a lot about the history of the pieces displayed. ’ ‘ I learnt about Cornish History, which was very interesting and something I sadly don ’ t get to hear/see much of, even though I live here! ’

Fruit 2: Public Display  Refreshed galleries  Surprising interventions in permanent galleries  Exhibitions at UCF campus  Joined-up marketing and launches ‘ I learnt new making skills and how to aim my work at different audiences. ’ ‘ The best part of the project for me was working towards a project where our work has now been publicly displayed in an external place to the university. ’

Fruit 3: Awards Louise Batchelor won the Pearson ’ s Glass Student Award in 2008 and was a finalist for Bullseye Glass ’ E:Merge competition Oregon USA in the same year. She has continued to exhibit since graduating in 2008. Lucy Foakes won The Business Design Centre New Designer of the Year Award 2010 for her Contemporary Canopics.

Fruit 3: Student careers Student response in evaluation: ‘ After I graduate this July, work experience/ job/ an internship within a museum or art gallery is an area I am interested in getting involved with. ’ Another student volunteered at the museum during and after the project and went on to gain employment as a technician at a local school.

Fruit 4: Learning about YP audience Relevance to lives > aesthetics Labels Shopping culture Refining audience interests …

Transport

Transport

Fruit 5: Community-focussed Survey, consultation and presentation skills. Best practice consultation towards planned redisplay.

Fruit 5: Facebook Re-Interpreting Collections No research function or museum objects. Only showcasing students work at end of project. No real ownership.

Revealing Collections Sharing research and inspiration between museum and university staff, students, volunteers and wider community. Museums ’ collections accessible – the group is object focussed! Surveys.

Fruit 6: Learning Revolution - sustainability

Fruit 7: Legacy Collections Trust ’ s Revisiting Museum Collections methodology:  Everyone is entitled to access UK ’ s public collections & have a say in how they are used & interpreted.  Every object can be seen from multiple perspectives.  Capturing external voices (in database) is key to re- interpretation.  Rich, full, accessible documentation is a fundamental tool for public access.

Cinderel derella la ...Her godmother pointed to Cinderella ’ s finest asset of all.

Challenge  In this time of severe cuts, where would you prioritise museum/university partnerships (of all kinds: research-based, KTPs, design-based) for a museum whose mission statement is ‘ the promotion of knowledge in natural history, ethnology and the fine and industrial arts ’ ?  If important, how might it be sustained without core funding?