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Christian
I would just like to
add my voice to that of
As a curator at the
National Museums Scotland (NMS), my role is very much tied in with the
collections - their storage, conservation and interpretation. My involvement in
exhibition work is less intimate. Having said that, in the NMS we are currently
developing new galleries for the refurbished
In the past, the
Geology Department (now Department of Natural Sciences) kept a couple of cases
in the galleries for private collectors to come in and show off their
collections. We would provide labels and, of course, cases and they would supply
the information and the objects. They were rotated on a six months cycle and
were very popular. Alas this will not survive into the new galleries. Another
way is through loans. If communities can get together with their local museums
and make an application for a loan of material to go on display in their
communities, then I would like to think we could look favourably upon this.
Another new scheme we have been trying is “Create Your Own Exhibition” (CYOE)
where a number of curators have made short films which are aimed at schools
(primary and secondary) and demonstrate how to set up your own little
exhibition.
I would like to see
much more interaction between local groups and the NMS so that our vast treasury
of specimens, all owned by the people of Scotland, can somehow be spread much
more widely and become accessible to a wider body of people. How this is
achieved remains to be seen, but I would like to see this as a fundamental part
of our work and not an optional extra. I also feel that Natural Sciences can get
a little side-lined in favour of more art based or historical exhibitions.
What I also feel
strongly about is the need to put science right at the centre of this.
Presenters like David Attenborough, Ian Stewart or Brian Cox have been at the
centre of pushing the “science as entertainment” line and there can be no
denying the role they have played in bringing science into the public eye. But
having seen these programmes, don’t you just sometimes long for a bit of real
science? The recent BBC series on Atoms and Time were much better in that they
seemed able to marry difficult scientific and mathematical concepts with
television in a way that was both fascinating and scientific. Good science can
make good television. Anyway that is my tuppence worth for
now.
Have a great weekend
everyone
Peter
Davidson
Curator of
Minerals
Department of Natural
Sciences
National Museums
Collection Centre
Tel: 00 44 131 247
4283
E-mail:
[log in to unmask]
From: The Geological Curator's Group
mailing list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Christian Baars
Sent: 02 February 2011 14:17
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Community curation of geological
collections
Hi,
there have recently
been various initiatives to involve the local community in helping museums to
determine which objects they ought to display, and how. This appears to work
quite well, at least in social/local history.
My question is: is
anyone aware of a community curation type approach in natural history? And if
yes, how did you go about it? Did you invite specialist amateurs into the
building, or the general public with relatively little subject knowledge? How
did you then define the criteria for the selection of specimens that would later
go on display? Presumably there would have been certain exclusion criteria
constrained by space, budget, conservation, etc. considerations.
Part of the background
to the question is that I am working with pupils from two local schools who will
be selecting some geology specimens for a little display. The other part is
curiosity, as I have heard very good things about community curation but find it
hard to imagine it working really well in disciplines where a considerable
amount of expert knowledge may be required. Or are we making too much of
scientific expertise when it comes to displaying collections?
Best
wishes
Christian
Dr Christian
Baars
Department of
Telephone: 0044 (0)29
2057 3352
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