Mixed Collections: Balancing Conservation and Interpretation
Trainers: Anita Hollinshead & Jim Grevatte
The Section for Archives and Museums are presenting the next webinar in our series on mixed collections.
This workshop will take a practical approach to exploring the interplay between conservation and interpretation. Our speakers will share a series of case studies where each situation and collection required a creative conversation between conservator and interpreter. These will illustrate many different approaches and provide lots of tips and principles to enable and inspire.
The session has been compiled by freelance museum consultants Anita Hollinshead and Jim Grevatte. Anita and Jim have worked on development projects for the past 20 years, using each other’s specialisms to create inventive means of connecting people with objects and stories. Each will last 2½ hours, consisting of two 50-minute presentations, followed by 30 minutes of Q&A, providing delegates an opportunity to ask specific questions and queries.
The session is primarily aimed at archivists managing and interpreting a range of objects within their collections but will also be of benefit to staff and volunteers caring for collections in heritage sites, museums, historic houses and libraries as well as those considering a career in the museum sector. The session will be suitable for those new to the sector as well as those wishing to refresh their experience of creating displays and exhibitions. Your own project might range from a single object or document to a large exhibition. There will be an emphasis on this being a creative process as well as providing detail on collections care for exhibitions.
Agendas
10.00-10.50am - Lighting a Spark
An overview of the principles of great interpretation with handy tips and key approaches. We will think about who your audience is and how you might understand their knowledge and needs, and look at a range of case studies to explore the tools available to anyone designing an exhibition or experience. The conservation considerations will sit at the core of these and show how the two disciplines interweave. Some examples will look at co-creating interpretation with people outside your organization such as your local community or a community of interest. We will also discuss how to embed activities, interaction and responses into the design.
10.50-11.10 – break, and opportunity for delegates to submit questions for the Q&A session
11.10-12.00 – Conservation-led interpretation
This section will look at the conservator’s toolkit - materials, environmental management and condition checking and how these can inspire great interpretation. Case studies will focus on difficult objects and materials and how this shapes decisions around interpretation. We will explore how to take collections beyond the 4 walls of your space - into the public realm through digital media, artwork and guerrilla interpretation.
12.00-12.30 – Q&A
An opportunity for delegates to submit questions to Anita and Jim
About our Trainer: Jim Grevatte has worked for 30 years at museums and heritage sites and always rooted in creative curatorial practice. He has extensive experience of leading change and enhancement at historic sites particularly where this requires developing new models of engagement in close consultation with users and experts. He works with site staff, conservators, artists and other partners to design experiences which match audience needs.
Anita Hollinshead has been working in museums and heritage for 33 years and since August 2012 as a freelancer specializing in collections care and development; funding applications; project management; community engagement; evaluation; interpretation and Accreditation support. She has an MA in the Conservation of Historic Objects and from 2014-24 was the Regional Collections Officer for Museum Development East Midlands.
Booking and delegate fee: £20 for ARA members, £25 for non-members
Please book your place here before Thursday 1st October.
Joining instructions will be sent on Friday 2nd October.
If you have any queries about this event please contact sam@archives.org.uk .