VISU2011: Introduction to Museums and Curating

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• To develop a holistic understanding of the multi-faceted nature of museum/gallery collecting and curating
• To develop students skills
• To introduce students to a range of exhibition types and contexts and associated educational and public engagement programming
• To equip students with the conceptual and practical tools to plan a coherent and viable professional exhibition

• The module will cover the basic skills and concepts underpinning contemporary collection and display practices, including:
• exhibition curation
• care of collections
• documentation
• display
• cultural fundraising
• cultural marketing
• education and outreach
• Throughout, due consideration will be given to the specificities of working with different kinds of collections, such as international Western, ethnographic, archaeological, and social-historical collections, all of which are well represented in Durham's museums and special collections.

Subject-specific Knowledge:

• On completion of this module students should:
• understand the practical and conceptual considerations underpinning successful collecting and curating
• have a basic understanding of the requirements of different collection types
• understand the funding environment relating to the visual arts

Subject-specific Skills:

• On completion of this module students will develop:
• skills in caring for a range of cultural objects
• the ability to use audience segmentation to inform planning for cultural programming
• the ability to plan an exhibition, from the intellectual content to the financial support
• the ability to write funding applications relating to the collection and display of visual art

Key Skills:

• critical analysis and reasoning
• independent research
• report and application writing,
• organisation
• time management
• team work
• IT: word-processing, and using online databases

• This team-taught module will be taught weekly throughout the academic year.
• Each session of 1.5 hours will consist of blended delivery, including lecturing and seminar discussion.
• Assessment will be by means of an extended (5000-word) mock grant application, which will involve a) outlining the exhibition content; b) making the case for the message and coherence of the exhibition; c) developing an outreach and education programme; d) devising a marketing plan; and e) producing a budget based on clearly justified costings.
• The assessment is designed to test all the knowledge and skills gained over the course of the programme, because it demands a holistic approach to and understanding of collecting and curating.

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