Module VISU2011: Introduction to Museums and Curating

Department: Modern Languages and Cultures

VISU2011: Introduction to Museums and Curating

Prerequisites

• None

Corequisites

• None

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None

Aims

• To develop a holistic understanding of the multi-faceted nature of museum/gallery collecting and curating
• To develop students’ skills
• To expose students to a wide range of exhibition types and contexts and equip them with the ability to analyse these critically
• To equip students with the conceptual and practical tools to plan a coherent and viable professional exhibition

Content

• The module will cover all the basic practical skills and concepts underpinning contemporary collection and display practices, including:
• object research
• object handling
• 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.

Learning Outcomes

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

• On completion of this module students will develop:
• skills in caring for and handling a range of cultural objects
• the ability to research and document objects in a collection
• 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

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

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

• 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, seminar discussion, and practical skills development (e.g. object handling). Sessions will be timetabled to take place in close proximity to the relevant University collection, so that students learn in the most appropriate environment.
• 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.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

Seminar presentations

■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University