Module VISU2011: Introduction to Museums and Curating

Department: Modern Languages and Cultures (Visual)

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 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

Content

• 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.

Learning Outcomes

• 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

• 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

• critical analysis and reasoning
• independent research
• report and application writing,
• organisation
• time management
• 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 and seminar discussion.
• Assessment will be by means of a 1000-word exhibition proposal and an extended (4000-word) mock funding 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:

■ 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