Performance as a medium of learning in museums and at heritage sites - an investigation
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Grant Holder:
Anthony Jackson
The PERFORMANCE, LEARNING AND HERITAGE research project is an investigation into the uses and impact of performance as a medium of learning in museums and at historic sites. The Centre for Applied Theatre Research (CATR) undertook research into the increasing and varied use being made of theatre and other drama-based activity as interpretive tools with visitors to museums and historic sites - an expanding but relatively under-researched field of performance practice. We observed, documented and analysed a variety of performance styles in relation to their site-specific contexts; encompassed the experience of, and response to, performance, of independent adult visitors, family groups and organised educational groups; in collaboration with Manchester Museum , commissioned a new professional performance piece to test and build on research findings as they began to emerge (performed in 2007); mapped the extent, style and functions of performance as a learning medium in museums and historic sites throughout the UK and abroad (an ongoing enterprise). The three year project began work in July 2005 and has culminated in publications (including journal articles, plans for an edited book, a searchable database and a DVD) and an international conference in Manchester in Spring 2008. The book, "Performing Heritage" will be published in late 2010 or early 2011.
| Project start date: 2005-07 | Project end date: 2008-11 |
Subject domains:
Era(s):
Country/region(s):
| Methods used | Category |
|---|---|
| 2d Scanning and photography | Data capture |
| 2d Scanning and photography | Data capture |
| Audio interaction (asynchronous) | Communication and collaboration |
| Audio interaction (asynchronous) | Communication and collaboration |
| Resource sharing | Communication and collaboration |
| Resource sharing | Communication and collaboration |
| Cataloguing and indexing | Data structuring and enhancement |
| Cataloguing and indexing | Data structuring and enhancement |
| Disk publishing | Data publishing and dissemination |
| Disk publishing | Data publishing and dissemination |
| Coding and standardisation | Data structuring and enhancement |
| Coding and standardisation | Data structuring and enhancement |
| Collating | Data analysis |
| Collating | Data analysis |
| Content analysis | Data analysis |
| Content analysis | Data analysis |
| Desktop publishing and pre-press | Data publishing and dissemination |
| Desktop publishing and pre-press | Data publishing and dissemination |
| Moving image capture | Data capture |
| Moving image capture | Data capture |
| Photography | Practice-led research |
| Photography | Practice-led research |
| Sound recording | Data capture |
| Sound recording | Data capture |
| Documentation | Strategy and project management |
| Documentation | Strategy and project management |
| Searching and querying | Data analysis |
| Searching and querying | Data analysis |
| Sound editing | Data structuring and enhancement |
| Sound editing | Data structuring and enhancement |
| Textual interaction (asynchronous) | Communication and collaboration |
| Textual interaction (asynchronous) | Communication and collaboration |
| Video editing | Data structuring and enhancement |
| Video editing | Data structuring and enhancement |
| Video post production | Practice-led research |
| Video post production | Practice-led research |
| Video-based interaction (asynchronous) | Communication and collaboration |
| Video-based interaction (asynchronous) | Communication and collaboration |
| Collaborative publishing | Data publishing and dissemination |
| Collaborative publishing | Data publishing and dissemination |
| General website development | Data publishing and dissemination |
| General website development | Data publishing and dissemination |
| General project management | Strategy and project management |
| General project management | Strategy and project management |
| Use of existing digital data | Data capture |
| Use of existing digital data | Data capture |
Funding sources:
Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)
Content types created:
Dataset/structured data, Moving Image, Still Image/Graphics, Text
Source material used:
documents, photographs, DVDs, websites of museums, heritage organisations & theatre companies whose work we investigated. All logged, & scanned where appropriate into the project database.
Digital resource created:
A searchable database and a DVD of examples of performances in museums and at historic sites. The full, detailed report + executive summary (Nov. 2008) are available in hard copy, via the project website and as cd-rom.
Access to digital resource:
Open Access
Publications:
[all by Jackson except where stated otherwise]
(2010) Co-author, with Jenny Kidd, ‘Museum theatre: cultivating audience engagement. A case study’, in J. Shu & P. Chan (eds.), The IDEA 2007 Dialogues: planting trees of drama with global vision in local knowledge. Hong Kong: TEFO & IATC, pp. 240-254.
(2007) Co-author, with Catherine Hughes and Jenny Kidd, ‘The Role of Theater in Museums and Historic Sites: Visitors, Audiences and Learners’, in Bresler, L., ed., International Handbook of Research in Arts Education. Dordrecht: Springer, pp. 677–693.
(2008) Performance, Learning & Heritage – DVD, giving selected highlights of museum performances documented by the PLH research team, with voice-over commentary by Jackson. Also contains selected extracts from keynote speeches given at the Performing Heritage International Conference, Manchester, April 2008.
(2010) ‘Visitors becoming audiences: negotiating spectatorship in museum performance’, in About Performance v.10 (July 2010: University of Sydney)
(2008) For the AHRC: Performance, Learning & Heritage, a report by Jackson & Kidd (155 pages + 17 page Executive Summary). Report also available online at: http://www.plh.manchester.ac.uk/
Kidd, J. (2007) ‘Filling the Gaps: Interpreting museum collections through performance’ in The Journal of Museum Ethnography, vol. 19, pp. 57-69.
At press:
Edited book: 'Performing Heritage: research, practice and innovation in museum theatre and live interpretation' (co-edited with Jenny Kidd). Expected publication: November 2010.
(2010) Co-author, with Jenny Kidd, ‘Museum theatre: cultivating audience engagement. A case study’, in J. Shu & P. Chan (eds.), The IDEA 2007 Dialogues: planting trees of drama with global vision in local knowledge. Hong Kong: TEFO & IATC, pp. 240-254.
(2007) Co-author, with Catherine Hughes and Jenny Kidd, ‘The Role of Theater in Museums and Historic Sites: Visitors, Audiences and Learners’, in Bresler, L., ed., International Handbook of Research in Arts Education. Dordrecht: Springer, pp. 677–693.
(2008) Performance, Learning & Heritage – DVD, giving selected highlights of museum performances documented by the PLH research team, with voice-over commentary by Jackson. Also contains selected extracts from keynote speeches given at the Performing Heritage International Conference, Manchester, April 2008.
(2010) ‘Visitors becoming audiences: negotiating spectatorship in museum performance’, in About Performance v.10 (July 2010: University of Sydney)
(2008) For the AHRC: Performance, Learning & Heritage, a report by Jackson & Kidd (155 pages + 17 page Executive Summary). Report also available online at: http://www.plh.manchester.ac.uk/
Kidd, J. (2007) ‘Filling the Gaps: Interpreting museum collections through performance’ in The Journal of Museum Ethnography, vol. 19, pp. 57-69.
At press:
Edited book: 'Performing Heritage: research, practice and innovation in museum theatre and live interpretation' (co-edited with Jenny Kidd). Expected publication: November 2010.
Institutions affiliated with this project:
| UK HE institutions involved: |
|---|
| University of Manchester |
| UK HE institutions involved: |
|---|
| Partner museums (see above) |
Project staff and expertise:
| Principal staff member: | Anthony Jackson |
|---|---|
| Other staff: | PhD student(s), Postdoctoral researcher(s) / Research assistant(s) |
| External expertise: |
| Metadata on this arts-humanities.net record | |
|---|---|
| Author(s) of record | Anthony Jackson |
| Title | Performance as a medium of learning in museums and at heritage sites - an investigation |
| Record created | 2010-08-18 |
| Record updated | 2010-08-18 10:03 |
| URL of record | http://www.arts-humanities.net/node/3540 |
| Citation of record | Anthony Jackson: Performance as a medium of learning in museums and at heritage sites - an investigation. <http://www.arts-humanities.net/node/3540> created: 2010-08-18, last updated 2010-08-18 10:03 |