Museum & Study Collection

This article reflects on the coming together of two pedagogic practices – museological teaching practice and learning development – to develop a form of object-based self -enquiry. This teaching practice has emerged from a shared practitioner interest in the use of museum and special collection objects as mediating artefacts (Vygotsky, 1978; Engestrom, 1999) for increasing learning awareness. It considers the design and development of workshops which use museum objects as a focus for surfacing student self-perception of the role of values, assumptions and habits of mind in meaningful learning, particularly where these become influenced by disciplinary ways of thinking and practicing.

This short case study describes the contribution made by the Central Saint Martins Museum and Study Collection (UAL) to the Museums on Prescription research project, which explores the value and role of museums in ‘social prescribing’. A means of connecting patients with non-medical resources, socially prescribed activities are a low-cost alternative to medication or therapy, offering opportunities to take part in creative, physical or learning activities that improve physical or mental well-being. This article argues that the pedagogic approaches used in art and design, particularly when coupled with a museological approach to ‘object-based learning’ (Paris, 2002), present an ideal basis for social prescribing as the activities it involves challenge participants, encourage self-reflection and create opportunities for emotional engagement.

This report is the result of a joint research project between Share Academy and the National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement (NCCPE), funded by Arts Council England (ACE) with the objective of investigating current collaborative activities happening between universities and museums in England. This report comprises of one of the outputs from a wider portfolio of work undertaken in 2016 by Share Academy and the NCCPE under the umbrella of the Museum University Partnerships Initiative (MUPI). This report is a synthesis of existing knowledge from Share Academy and the NCCPE and background research on five strategic organisations researching, facilitating or advocating for collaborative activities between universities and museums in England. The five organisations this report draws on are: Beyond the Creative Campus, the University Museums Group (UMG), The National Archives (TNA), The Cultural Capital Exchange (TCCE), and the AHRC’s Connected Communities programme. The findin...

This case study outlines the pedagogic, curatorial and museological practices that have influenced a long-term collaboration between the Central Saint Martins Museum and Study Collection and the MA Culture, Criticism and Curation course, which have led to the inclusion of a formally assessed Archive and Curatorial unit in the MA’s curriculum. The study draws on concepts such as experiential learning, object-based or object-centred learning and collaborative meaning-making. It summarises the practicalities of enabling students to work with uncatalogued archive material and addresses the complexities of formulating curatorial narratives from multiple perspectives. It also explores the criticality required to surface tacit knowledge and engage with curatorial practices.