Aims

To familiarise students with issues, theories and practices related to caring for collections in the Museum/Gallery/Heritage sector.
To provide an understanding of conventions, charters, policies, legislation and guidelines in relating to caring for collections.
To provide an understanding of the planning and implementation needed for caring for collections in the Museum/Gallery/Heritage sector.

Outline Of Syllabus

This module will provide students with the theoretical and practical knowledge and skills required for caring for Museum/Gallery/heritage collections, viewed in the broadest sense. For example, these collections include intangible and tangible immovable and moveable heritage, museum and artistic resources.

Indicative content includes an introduction to environmental monitoring, object handling and conservation, collecting and disposal policies, health and safety/emergency preparedness planning, labelling and marking, stores and documentation, community involvement/security and caring for the non-permanent.

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

Lecture content: This is the core teaching method to achieve all of the knowledge learning outcomes.

Fieldwork: Online and/or safe, directed fieldwork, undertaken individually, relates to all learning outcomes, particularly the application of knowledge outcomes to specific examples of arts, cultural and heritage practice.

Structured non-synchronous discussion: This is used to support and to provide guidance for the module assignment.

Academic Skills Activities: This supports skills outcomes associated with caring for collections.

Practical work: This is used to support knowledge and skills outcomes associated caring with collections.

Small group teaching: This teaching method is intended to allow students to consolidate knowledge learning outcomes within the context of caring for collections.

Structured research and reading activities: This teaching method enables students to independently deepen knowledge outcomes and to practise all skills outcomes, as well as applying cognitive/intellectual, self-management and interaction skills in particular.

Independent study: This activity underpins learning and skills outcomes and is an essential part of the module.

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

This module is designed to introduce students to the need for the effective care of collections, and to provide them with some basic practices tools to use in 'real life' Museum/Gallery/Heritage sector situations. The assignment, written in the form of a report, will test the knowledge and skills gained by setting scenarios that Collections Managers, Curators and heritage Managers in the Museum/Gallery/Heritage sector face on a daily basis. The report will allow students to build up specialist knowledge relevant to their chosen MA programme.