Programme details

Participants were immersed in two, two-day workshops held in conjunction with Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, the School of Museum Studies, the Ironbridge International Institute for Cultural Heritage and with support from international design consultancies Land Design Studio and Metaphor. They worked with museum and design professionals to develop their initial ideas, learn about the exhibition-making process and reflect critically and creatively on their research processes and content.

The first two-day workshop took place in September 2014 in Birmingham; the second in December 2014 in Leicester. Guided by museum and design professionals and supported by peer (museologist) mentors, participants developed the skills and confidence to present their research and communicate their desired message to the public through a range of media and museum display formats. There was no ‘one size fits all’ approach – as part of the creative process participants were encouraged to develop their methods of presentation and find their own ‘voice’.

Following the workshops, participants were given the unique opportunity to put the knowledge and skills developed into practice using the School of Museum Studies’ public exhibition spaces and its state-of-the-art display cases. Participants were provided with a budget, materials, as well as theoretical and practical support by their mentor and by design and museum professionals to put their ideas into practice. The display contributed to an exhibition, ‘Research in Translation, which was opened at the end of June 2015 and will remain on display until February 2016. Further information is available on the School of Museum Studies website.