Summary
This document outlines legacies from the four strands of the Curious project1 and beyond. The focus is on
institutional legacies, but there is also strong evidence (through various external evaluation2) of significant
legacies for participants.
The Curious project provided an opportunity for Glasgow Museums to explore and trial aspects of museum
practice including diversifying volunteers; working with under-represented groups; adding community voices to
documentation as well as interpretation of objects; progressing new forms of Learning Programmes using
museum objects for schools, Further Education colleges and communities. The increased knowledge and
understanding of these aspects of museum practice will inform further developments in these areas. Glasgow
Museum’s profile as an organisation that is exploring - through action research - innovative aspects of
museum development has been raised and enhanced through numerous papers delivered at conferences and
published, as well as through collaboration with various universities.
The document covers legacies, key achievements and key evaluation information from:
The four strands of the project:
• An eighteen month community-led exhibition in St Mungo Museum of Religious Life and Art
• A Learning Programme focused on Cultural awareness and strategies for intercultural dialogue
• A schools programme developed with teachers, in line with the Curriculum for Excellence
• A symposium reflecting on intercultural dialogue and participatory museum practice
And elements that underpinned all elements of the project:
• Volunteering
• Partnerships & events
• Evaluation
• Final reporting
Final evaluation documents are available separately, but representative highlights from evaluation reports are
included below, as well as key achievements.
1
Curious was an innovative project to support and celebrate the 2012 Olympic Games, and prepare for the 2014 Commonwealth
Games, by creating intercultural dialogue and a legacy of increased understanding of each other, our city and our collections. It was a
Glasgow Life project, delivered by Glasgow Museums. The project had four strands:
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An eighteen month community-led exhibition in St Mungo Museum of Religious Life and Art
A Learning Programme focused on Cultural awareness and strategies for intercultural dialogue
A schools programme developed with teachers, in line with the Curriculum for Excellence
A symposium reflecting on intercultural dialogue and participatory museum practice
Curious was part of the Scottish Project. The Scottish Project has been funded by Legacy Trust UK, creating a lasting impact from the
London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games by funding ideas and local talent to inspire creativity across the UK and by the National
Lottery through Creative Scotland.
2
Social Marketing Gateway (SMG) produced a report concentrating on the exhibition and Learning Programme. The evaluation report
is in draft form, but will be circulated before the end of the project. Rocket Science were commissioned by Creative Scotland to
produce Evaluation of the LTUK Scottish Project, their report is also quoted here. They focused on legacies and partnerships
developed.
Legacies from project strand 1. A year-long community-led exhibition in St Mungo’s Museum of
Religious Life and Art, from August 2011
Legacy
We enhanced object files by researching objects in the exhibition
Legacy
We fed into a GM community engagement methodology through a working session as part of
Our Museum project3.
Legacy
We’ve documented and share the methodologies used in Curious. We met and passed on
learning to colleagues working on e.g. People’s Palace redisplay and Red Road projects.
Legacy
We generated responses to, and learning about, objects from across the collections. We
documented the responses generated, including on our central object database.
Legacy
We investigated and piloted methods of including community responses and knowledge in our
Collections Management system.
Legacy
We commissioned a report analysing responses to objects from participants and visitors
Legacy
We wrote a report on the My Glasgow initiative piloting methods of crowd-sourcing using social
media. Some of the photographs will be accessioned into the GM collection.
Legacy
We reflected on and fedback learning from a short adult literacy project with the Marie Trust and
adults affected by homelessness. This will contribute to the development of adult learning
programmes with GM and community learning tutors.
Curious Exhibition Key achievements
• Exhibition Visitors: Target 160,000 over year. Achieved: nearly 162,889 visitors to St Mungo
(Additionally, there were 13642 visitors for the period where we also displayed My Glasgow exhibition,
6,898 during the schools exhibition and 10,192 during the VETS exhibition.)
• 1900 participants in exhibition related events or exhibition interpretation development
• Nearly 200 participants in facilitated tours of the exhibition in a range of languages
• Exhibition development involved a diverse range of individuals and groups including a Sharing of
Faiths group, a YWCA social group, Roshni ladies social group, Amina - Muslim Women’s Resource
Centre and ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) students, as well as other adults and
young people.
• We ran a range of object-related events ranging from curator’s talks and film showings to celebrations
of Day of the Dead and of working songs.
• We also delivered the Beneath our feet exhibition (as part of the schools programme) My Glasgow
(mass-participation) photography exhibition, volunteer events team exhibition (all in the St Mungo
community exhibition space)
• We supported the Migration through children’s eyes exhibition (at Scotland Street) and an Our Story
Scotland exhibition (February 2012, LGBTI month) and oral history recording session (their archives
are held at NMS)
Curious Exhibition External Evaluation (based on external evaluation by Social Marketing Gateway)
Exhibition Development
“The exhibition development delivered clear benefits to those involved. The legacy of involvement was partly
practical - relating to the development of new skills - but also attitudinal – with views relating to different
cultures changed and expanded. For many, the experience challenged their views on museums and
encouraged them to think about museums and exhibitions in a different, more positive light”.
Exhibition
“Whilst the vast majority of visitors enjoyed their visit to the Curious Exhibition, very few fully grasped its
purpose or aims. If the aims, objectives and context had been clearer to visitors, greater impact would have
been achieved for a larger proportion of visitors. The main issue which prevented visitors from fully engaging
with the exhibition was lack of clarity in terms of context within which to understand the exhibition, practically
how to navigate around it and information about the purpose and aims of the project behind the exhibition.”
3
http://ourmuseum.ning.com/
Legacies from project strand 2. A Learning Programme (LP) focused on Cultural Awareness and
strategies for intercultural dialogue, based on objects from the museum collections.
Legacy
Lead
We worked with colleagues in GM to adapt and pilot the LP for school groups.
Caroline Currie/ Anne Wallace/ Jen Keenan
Legacy
Stow College has piloted aspects of the LP. We’ve acted on their feedback and developed FE
toolkits. GM colleagues will work with the college to explore how we can continue to work with
the Learning Programme, as part of different museum learning offered to Further Education
institutions.
Legacy
We worked with young people in Govan, including through local schools, to develop a film
showing a scenario of intercultural misunderstanding. The film and resources will be used as
part of the Learning Programme.
Legacy
We worked with volunteers to develop an object handling kit to be used with the toolkits for FE
and community groups.
Legacy
The model of learning within the LP will inform aspects of the Kelvin Hall activity plan
Legacy
Strathclyde University Education Department are interested in delivering the LP to student
teachers.
Learning Programme Key Achievements
• There have been over 6,700 participations in the LP & associated events, including over 3300
participations in the LP itself, (including over 500 school pupils, and nearly 700 participations in
piloting and development) There were 1656 participations in LP related events, as well as 1000
participations in the LP inspired exhibition/event at City of Glasgow College.
• There have been a wide range of participants in the LP from
o The public sector including Glasgow Life staff and volunteers.
o corporate groups
o ESOL students & tutors
o non-ESOL students
o community groups
o school groups
o health and well-being organisations
• There were a diverse range of participants in the LP. The biggest single ethnic group were
participants identifying themselves as White Scottish ( 46%), followed by Other British (8%) the
other 46% of participants came from a variety of countries and backgrounds;
• The LP inspired City of Glasgow College staff and students to create their own intercultural event at
the college which focused on object-based learning. It also inspired an exhibition at Anniesland
College by a class of young unaccompanied asylum seekers.
• We delivered the LP to school groups as part of developing a film and as part of the Migration
through children’s eyes project with Strathclyde University.
Key External evaluation (SMG)
“The Learning Programme was felt to be of value and helpful for both the personal and professional lives of
almost all attendees. It seems clear that it created an increased understanding of different people with
different cultural backgrounds. In addition it delivered a greater understanding of Glasgow and the city’s
history and culture. The Programme successfully engaged with a wide range of participants from individuals
to workplace groups to English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) students, all of whom were attracted
to and engaged with the theme of learning more about different cultures.”
Legacies from project strand 3. A schools programme developed in partnership with schools and
reflecting the approach of the Curriculum for Excellence.
Legacy
The active learning trail will be used with further exhibitions at St Mungo.
Legacy
We have recorded the methodologies and lessons learned from the Curious topic work.
Legacy
We have developed interdisciplinary resources for two paintings. CPD around these two
objects is planned for May or June 2013
Legacy
We are creating a schools version of the Learning Programme
Schools programme Key Achievements
• Target: 2800 participants. Achieved over 8000 hours spent on the topic between three schools, 74
participants in under fives workshop, 398 participants in active learning trail
• Over 500 school pupils have taken part in the Learning Programme.
• Relationship developed with three local schools – Oakgrove Primary, St Mungo Primary and Our Lady
of Annunciation Primary
• Piloting of new & flexible approach to topic-based object-focused school-led work.
• Delivery of CPD on object-based learning
• Development of temporary exhibition & documentary film with local school
Key info from evaluation (Evaluation by Rocket Science, who were commissioned by Creative Scotland to
undertake evaluation across the Scottish project)
“Pupils were able to be heavily engaged in the Curious topic work including: work in the museum and in
school, involvement in the planning of the project and producing tangible outputs …. An additional outcome of
this work is that the school programme has contributed to teachers’ professional development by helping them
understand how objects can be used to achieve Curriculum for Excellence outcomes.”
Project strand 4. A conference with delegates reflecting on the impact of cultural programmes
supporting international events such as Olympic & Commonwealth Games.
Legacy
A symposium report detailing discussions and responses
Legacy
A report on day long session on Visitor Experiences of Co-produced and User-Generated
Content, which we co-organised with the Centre for Critical Studies in Museums, Galleries and
Heritage, University of Leeds
Legacy
Disseminated learning from project through 7 published papers, 2 research projects and 21
conference papers/ seminars/ presentations.
Summary of key achievements
• The Curious symposium on 5th and 6th December 2012 was attended by over 100 people4: There were
attendees from within and beyond the museum sector including from Glasgow Life, Tyne and Wear
Archives and Museums, Uni. of Edinburgh, Victoria and Albert Museum, Uni. of West of Scotland,
National Museum Wales, National Trust for Scotland, Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh,
Kulturparken Småland, Durham University, Horniman Museum.
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•
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We had a high calibre of speakers at the symposium
o Prof Alison Phipps, Professor of Languages and Intercultural Studies (Creativity Culture and
Faith) at Glasgow University
o Hilary Jennings, Happy Museum Project
o St Ethelburgas Centre for Reconciliation and Peace
o Kinharvie Institute of Faciliation
o Dr Mark O'Neill, Director of Policy and Research at Glasgow Life
o Kirsty Devine, Audience and Interpretation Consultant
o Helen Graham (Research Fellow in Tangible and Intangible Heritage and Director, Centre for
Critical Studies in Museums, Galleries and Heritage, Leeds University)
o Caroline Reed (Museum and Heritage Consultant)
o Eithne Nightingale (Head of Diversity, Victoria and Albert Museum)
o Dr. Bernadette Lynch (museum writer/researcher and consultant)
Project participants took part in the programme and evening reception
We co-organised (with the Centre for Critical Studies in Museums, Galleries and Heritage, University of
Leeds) a workshop on Visitor Experiences of Co-produced Exhibits/Exhibitions: Sharing research and
exploring approaches. There were 25 attendees from 18 organisations, including the Science
Museum, National Museum of Scotland, University of Ulster, and Nottingham Trent University.
We’ve also disseminated learning achieved through the project through various publications and conferences:
(This does not include:
Presentations internally e.g. to SMT, EMT,
Presentations to small meetings e.g. Scottish Government Legacy for Learning Group, Employer
Diversity Network, Intercultural Arts Network,
Presentations given as part of, or in promotion of, the Learning Programme)
Published papers
• Article Curious: Stories, culture and ideas in a changing city in published in Engage 29 Art and the
Olympics, (July 2012)
• Conference Paper published as a result of facilitating session at Social History Curators Group
conference (July 2012) re collecting community responses about objects
• Article re co-production & contentious collections in peer-reviewed journal (Museum Management &
Curatorship, publication March 2013). Veiled practice: reflecting on collaborative exhibition
development through the journey of one potentially contentious object (as part of Iobject project
www.objectsinconflict.wordpress.com)
• Chapter written for Migrating Heritage: Networks and Collaborations across European Museums,
Libraries and Public Cultural Institutions, (forthcoming 2013)
4
61 people on the fist day, 44 people on the second day plus 75 participants at the evening celebration
•
•
Co-authoring a commentary in Ethics in community-based participatory research: Case studies,
(November 2012); contribution to publication Tackling Ethical Issues in Community-Based Research: A
Practical Resource (November 2012) both published by Centre for Social Justice and Community
Action, Durham University/ National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement
Contribution/co-authorship of article Everyday ethics in community-based participatory research to a
special edition of Contemporary Social Sciences (Online from 2013, hard copy publication 2014);
Conference and seminars
o Facilitated sessions for various Museum Studies post-graduate and undergraduate courses (St
Andrews(2 sessions), Newcastle University (1 session), Glasgow University (2 sessions)) and textile
conservation students (Glasgow University, 2 sessions) (various dates)
o
Poster presentation at Revisiting the contact zone: museums, theory, practice (July 2011)
o
Community Research in Action at Glasgow Museums Research Conference (October 2010)
o
Presentation at Museums Galleries Scotland Collaborate to compete conference (September 2011)
o
Curious Research at Glasgow Museums Research Conference (October 2011)
o
Developing Dialogue The Learning Museum Network conference (November 2011)
o
Facilitation of session at Social History Curators Group re collecting community responses about
objects (July 2012)
o
Presentation on Human Library at Insights and Ideas sessions organised by Creative Scotland and
Museums Galleries Scotland. (August 2012)
o
Presentation at Migration in a time of austerity Strathclyde University Education Dept. (October 2012)
o
Supported/ facilitated discussions as part of I object! Working through conflict in museums session at
Museums Association conference (November 2012)
o
Paper given at European Museums in an age of migration conference (December 2012)
o
Objects and Us: Inspiring the I in the individual, Glasgow University Department of Comparative
literature. (October 2012)
o
Co-leading a workshop on Ethical issues in participatory museum and heritage research at Tackling
ethical challenges in community-based participatory research conference (Feb 2013); organised by
Centre for Social Justice and Community Action, Durham University
o
Presentation at Forgetting or Remembering – Child Migration in Museums (V&A, March 2013)
o
Arts-Sciences Encounters Public lecture at Sheffield University, organized by Richard Phillips,
University of Sheffield Geography Department of Geography (May 2013)
o
Human Library International Seminar, Lithuania, September 2013. Martha will be one of three
representatives of the UK Human Library. After the event, she will return to Glasgow and hold a one
day seminar with the Glasgow Human Library Hub.
Research projects
o Contribution to Arts & Humanities Council research project ‘Partnership and Participation: Intellectual
property and Informed Consent’ (2012)
o
Contribution to Arts & Humanities Council research project Ethics in Community-Based Research.
(2012)
In addition, St Ethelburga’s Centre for Reconciliation and Peace delivered a day of training in facilitating
interfaith work to St Mungo staff.
5 Legacies from volunteering, which underpinned various areas of Curious.
Legacy
The volunteer events team will continue to meet at the museum; their initial focus is to develop
an intercultural event for Scottish Refugee Week. Pan African Arts Scotland will co-ordinate the
group in partnership with the museum
Legacy
The Curious language tour pilot will be extended to other venues.
Legacy
The handling kit volunteers created one handling kit to be used as part of the Learning
Programme and one to be loaned out by the Open Museum. In April City of Glasgow College
will hold an exhibition of photos inspired by the creation of the kits.
Legacy
Curious piloted the payment of some expenses for volunteers.
Legacy
Human Library work will be taken over by Glasgow Libraries.
Key Achievements
• We’ve worked with a diverse range of volunteers. In 2012, 50 volunteers contributing over 1900
hours of volunteering as part of Curious.
• Our volunteer events team (eighteen members, who between them spoke fifteen first languages)
worked February - October to develop inter-cultural events inspired by Curious objects for Festival
of Museum, and for Refugee Week. The group documented their experiences and learning in an
exhibition in the St Mungo Museum community exhibition space in September.
• We worked with 8 -10 volunteers to deliver ‘curious conversations’ in a range of community
languages. We’ve trained volunteers to facilitate conversations about Curious exhibition objects in
French, Russian, Polish, Urdu, & Arabic.
• We worked with a group of volunteers to create two handling kits. The group has nineteen
volunteers from twelve countries, who between them speak 23 languages.
Key info from external evaluation (SMG)
The experience of volunteering at St Mungo not only met, but in most cases far exceeded the expectations of
those involved. For Language Tour volunteers, the practical and personal benefits were clear:
• Improved language skills
• Greater understanding of and integration with people from different cultures (especially Scots)
• Improved confidence
… volunteers were very clear about the link between their experience at St Mungo, where they learned how to
communicate and operate in a UK workplace situation, and finding employment.
The impact of participation on Event volunteers was perhaps less tangible, but they too experienced an
increase in confidence, driven by undertaking unfamiliar and challenging tasks during their volunteer time,
which also facilitated the learning of new skills.
For both sets of volunteers there were social benefits of participation; from meeting new people, sharing and
interacting with people from different cultures with whom they may otherwise never encountered to the forging
of lasting friendships.
The volunteering experience also had a lasting impact in terms of views of museums – volunteers from both
programmes cited a greater propensity to visit museums in the future as a result of their perspectives having
changed by the accessibility and interactivity of the Curious Exhibition and events.
Suggestions for improving the volunteer experience in the future were all focused on practical aspects, such
as requiring less of a time commitment per volunteer and extending the catering provision for volunteers. The
creation of further volunteer opportunities across the Glasgow Museums collections, and / or the roll-out of the
Curious events programme into local communities were suggested by volunteers, highlighting their
endorsement of the experience.
It is clear from the volunteer feedback that this element of the project really delivered against its aims, creating
links between people of different cultures and in particular enabling some volunteers to feel more integrated
into Scottish society, and in changing views about museums. The practical nature of volunteer involvement
definitely contributed to the creation of a lasting impact on the lives of those who participated.
6 Legacies from partnerships & Events
Legacy
Links with Stow College. Stow College are piloting a version of the Learning Programme. Stow
was given a Highly Commended Award in the Equality and Diversity category at the Scotland’s
Colleges awards for their work in partnership with Curious. (The award was for demonstrat(ing)
ways in which the college has promoted equality and diversity well beyond the requirements of
equalities legislation to secure a culture in which difference is understood and respected.) The
judges were particularly impressed with Stow’s commitment to embedding the project into their
curriculum. We’ve also contributed to their Diversifest events.
Legacy
City of Glasgow College (CoGC) will continue to work in partnership with St Mungo including
holding their monthly ESOL language café in the museum. The work has also inspired a
British Sign Language café, again at St Mungo. Other colleges and colleagues are
investigating similar partnerships.
Legacy
Links with various groups and individuals. We’ve contributed to building a contact list of nearly
500 people who are interested in History Hub events, an estimated 50% of those names were
collected through the Curious project.
Legacy
We worked with the Open Museum to create an event where our partners and contacts can
feed into the Our Museum project, and develop broader contacts in GM.
Legacy
Links with individuals and groups for future projects including suggesting community contacts
for other GM projects, creating links between GRAMNET (Glasgow Refugee and Migration
Network), Glasgow University and GM. These links are feeding into discussions around action
research methodologies as well as the Red Road exhibition.
Legacy
We documented the events we delivered & lessons learned from that work
Legacy
We created and strengthened links with local musicians including through Pan-African Arts
Scotland, i.e. with St Mungothrough the volunteer events team and with the Open Museum,
with possibilities of contemporary collecting, work on intangible heritage and music.
Key achievements
• We worked in partnership with St Mungo staff to set up and support a City of Glasgow College ESOL
language cafe which meets monthly at the museum. The café has won a Sector Leading Innovative
Practice Award and was short-listed for an Association of Colleges Beacon Award for Widening
Participation in Lifelong Learning.
• We worked with City of Glasgow College to deliver a skills sharing day where college staff shared
experience on working with ESOL students and Glasgow Museums staff delivered training on objectbased learning
• Contacts created through Curious have delivered Faith to Faith talks at St Mungo Museum We’ve
worked with the venue team to deliver a range of events including a series of film shows, Merchant
City festival, Festival of Museums and Black History Month.
• We’ve worked closely with Pan-African Arts, who will now be involved with the volunteer events team.
Key info from external evaluation
Re. Partnerships:
Curious has left a legacy in City of Glasgow College (and ideas of practice for other FE institutions) in
providing opportunities which have become self sustaining for ESOL students which promotes diversity and
including but also supports its college work (ie language skills)
Curious has engaged individuals in a number of ways with some very positive outcomes and some lasting
engagement reported by stakeholders including third country nationals struggling with social isolation, barriers
to work, or language difficulties in volunteering opportunities in Glasgow Museums which external bodies
described as very positive, life changing opportunities.
Curious has contributed to the development of a mutually beneficial relationship between St Mungo’s and City
of Glasgow College. The Language Café provides a range of additional opportunities for college students
whilst drawing in new visitors to the museum and is likely to continue beyond the life of Curious.
Curious has made very good progress in relation to the strategic aim of creating partnerships and relationships
to engage more people in cultural activities. In particular, Curious has established relationships with local FE
Colleges (City of Glasgow, Langside, Anniesland and Stow) and primary schools (St Mungo, Our Lady of the
Annunciation and Oakgrove), all of which have been developed over the course of the project and have
significant potential to last beyond the project’s duration.
Been a great opportunity and I’ll definitely explore other opportunities to engage in similar ways with other
Glasgow Museums or Glasgow Life.” (Rocket Science)
Re. Events (SMG analysed date only from two events – working songs and Human Library)
The evaluation of participants’ views from attending the Human Library and Working Songs events, clearly
show that both events were successful and enjoyable and achieved the overall aims of the Curious Project.
Each event attracted a diverse range of attendees with different ages, genders and cultural backgrounds
represented.
Participants in both events evidently benefited from the hands-on, interactive approach taken which allowed
them to properly experience different cultures and different perspectives. At each event, participants showed
a real desire to get involved, evidenced by the spontaneous dancing at the Working Songs event and the
enthusiasm with which those who participated in the Human Library recounted their conversations with the
‘books’.(SMG)
7 Evaluation & Final reporting
Legacy
We completed and circulated an exit survey at St Mungo Museum (Autumn 2010)
Legacy
We circulated the evaluation reports from the Curious project.
Legacy
We developed and piloted an alternative way to capture demographics. We have written a
report on this method for GL Policy & Research and other interested parties.