Abstract
In 2022, the exhibition Didar - Stories of Middle Eastern Manuscripts opened at The University of Melbourne. For the first time, sixty manuscripts from the collection were on display alongside conservation research. Researchers had long desired the opportunity to engage with communities of origin however this posed many challenges. Just because conservators want to engage, do communities? Previously the collection was inaccessible and although now digitised online, access is still problematic. The exhibition presented an opportunity to trial different activities in the space such as a poetry reading, film screening and a food-inspired collab with a local social enterprise to attract a diverse audience. Our approach was broad, inspired by manuscripts themes, artistic practices and materials. The activities were key in developing diverse manuscript communities, a team of advocate-users, exchanging ideas and knowledge. The varied nature of the activities presented multiple outcomes and observations Excitingly there was interest and appetite for collection use by communities. The themes that arose were a connection to cultural heritage and inclusion. We expected collaborations to further collection knowledge however more was gained. New manuscript communities are created, and members took ownership of the development of ideas and delivery of events. It is our hope that the skills and knowledge we have gained through these experiences act as a motivator and guide to those with an interest in further professionalising their community engagement strategies.
Presenters
Sophie LewincampNyingarn Project Manager, School of Languages and Linguistics, The University of Melbourne, Australia Asli Gunel
Assistant time-based art conservator, Conservation, Art Gallery of NSW, New South Wales, Australia
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
2023 Special Focus—Museum Transformations: Pathways to Community Engagement
KEYWORDS
Conservation, Community Engagement, Diaspora, Knowledge, Exhibitions
