Archive for the ‘Exhibitions’ Category
We’ve been really lucky this year to be able to work with Tameside College‘s Photography students again this year, creating an exhibition that is inspired by the Museum’s collection.
On the 1st March the students were invited into the Museum, given tours of the galleries and collection stores and encouraged to document their visit with photographs. This then formed the basis of their brief:
“Students will be working with Manchester Museum to produce work for an exhibition, in response to the Museum’s collection. They will be utilizing the techniques in the darkroom and the studio to produce a body of work shot on film on either Large or Medium Format cameras, in the studio and printed in the darkroom”
They had until the 27th March to create three final images each, with at least one of each going into the exhibition.
On the 19th March I was asked to go into the College and ‘critique’ the work done so far; to identify the final images for the exhibition and encouraging the students to write labels to accompany their pieces. I was amazed by the thought and detail that had gone into every example of the work done by each student. They had taken elements from the collection and considered them from multiple angles, linking very complex concepts with inspiring ideas and creative input.
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- Introduction panel
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- One of the interactive label displays
Some of the aspects the students were using in their work included using the Zoology specimens to examine the protective layer that animals have – including humans – and metaphorically demonstrating this through masks. There were numerous reflections on the Egyptology collection, scrutinising the means of communication – hieroglyphic script – and translating that into imagery associated with the way we communicate today – via clothing or graffiti, in addition to the mummification process and the preservation of memory and stories.
Some students were intrigued by the idea of what occurs behind the scenes at the Museum – the specimens we keep hidden in stores, and the means by which we classify the collection. This led to responses associated with the food chain, – linking in with the recent horse-meat scandal – dominance in the natural world and the issue of domestic violence (represented by bruised fruit), change over time – as evidenced by Darwin – and how we label not just things, but people.
The exhibition opened on Friday 29th March and has been in place for two weeks, with the closing date on Sunday 14th April. It looks fantastic in our Alhambra space between the Egyptian World gallery and Living Worlds, and there have even been interactive elements for our visitors to become part of the legacy of the project.
All in all, it’s been a fantastic exhibition and the students have done brilliantly as part of the project; they should all be very proud.
These past few weeks we have been really excited at the museum to begin the pilot sessions for our new Archaeology primary school session, ‘Dig Stories; Bringing the Past to Life’
This session explores the hands on practical skills of what it’s like being an archaeologist by way of a sand box dig, unearthing real objects!
The group then identifies their finds and graduates to handling real objects from our collection and debating methods of conservation.
At the end of the session children create their own ‘Cabinet of Curiosity’ filled with objects they choose themselves for a particular theme of cabinet.
We have been really impressed by the groups that have tasted this session so far, they have all passed their archaeological training and we can’t wait to see them in the future as experts of archaeology themselves!
If you are interested in booking a school group on to our new Archaeology session, ‘Dig Stories; Bringing the Past to Life’ please don’t hesitate to contact school.bookings@manchester.ac.uk
As Debbie mentioned in her last post excitment in the Education Department has been building up with the opening of our new Ancient World galleries. Well, they’re now open – and looking stunning too!
These three new galleries – Discovery Archaeology, Egyptian Worlds and Exploring Objects – will become the focus for some of our brand new workshops, in addition to being included into some of students’ favourite sessions from our usual offer. To give you a taster, here are how some of our Key Stage Three sessions will utilise the galleries…
In our ArteFACT session students will now be able to explore the Discovering Archaeology gallery to learn how objects can teach us about the past as well as investigating collections in Exploring Objects to write alternative labels for archological finds.
In Citizen of the City students will use the gallery to inform them on their roles in Ancient Athens and how we know about these people through archaeology.
Whereas, in Natural Reflections - where students answer ‘big’ questions, including one on human remains – they can view a variety of remains on display showing different types of display and information we can learn from these, sometimes contentious, objects.
For more information on any of the sessions, visit our website or see the pre-visits for each session by clicking on the workshop title. Alternatively, contact Cat Lumb, and look out for more posts on our new galleries and their accompanying learning programme!
On the eve of Wednesday 3rd October Manchester Museum opened it’s new temporary exhibition - Breed: The British and their Dogs.
Not only were there treats for humans on offer, along with canine-themed beverages but we had some very special guests too!
Ruby, jumping the ribbon, to open the Breed exhibition.
© Paul Cliff
To celebrate the exhibition’s exploration of six breeds linked with British History – the Borzoi, Bulldog, Bloodhound, Pekingese, Collie and Irish Wolfhound – the Kennel Club arranged for their members to bring one of each breed to attend the opening so visitors could see them in all their splendor and understand just what it is about dogs that make them our ‘best friends’.
In addition, the individual to officially open the exhibition for the public was special guest Ruby – a miniature Schnauzer owned by Museum Director, Nick Merriman.
It was a fantastic opening event with the very dintinguishing difference that humans weren’t the only species to attend! The exhibition has been developed with The University of Manchester’s Centre for the History of Science, Technology and Medicine and supported by the AHRC and will be at the Museum until 14th April 2013.
In the Learning Team we will be preparing some self-guided resources to accompany the exhibtion and we have a very special Secondary session called British: Born and Bred that investigates the concept of Britishness and how these dogs might represent particular periods of British History.
For more information on this Secondary workshop please contact Cat Lumb.
Ancient Worlds Teacher Preview
Posted on: October 3, 2012
- In: About the Learning Programme | Event | Exhibitions | Galleries | Post-16 | Primary | Resources | Secondary
- 1 Comment
With the opening of our new Ancient World Galleries the Museum’s Learning Team are pleased to announce that we will be hosting a Teacher Preview event to introduce teacher’s to our brand new galleries and associated learning programmes across the Key Stages.
This event will take place on Wednesday 14th November between 4.30 and 6.30pm. There will be a short introduction by our Learning Manager, followed by optional tours of the gallery spaces with our Curators. In addition our entire team will be present, allowing teachers to ask questions, learn about our new sessions and even register their interest in booking workshops on offer.
Our temporary exhibition, Breed:The British and their Dogs, will also be open and our Resources and Secondary workshop for this gallery will also be on show.
To book your space on the Preview Event email our bookings co-ordinator on school.bookings@manchester.ac.uk or call 0161 3052630.
Want to know how maths is applied to the real world? Bring your KS4 students to our Alan Turing: Maths, Modelling and Morphogenesis maths session that accompanys our Alan Turing and Life’s Enigma exhibition to find out. Led by University mathematicians, this workshop explores mathematical modelling, and enables students to find out more about the pioneer of biological mathematics who lived right here in Manchester: Alan Turing and how he used maths to investigate the secrets of life. The 2 hour session is available at selected times on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays until 15th November 2012.
For AS/A2 biology and Maths students, we are running A-level study days that would be perfect for them to understand the link between these two subjects. One of our Engage with the Experts A-Level study days Alan Turing: Maths and Morphogenesis works with University researchers to unlock the mathematical mystery behind patterns in the natural world and discovers how Alan Turing began to tackle this problem. It is a full day (10am-3pm) on Monday 15th October 2012, Monday 22nd October 2012 and Tuesday 13th November 2012
If you would like any more information or would like to make a booking, please contact Alexa on alexa.jeanes@manchester.ac.uk or 0161 3061764.
British: Born and Bred
Posted on: September 12, 2012
Dogs featured in Breed: The British & Their Dogs
British: Born and Bred is the title of a new session that we’re running for Key Stage 3 and 4 students to accompany our fantastic new temporary exhibition, Breed: The British and their Dogs.
The exhibition opens on Saturday 6th October and explores the links between historic concepts of Britishness and ‘man’s best friend’: the dog. It highlights six different pedigree breeds that all have unique connections to British culture. The exhibition has been developed with The University of Manchester’s Centre for the History of Science, Technology and Medicine.
British: Born and Bred is a 1.5hr session that will encourage students to engage with the exhibition and explore the concept of what it means to be ’British’ and how dogs have grown to be a symbol for this, and many other things. The six pedigree dogs included in the exhibition content range from the Bulldog (so often referred to as the ‘British bulldog’) to the Collie (a standard sterotype for the British Countryside) and even feature the Borzoi (a Russian breed that became a favourite of the Royal Family).
Students will be able to investigate the links each breed has with British history and culture using the various source material in the exhibition. By the end of the session they should have a better understanding of how the concept of Britishness developed throughout Victorian and Edwarding times and the effect this has on values and attitudes today.
It’s a brilliant opportunity to interest students in the subject of History through a unique topic area, demonstrating how historical research can cross over into multiple disciplines and inform us about a concept still relevant today.
For more information on this session, please contact Cat Lumb, Humanities Secondary and Post-16 Co-ordinator.
Learning Placement Experience
Posted on: August 17, 2012
This week we have been very fortunate to have the help of aspiring Religious Studies teacher, Sophie Hall, who has been working with me on the Secondary Humanities programme. Here’s what she had to say about her experience:
“So I have just spent 3 days at the Manchester Museum with the Learning Team and it was fabulous! I have just finished my degree at the University of Manchester and will be on my way to Liverpool in September to start my PGCE. I came to the Museum to experience education outside of a UK school setting and don’t think I could have gotten a better experience. The Learning Team are extremely organised and very lovely; my time with them has been really great.
While at the Museum I got the chance to wander round the galleries and made links between objects and Religion and there
were loads! I really wasn’t expecting to be able to compare and contrast as much as I could but found it extremely enriching. It was possible to make links in every gallery to religion, even in the Money Gallery. I had the chance to make up some possible session plans, connecting to the galleries. As a future teacher the only teaching experience I have had has been in a classroom so to imagine teaching on a gallery was completely alien but turned out to be a really good task for me.
Coming to the Museum I expected to leave with the necessary information to understand education outside a school setting but I’m leaving today with much more. The sessions plans I have seen give opportunities to every student and I’m sure would be incredibly popular with those pupils who struggle to learn in the classrooms. They have links to the curriculums, challenge students in ways that is often lacking in schools and allow students to explore the world they live in, both past and present. I have really enjoyed my time here and will definitely be bringing my future students for a visit!! Thank you Learning Team!!”
Sophie was great at highlighting links with objects on gallery that I would never have thought of, and her specialist knowledge on Religion has created some really exciting potential resources and session ideas for the programme. It’s been great to host Sophie’s placement and we wish her all the best in her PCGE at Liverpool.
Can you spot what’s on our Ancient Egyptian timeline?
I have been very lucky this week to have the creative input of some very talented staff here at the Manchester Museum who have painted ten key images from ancient Egyptian history onto our new canvas scroll. This visual timeline will be used with visiting school groups during the new Egyptian gallery primary school session, ‘The Egyptian World; museum secrets, mummies and pyramids!
A huge thank you to Karen, Sam and Cornelia for their wonderful creative work, it looks fantastic! We hope to see many schools enjoying and exploring this ancient Egyptian timeline very soon.
It’s always fantastic to hear that the Museum and its displays have provided inspiration for pupils in their classrooms – the range of things produced is always varied and creative and we really enjoy hearing about them. However, when Irlam Endowed Primary School contacted us, we couldn’t have imagined just how inspired they had been by their recent trip to the Museum!
On Friday 20th April, Debbie an
d David from the Museum Learning Team were delighted to join Year 4 pupils and class teacher Tracey Whittaker at the school, to open their very own museum in their classroom. They were enthralled by the accuracy and amount of effort that had gone into everything, from the design of displays to accurate labels and the pièce de résistance of a 5.5m long replica whale skeleton hanging from the ceiling – just like in our Living Worlds gallery!
It was a real honour for the Museum to be part of the school’s celebrations and to join them in their own museum. So thanks very much to Irlam Endowed Primary School and please do let us know if the Museum has inspired you.
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