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Urban Social History Contemporary Collecting
Aims/purpose:
- To reflect on and disseminate best practice in contemporary collecting
- To stimulate critical debate
- To encourage a more co-ordinated approach to collecting
- To raise the profile of contemporary collecting as a distinct discipline
- To increase awareness of the benefits of contemporary collecting for audience development
Working structure and steering group members:
The SSN was established in 2005 and is run by a steering group which meets once a year. The current members of the group, all with extensive experience of contemporary collecting, are:
- Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery
- Bristol Museums
- Cardiff Museum Project
- Clifton Park Museum
- Croydon Museum
- Museum of Liverpool Life
- Museum of London
- Reading Museum
- Tyne and Wear Museums
- The Women's Library
Activities:
To date, the SSN has organised three one-day open seminars. The first two seminars took place in October and November 2006 in Newcastle and Cardiff, with an emphasis on practical workshops focusing on contemporary collecting. Evaluation of these seminars highlighted the value participants found in case study presentations. Therefore a third, case study based, seminar was held in London in January 2008. Notes from this seminar are available here:
Support and advice can be provided by steering group members and also through the Social History Curators Group, particularly its email discussion list (see www.shcg.org.uk)
The steering group is considering new ideas for furthering the aims of the SSN and encouraging wide participation in sharing best practice and taking forward critical debates about contemporary collecting. All suggestions are welcome.
Contact: Sarah Cotton
Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums
Discovery Museum
Blandford Square
Newcastle NE1 4JA
Tel: 0191 2772261
