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QRator and the Grant Museum of Zoology. Jack Ashby Museum Manager Grant Museum of Zoology University College London @JackDAshby. The “old” Grant Museum. The Grant Museum today. Delivering public engagement and impact. Acting as a broker between external communities and the university.
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QRator and the Grant Museum of Zoology Jack Ashby Museum ManagerGrant Museum of ZoologyUniversity College London @JackDAshby
Delivering public engagement and impact • Acting as a broker between external communities and the university. • Providing established audiences for events • Co-curation – swapping skills and knowledge • Research venue
The challenge: • Bring the Museum into 21st century in museology and technology • Add the visitor voice to the Museum • Collaborate with CASA and DH • Create something visitors want • Innovate and experiment The Solution: QRator
Qrator is • Questions on iPads • For us – public engagement • For partners – research, including a PhD • For visitors – fun and thought-provoking
QRator does Asks questions linked to object-based displays on: • How museums operate • Science in society In order to • Gather opinion • Raise new ideas • Invite thought
Potential pitfalls of community engagement • Takes place behind closed doors • Short-term • Peripheral to key strategy • Are exclusive • Don’t necessarily represent “the community”
QRator: Social interpretation • Meaningful for three groups • Active contributors • Passive readers • The Museum • 100% of visitors are invited • Entirely visible
Big challenge: Risks of partnership • We do have different agendas • We, the Museum, aren’t in control of it • We all have something different to say about it • The visitor doesn’t know it’s an experiment.
Major successes • Visitors like it • 4-5 years ahead of “adoption horizon” • Social interpretation at IWM • Museums and Heritage Award • Museum of Brands
Jack Ashbyj.ashby@ucl.ac.ukwww.ucl.ac.uk/museums/zoology@JackDAshby Acknowledgements • Claire Ross • UCL Digital Humanities • UCL CASA • UCL Public Engagement Unit