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Co-Curation and Public Engagement in UK Science History

Explore co-curation efforts with UK African-Caribbean communities at the Science Museum, focusing on history, process, outcomes, and recommendations. Discover examples of past events and strategies to overcome institutional, content, and process barriers.

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Co-Curation and Public Engagement in UK Science History

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  1. PIC Co-Curation and the Public History of Science & Technology: Sunday 24/10/2010 UK Co-Curation: working with African-Caribbean communities Elizabeth Anionwu, Trustee: Dana Centre @ the Science Museum With particular acknowledgement to Michelle Foggett, former New Audience Advocate at the Science Museum

  2. Overview • History of the project • The Process • Outcomes • Recommendations • Conclusion Focus group member selecting objects for the event

  3. History of the Project • Why the African-Caribbean community? • What did the Science Museum & Dana Centre want to achieve? Focus group meeting

  4. Process Recruitment of participants • Influential movers and shakers generally chosen from a non-science background Regular meetings to: • Partner with Dana Centre staff to develop and shape events • Included visits to Blythe House to select and make meaning from objects • Evaluate events A couple of meetings with: • Science Museum senior management staff , one including Chair of Science Museum Trustees Throughout: Online discussion forum

  5. Examples of events • Science and politics of skin colour – 3 events [2007] • Scientific racism – 3 events [2007] • Intelligence [2008] • Imhotep and the roots of medicine [2008] • Moving Genes [2009] • The Colour of Health [2009] • Black Men Can’t Swim? [2010] • Living Black Scientists [2010]

  6. The Barriers • Institutional barriers • Content barriers • Process barriers Source: Foggett M [April 2008] Community consultation at the Dana Centre. An audience-led project between London’s African-Caribbean community and the Science Museum.

  7. Overcoming Barriers • Institutional: Getting our diversity message out there • Content: Embedding Black history and issues • Process: Using Audience consultation to explore sensitive issues in contemporary science

  8. What would motivate members of the community to use the Museum regularly? • Learning • Role models and representation • Partnership • Integration Focus group member Kevin Farmer examines Science Museum collections

  9. Recommendations • Promote our work in making the Museum more accessible • Embed Black history and representation • Explore partnership opportunities • Engage diverse leadership • Continue to use audience-led processes Foggett M [April 2008] Community consultation at the Dana Centre. An audience-led project between London’s African-Caribbean community & the Science Museum.

  10. Conclusion • My dreams? • Existence of a database of black scientists working in the UK so that museums can access them easily and thus promote their work to a wider audience • A long-term programme established to increase numbers of black curators working throughout UK museums • That one day the African-Caribbean focus group will be abolished as their ideas will already be embedded in the ideas, plans and delivery of museum offers. • Many thanks for your attention and look forward to the discussion.

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