on 29 September 2014 we hosted an afternoon of lightning talks from colleagues across the museums in order to help share information about what we do with the wider univeristy. The talks were attended by 150 colleagues from across the university, and feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with many already talking about next year's event.
The afternoon was broken into four session around four different themes: Collections Interpretation; Education & Learning; Connecting Collections; Behind the Scenes. We had four (or five) talks in each session with a lively Q&A at the end with museums colleagues sharing best practice and colleagues from the rest of the university finding our how they can work with the museums.
Catch up on what you missed!!
Session One: Collections Interpretation
This strand explores how we develop special exhibitions and permanent gallery displays, curate collections online and engage the public with our collections using digital.
Dr Stephen Johnston, Assistant Keeper, Musuem of the History of Science: Geek is Good: planning an exhibition programme
Dr Susan Walker, Keeper of Antiquities, Ashmolean Museum: Redeveloping the Ashmolean Greece Galleries
Dr Alison Roberts, Curator, European and Early Prehistoric Collections, Ashmolean Museum: Crowdsourcing and community groups
Bethany Palumbo, Conservator, Museum of Natural History: Once in a Whale
Session Two: Education & Learning
These talks examine how our museums support STEM knowledge transfer and engagement with school groups and the general public, use innovative technology to enhance the learning process, devlop partnerships that facilitate engagement, and communicate academic researcg by turning it into educational activities for the public and schools.
Sarah Lloyd, Education Officer (Secondary), Museum of Natural History: Museums: a showcase for science
Chris Parkin, Lead Education Officer, Museum of the History of Science: Museums and STEM Engagement: Objects of Invention
Adrian Brooks, Art Education, Oxford University Museums; Helen Ward, Deputy Head of Education, Ashmolean Museum: Digital Sketchbooks: using tablets to support a museum art trip
Helen Fountain, Reminiscence Officer; Antonia Harland-Lang, Community Engagement Partnership Officer, Museum of Oxford: Working in partnership, community engagement at the Museum of Oxford
Andrew McLellan, Head of Education, Pitt Rivers Museum: Converting academic research into education activities
Session Three: Connecting Collections
This session looked at how we use collections to engage with source communities, manage a 'living collection', and how our collections can support commercial enterprise.
Dr Dan Hicks, Associate Professor and Curator, Pitt Rivers Museum: Principles for Museum Research
Dr Chris Morton, Curator of Photography and Manuscript Collections, Pitt Rivers Museum: Working with source communities
Andrew Lamb, Museum Manager, Bate Collection (Music Faculty): Managing a playing collection
Dec McCarthy, Commercial Manager, Ashmolean Museum: Collections and commercial enterprise
Session Four: Behind the Scenes
This strand went behind the scenes to look at museum funding, the role of IT and digital, and the role of volunteers in a university museums.
Heidi Kurtz, Senior Campaign Executive; Harriet Warburton, Research Facilitator, Oxford University Museums: Funding Museums
Anjanesh Babu, ICT Assistant (Networks), Ashmolean Museum: Invisible Digital
Joy Todd, Volunteers and Outreach manager, Oxford University Museums: Count Me In, volunteers in museums
Lucy Shaw, Programme Director, Oxford Cultural Leader: Oxford Cultural Leaders