The Department of History has secured more than £55k to support four feasibility studies. These are funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council's (AHRC) Creative Economy Knowledge Exchange (CEKE) fund, through the project ‘Assets, Archives and Audiences’, headed by Professor Steve Benford (Computer Science).
The following projects will be involved:
‘Turning archives into assets: developing new interpretations at the Workhouse at Southwell’
This project, receiving £19k is headed by Dr Sarah Badcock. It draws colleagues from archaeology (Dr Chris King) and Horizon (Dr James Goulding) into a collaboration with the National Trust. The project will develop the material and documentary archives surrounding the Workhouse at Southwell, in order to deliver these materials as assets for the National Trust’s educational programme, and to populate digital presentation of the site.
The project will draw together researchers, the National Trust and digital technology specialists to develop a meaningful resource for the National Trust.
‘Enhancing visitor experience at the Galleries of Justice Museum: A pilot project focusing on young people at work and play in penal institutions at the turn of the century’
Dr Sarah Badcock leads this project in collaboration with Victoria Shipp (Research fellow, Horizon) and Bev Baker (Senior Curator, Galleries of Justice). It will receive £10k and is looking to pilot the use of digital technologies to enhance visitor experience and engagement at the Galleries of Justice Museum.
The material will be drawn from the museum’s unique and under-utilised archive materials, and will focus on work and play for young people in penal institutions at the turn of the century. The outcomes will include a survey of current visitor use of the museum, a technological pilot and analysis of its impact, and a research report based on archive materials.
‘Historical Understandings in Museum Settings: The Nottingham Reform Bill Riots of 1831’
Dr Richard Gaunt is the lead on this project, which is a collaboration with the School of Geography and colleagues in Horizon and Nottingham Castle Museum and Art Gallery. Receiving £14k of funding, it will assess the feasibility of integrating novel forms of display into cultural contexts. It will examine how to deliver complex historical, educational and geographic information in a way that is engaging to audiences as well as responsive existing environments.
The project will comprise three aspects:
- A novel form and arrangement of displays developed at The University of Nottingham (the Projection Augmented Relief Models (PARM) display system)
- Historical and geographical archive research into the circumstances of the 1831 Reform Bill Nottingham Riots, a visceral event in Nottingham’s Industrial history
- Collaboration with museum professionals and audiences at the Nottingham Castle Museum and Art Gallery.
‘A History of mining in ten objects’
Dr Sarah Badcock leads this project in collaboration with Dr David Amos (Heritage Officer, Bestwood Winding Engine-House Museum), Paul Fillingham (Digital Producer, thinkamigo Cultural and Digital Business) and Bilsthorpe Heritage Society (Community Group, Mining Archive and Heritage Centre). With £12k of funding, this project is looking to pilot the use of digital technologies to engage with former mineworkers, their families and the public.
Material will be drawn from Bilsthorpe Heritage Society, Bestwood Winding Engine-House Museum, the National Coal Board Film Archive at the BFI, the Media Archive for Central England and some local collections. Stories will be captured in local workshops to enhance video and interactive content to illustrate how objects were worn and used in their working environment.
Project success will be quantified by web analytics related to visits, sharing and user-generated content. The pilot will help shape future funding applications for this important area of research.
Posted on Wednesday 12th June 2013