Title: Enactive Engagement: Visitor Learning in an Industrial Heritage Museum [A Case Study of Derby ‘Museum of Making’]
Short description of the talk:
This study explores the evolution of industrial museums in Great Britain, positioning the Museum of Making (MoM) in Derby as a significant milestone in contemporary museum design. Focusing on visitor learning, the research investigates how architecture and interpretation contribute to knowledge transmission within industrial heritage settings.
The MoM is examined as the central case study through a combination of documentary research, spatial analysis, phenomenological observation, and visitor opinion collection. This multi-method approach provides an in-depth understanding of the museum’s design and educational strategies. The study also seeks to identify and apply relevant theoretical frameworks from architecture, museology, and pedagogy, contributing to academic scholarship in the field of industrial heritage.
Key areas of focus include the architectural adaptive reuse, interpretation of industrial history, and its role in facilitating enactive visitor engagement. This research argues that the Museum of Making presents a transformative model for reactivating industrial heritage, making it meaningful for contemporary society through the perspective of situated learning.
Bio:
Xijing Chen is a PhD candidate in the Architecture, Culture, and Tectonics research group at the University of Nottingham, supervised by Professor Jonathan Hale and Dr. Laura Hanks. Her research interest focuses on cultural architecture, industrial heritage activation, and museum experience design. Recent publications include Situated Theory in Architectural Heritage: Heineken Experience Amsterdam and The Prince Philip Maritime Collections Centre (London Heritage, 2025), and “Ongoing Cultural Narratives in Two Industrial Museums” (Cambridge Scholars Publishing, In press).