Chapter 21 ‘It’s Our Museum Too!’
Enacting Change through Rebellious Research in the University Art Museum
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Abstract
In this chapter I invite you to enter into the world of images, objects and materials which are at the heart of my practice and my thinking as an art and museum educator. Travel with me to the marbled hallways of the Fitzwilliam Museum where I work through a selection of images taken across time and place. Start with a wordless exploration of the colour, texture, shapes, materials and viewpoints within the main entrance hall of the museum. I urge you to stop and spend time imagining placing your hands on the chill of the smooth stone handrails, listening to the sounds of voices echoing through the towering marble pillars. Picture yourself climbing the staircase and standing on the mezzanine, gazing upwards at the spectacular gilded ceiling and glazed domed cupola. When you can feel and sense yourself inside this museum space, we can explore together how shared, embodied and creative experiences with young children might disrupt, subvert and challenge traditionally dominant narratives within the marbled halls of the university museum. Join me as I consider the changing role and focus of museum-based research and discover the opportunities and challenges afforded by rebellious research within the art museum.