Greetings from Hong Kong

I'm just leaving Hong Kong, having spent an incredible day racing around the city trying to cram in as much as possible. We went up to the Peak on a tram and I was really impressed by the exhibition provided at the entrance to the tramstop. As visitors queue to wait for the tram they walk passed a really indepth history of the tram and its relationship with Hong Kong. included is the story of how the tramline was built, the strategic role it played during WWII and the interplay of tourists with Hong Kong.

Google map of journey to Scotland

To help you get an idea of where I'm travelling, I've created a google map that I'll update during the journey to give you a sense of where I've been.

You can see it on the right of this page.

MA Conference 2010 wrap up

We're now from the conference. As usual was a jam packed affair combining stimulating sessions with numerous opportunities to catch up with old friends and colleagues and meet new people. With such a range of great sessions running simultaneously, it was difficult to decide which to attend. Some of the highlights for me were:

• Professor Richard Sandell, Leicester University, who showed us some examples of galleries getting involved in human rights issues and using visual arts to engage communities in controversial discussions
• Professor Stephen Heppell who discussed the way children interact with both technology and museums. Stephen challenged us to invite children to be part of the evaluation of our exhibitions and services and brought to our attention that the way children use technology can be different to our own approach
• Kylie Winkworth who reminded us of the resource divide between the large federal and state funded institutions and the plethora of small mostly regionally based organisations. She suggested that the way forward may be to reduce the size and number of collections to ensure their sustainability into the future
• Professor Morris Vogel, East Side Tenement Museum gave a lively presentation on this wonderful museum that uses the building as a backdrop for visitors to enter the lives of six different families who lived in the building over 100 years. The flexibility of the museum’s approach and its willingness to shift focus as the country’s perception of itself changes provides a dynamic approach to museum interpretation
• Vicki Warden, a Museum Development Officer from Queensland presented on behalf of the MDOs outlining a wonderful project that has been undertaken across Queensland documenting the recent history of a series of festivals. The project has resulted in local exhibitions and a website documenting the very lively history of a range of local festivals as well as increased skills and knowledge about contemporary collecting, digitisation and web management
• Lynda Kelly, Australian Museum, gave a fascinating talk that drew on a range of historic perspectives about how museums engage with visitors, as well as drawing on her current experience at the Australian Museum
• Joanne Orr, Museums Galleries Scotland, highlighted ways that museums engage in broader community issues that are often the focus of government (such as social inclusion and developing social capital).
• Jason Eades, Koorie Heritage Trust, gave a lively presentation on their projects that are focused on engaging with young Aboriginal people through contemporary culture (including a project designing hoodies that ended in a fashion parade)

Suzanne Bravery (General Manager Programs and Services) nominated the two sessions below as highlights for her:

• Workshop: A unique collaboration: The Canning Stock Route project as an unusual and successful partnership case study for how a museum, an arts organisation and Aboriginal communities can work together.
• Lyn Hicks’ presentation on ‘New ways of contextualising volunteerism in the museums sector’.

Several people have commented during and after the conference about the way that technology has permeated the event both in terms of content and a means of communication. An iphone application Layar was provided that allowed delegates to locate each session in real time either on a map or through a list of session times and content with images of the buildings. A twitter account was created for the conference and many delegates happily twittered their way from one session to the next. At least one session I attended opened out into a discussion about the value of tweeting during sessions, was this building interactivity or exclusivity? Perhaps a Q&A style Twitter stream (as I saw at a National Library event earlier this year) would resolve this issue?

Meeting with colleagues from MGSQ

Phoebe Arthur met up with Aimee Board and Debra Beattie of Museum and Gallery Services Queensland at the Standards seminar during the Museums Australia conference

MA conference- walking the earth lightly

This was a session I attended on Wednesday focussing on a range of sustainability issues that impact museums and galleries, speakers included:

Carole Hammond, Museum Victoria

Looking at the sustainable development of exhibitions, Carole suggested using a 4 step process to move to more sustainable exhibition practices including:

1. Recognise your design sustainability weaknesses

2. Design a strategy of change

3. Locate the tools that can be used to guide sustainability (such as Cost of Life Indicators)

4. Create and activate green, grey and black lists (for materials and techniques)

Carole mentioned a great website Green Exhibitions http://www.gex.org.au

Paul Broadhurst & Laila Christies

Cunningham Martyn Design

Paul discussed the reality of sustainability where plans to recyle showcases don't always come to fruition and a wonderfully pragmatic approach to developing environmental control in a dedicated pod within a large industrial heritage space. He also highlighted the use of simple procedures and practices such as the total power down of energy hungry AV extravaganzas and the replacement of PVC display panels with designs printed on wallpaper pasted on walls

Julian Bickersteth, International Conservation Services and AICCM Environmental Guidelines Taskforce discussed measures being taken to develop new environmental guidelines for collecting institutions in line with international moves. Julian informed us that the European National Museum Directors Conference (NMDC) are looking to address the following:

1. Intelligent Standards

2. Air conditioning- not assumed

3. Natural/sustainable environmental controls

4. Primary objective- reduce carbon footprint

Barbara Reeve, Australian War Memorial

Barbara spoke of her 5 month sabbatical at Wolfson College Cambridge looking at European cultural heritage initiatives for sustainability. Barbara highlighted the need to address cradle to cradle design (take, make, regenerate, make more) and the triple top line of economy, equity and ecology.

NSW Galleries winners at MAPDA ceremony

Congratulations to the following NSW regional galleries who all won awards at the Museums Australia Multimedia and Publication Design Awards (MAPDA)

Lake Macquarie City Art Gallery
Hazelhurst Regional Gallery and Arts Centre
Lismore Regional Art Gallery
Maitland Regional Art Gallery
Campbelltown Regional Arts Centre

Lismore museum recognised at Museums Australia conference

I'm currently at the Museums Australia 2010. The meeting opened with the presentation of ABC Radio National's Regional Museum Awards. Congratulations to the Richmond River Historical Society and Lismore Museum who won the 2010 Regional Museum award. Phoebe Arthur and I caught up with Geoff Foley from the museum this morning, it was fantastic to see Geoff so warmly applauded by colleagues from across the nation. Radio national's Bush Telegraph program will be broadcasting from the museum in Lismore this October, stay tuned for details.