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Helen Graham

@helengraham.bsky.social

Politics, heritage, participation in one potentially beautiful collision. My Future York and YoCo: York Central Co-Owned. Teaches museum and heritage studies, University of Leeds.

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Helen Graham @helengraham.bsky.social · 11mo ago

I'd had quite a bit of trouble working out why facilitating participation in museums was tricky so I wrote a book about it. @uclpress.bsky.social @fahacs.bsky.social

The front cover of a book. The title reads Deconstituting Museums: Participation's Affective Work. The image is of old rope, enwtined for strength but now fraying.

The image is primarily text. The text reads:

Over the past 30 years, museums have turned to participation in the hope that direct involvement of non-museum staff would serve their claims to be accessible, inclusive, representative and diverse. And yet, adding participation to museums has often generated conflict, disappointment and anger.

Deconstituting Museums argues that the difficulties produced by adding participatory practice arise from political incompatibility. In the representational liberal logics that underpin museum decision-making, trustees and professionals make decisions ‘on behalf of’ future generations and the public. This is a political infrastructure the book names ‘museum constitution’. Conversely, participation arises from ideas and practices from direct and horizontal political traditions, drawing those who act as facilitators into new relationships and expanding political imaginations.

Through sustained engagement with theories of affect, materialism, and feminist and decolonial praxis, Helen Graham identifies techniques for deconstituting museums. She uses experimental writing as a method to turn away from the desire to right institutional wrongs and towards relational and directly negotiated ways of organising. In doing so she locates participation not as engagement but as a mode of governance that is enabled by, and enables, variant political ontologies. This is an alternative named ‘participatory worlding’. The affective work of facilitating participation has long tugged at and frayed museums’ constitutional liberal logics. Deconstituting Museums envisages how participation and its affects might be activated in reworking the politics of heritage.

philbixby.bsky.social @philbixby.bsky.social · 11mo ago

As part of York Environment Festival - yorkenvironmentfestival.org.uk - YoCo is hosting an online Screening & Discussion featuring the Life-Sized City film on Barcelona. Watch the film & discuss what we can learn about making our own city fit our lives. Booking:- www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-life-s...

The Life-Sized City - Barcelona - screening and discussion

Join us for a screening of The Life Size City documentary on Barcelona, and discuss what we can learn about making big places fit our lives.

eventbrite.co.uk

Jennie Morgan @drmorgan.bsky.social · 11mo ago

Live! Pilot study on emotions in the museum & heritage workforce. Curious to reflect on emotions in your role & work? To help test methods for a future project? See survey link below with additional info & invitation to participate @annawoodham.bsky.social qualtrics.kcl.ac.uk/jfe/form/SV_...

Qualtrics Survey | Qualtrics Experience Management

The most powerful, simple and trusted way to gather experience data. Start your journey to experience management and try a free account today.

qualtrics.kcl.ac.uk

School of Fine Art, History of Art and Cultural Studies @fahacs.bsky.social · last yr.

Join us this evening for a private view of this year’s #MA #FineArt Interim Show I Never Agreed to Lend My Voice showcases work by 11 emerging artists, challenging notions of voice, identity, environment & politics 5-8pm in our Project Space Book your place: ahc.leeds.ac.uk/fine-art/eve...