Have a story to tell but don’t have the time?
Have a story to tell but not sure how to tell it?
As a freelance curator, I partner with you to tell that story with clarity and meaning.
What I do:
- I work out what the story is.
- I do the research.
- I consult with the community.
- I create the story framework.
- I write the words.
- I source the images, objects and film.
- I also design the concept for digital immersions and film, working with software developers and film makers, to create the vision.
What’s in it for you?
- Professional, reliable delivery.
- Strategic thinking and analysis.
- Audience focused content.
Who do I work with?
- Museums
- Not-for-profit organisations
- Government
- Exhibition designers
- Graphic designers
- Festivals and events
- Wildlife organisations
- Historic houses.
What do you need?
As a freelance interpretative curator, I deliver:
- Interpretative writing
- Illustrated thematic histories
- Exhibitions
- Visitor analysis
- Collection management systems
- Public programs.
PROJECT EXAMPLES
Illustrated thematic history
For Orange Regional Museum, I conducted a literature review, object audit of local museum collections, environmental analysis and community consultation in the region. Using local and national collections, I also identified a range of film, images and objects that may be used in the exhibition. I developed the thematic framework and wrote the report to inform the future development of the exhibition Paddock to Plate.
Download Paddock to Plate Illustrated History of Food and Wine Aug 2017.compressed
Exhibition Development
The proposed Sisters of Charity Heritage Centre will tell the story of the Sisters' 175 years of service in Australia. They are known for their establishment of many schools in Eastern Australia and the St Vincent’s Hospitals, as well as their strong commitment to service of the poor. As the freelance curator on this project, I have developed the exhibition narrative, researched and written the interpretative panels, sourced objects, images and film, and designed the concept for a digital immersion which will form a major part of the exhibition. I am working closely with the Sisters community and project development team to ensure their story is told with authenticity and accessible to visitors.
Senior Curator
I was consultant curator at the Museum of Australian Democracy at Eureka during the Museum’s start-up phase. I introduced structure and forward planning to the temporary exhibition calendar and permanent gallery management.
I managed the permanent gallery including exhibition changeover, an upgrade to the story framework on the touchtables to address story gaps, acted as story consultant on a suite of short films, managed the collection including loan agreements and ensured ongoing exhibition maintenance.
I also managed the temporary exhibition calendar, including sourcing potential travelling exhibitions, liaising with communities to exhibit their stories and developing in-house temporary exhibitions. For in-house exhibition development, I initiated the concept, researched, wrote and developed the content, and set the design direction for each exhibition. I also initiated the online exhibitions to compliment the gallery based experience. For example, to support the Campaign for Disability Rights exhibition, I used the Google Cultural Institute platform to build an online snapshot exhibition.
Interpretative Writing
I’ve written a number of interpretative pieces for museums, councils and sites. Recently I wrote a suite of interpretative materials for Australian Parliament House. This included different products for internal stakeholders to engage them with the story and a guide book for visitors. Each product was developed after I analysed and established the specific communication objectives, taking into consideration the differing needs and motivations of each audience.
Creative Direction
As consultant curator for Heritage Weekend, a major heritage festival in Ballarat, I developed the suite of curatorial offerings and sourced musicians, artisans, community groups and performers for the stage and various sites. In 2015, I created a large photographic exhibition mapping Ballarat’s involvement in war. I also developed a large two-screen projection using moving images and a soundscape, which was very well received. In 2014, my major exhibition profiled individuals who had built the city through panels, objects, activities and audio-visuals. Each year, I also developed smaller interpretative displays, hands-on activities for children and families, and worked with artists for site specific workshops.
Community Consultation
Community consultation and engagement underpins all my work. As an example, I ran a large community consultation process as part of my assessment of the community’s cultural heritage needs for Regional Development Victoria and City of Ballarat. I interviewed individual representatives from each of the identified and agreed stakeholders and ran a community workshop. I also provided a detailed summary to the community stakeholders on the findings of the project so that they knew what would happen next. Feedback from the project steering committee was highly positive on the clarity of analysis I brought to the process and the way a large cross-section of the community were consulted.
Interpretative Displays
I assessed and catalogued historic items held in the City of Ballarat historic collections. I then selected objects and archival material for exhibition in the main Town Hall building. I developed exhibitions based on seasonal themes, prepared objects for display providing appropriate care and mounts, researched the context and wrote interpretative panels. The exhibitions were well received by both staff and visitors, bringing to life the stories of the Town Hall and the deep history of the city.
Collection Management Systems
I designed a collection management system for the City of Ballarat Historic Collections. Across multiple sites and dating back to the mid-19th century, the collections contain furniture, outdoor sculptures, textiles, ceramics, paintings, artworks, civic and archival material. The collection management system I developed was designed to work with existing council processes and systems, staff availability and collection management standards. The system was implemented and continues to inform collection management today.
Conservation Management Plans
Development of the Conservation Management Plan for the collections of Mugga-Mugga and Calthorpes' House. Each plan included a statement of significance grounded in evidence based analysis of the significance of the collection and house, an agreed inventory of items and conservation policies and strategies for the future management and conservation of furniture, textiles, papers and other collection items. Following on from this work I also assessed for Mugga-Mugga individual items with recommendations for storage and care based on significance.
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