kate chatfield comminity gallery exhib

The Community Gallery at the People‟s History Museum

28 March 2012

Kate Chatfield, Exhibitions Manager

kate.chatfield@phm.org.uk

A bit of background

‘there have always

been ideas worth

fighting for’

PHM tells the story of

how ordinary working

people have organised

to improve their lives.

Community Origins

Trade Union, Labour and Co-operative

History Society.

The evolution of the PHM

• Late 1980s move to Manchester

• In 1994 expanded

• Oct 2007 closed for major redevelopment

project.

• Re-opened in Feb 2010

Shop, cafe and reception

Conservation studio

Archive reading

room

Changing exhibition gallery

Community Gallery

We exhibit exhibitions by community groups

or artists working with community groups

that;

• Link to our story

• Allow working people & disenfranchised groups to examine & tell their history

• Encourage wide access, increase visitor numbers and raise the museum profile, creating new audiences

• Are mainly from Greater Manchester

• Are good quality

• Where – engine hall

How we program the spaceApplication process

– Guidelines and simple form

– Member of the exhibitions team will meet and discuss

ideas before submission

• Selection process– Yearly programming meeting

– Assess every application received

– Representative from

SMT, Exhibitions, Marketing, Front of House &

Learning

– Balanced programme is selected

– Around 20% successful

– Some unsuccessful applicants invited to

resubmit

Duration

– Can vary but initially exhibitions changed

every 6 weeks

– Recently extended to run for aprox 10-12

weeks

Support for exhibitors• 2 days curatorial time

• 2 days technicians time

• Display materials

• Production of small

graphics panels

• Flyer/postcard

Templates

• Marketing support

via PHM website,

facebook, enewsletter

& twitter

• 20 different groups in last 2 years;

Mostly Greater Manchester – eg

Manchester, Bolton, Salford,

– important to our funders

– important in attracting new & local audiences

Some from further afield in the north west

and occasionally nationally if they link very

strongly to our story

Variety of groups Open Book by Venture Arts

Mapping Memories by artist

Elizabeth Keeley-Morris

Antifascistas by International Brigades Memorial Trust

Kings by photographer Sabrina Fuller

International Women’s Day exhibition

Voices by MA Documentary

Photography Students

Hands On by Sense Wakefield

Positives– Relationships with community groups

– New & diverse audiences

– Boosts visitor figures

– PHM is „your museum‟

– Positive responses from visitors

– Positive response from exhibitors

– Enriches programme

– Passion of exhibitors

– Events

– Mark anniversaries /link to national initiatives

– Encourage new talent

– Confidence boosting for those involved

“I am writing to thank you for the amazing

experience the students at Sense had coming

to see their work up in a national museum ...

The chance to see their work displayed in a

professional gallery setting was

one they haven't experienced ... and the joy

was evident as they recognised their own work

and kept pulling the staff over to see it....”

Challenges

– Managing exhibitors expectations

– Conflict with trading

– Lack of financial support

– Pressures on staff time

– Limited equipment

– Lack of control over progress & content

– Generating & maintaining PHM staff support

– Difficulty in turning proposals down

– Visitor perception

– Link between exhibitions and PHM collections

– Not climate controlled space

Case Study - Retracing Salford

“ Excellent, very moving, poignant and utterly unforgettable. Thanks for preserving some of the community” Kath Tarbett, Terry Powell (Glossop)

“ A wonderful exhibition showing real people and lives of a COMMUNITY.” Pauline

“ Vey important work being carried out here. Only work that I can think of in last few years that involves positive engagement with Salfordian identities. Needs a permanent home in the city” Stephen Leech

Future plans /development

– Improvements to environment, equipment & branding

– Community representatives

– Programming

– Evaluation process

– Community exhibition funder

– Volunteer programme

– Smaller display as support towards a community

– Web resources

– Strategy meeting

Contact details

Kate Chatfield

Exhibitions Manager

People‟s History Museum

Left Bank

Spinningfields

Manchester

M3 3ER

kate.chatfield@phm.org.uk

0044 161 838 9190