Collecting Change/Changing Collections

UCL Institute of Archaeology PhD researcher Kyle Lee-Crossett will lead a one-day workshop hosted by the Institute of Advanced Studies on 27 July.

'Collecting Change/Changing Collections' will bring together archive and museum professionals from a wide range of disciplines to reflect on and discuss the goals and challenges of contemporary collecting, particularly in regards to representing diverse communities and environments in London and beyond.

Kyle Lee-Crossett's research has explored how public museums and archives' aspirations to represent London today are carried out in practice through the lens of contemporary collecting activities. Over the course of his research he has talked to practitioners working with everything from overlooked insects, feminist art, global migration, transgender identities, and people's relationship to nature. How do people manage the process of bringing in new and potentially quite unfamiliar materials into their collection? Does it change how people interact with existing collections, or not? How do archives and museums shape their collections for the future?

The event, and Kyle's research, is funded by Heritage Futures, an international, collaborative AHRC funded research programme that explores how the practice of conservation in different fields not only preserves our natural and cultural heritage, but also shapes future legacies. The project is carrying our ambitious interdisciplinary research to explore the potential for innovation and creative exchange across a broad range of heritage and related fields.

The event is by invitation, but postgraduate students or UCL staff interested in attending are welcome to contact kyle.lee-crossett.14@ucl.ac.uk with a short statement of interest.