Projects landing page

Hall Place is a 16th century house standing on the banks of the River Cray. Since the gardens at Hall Place were first created the landscape has continued to change dramatically with the loss of a number of buildings including a boathouse, pigeon house, dairy and mill.Over 250,000 people visit the site of the Bexley Heritage Trust each year and 90% of visitors to Hall Place come for the gardens. However, visitor surveys have shown that information about the gardens and their history was lacking. This project responded to visitor demand, revealing the story of the changing landscape through an interactive exhibition co-curated by MA Narrative Environments students from Central Saint Martins.Project LeadsShibboleth Shechter, Lecturer, MA Narrative Environnements, Central Saint MartinsCaroline Worthington, Chief Executive Bexley Heritage Trust

This innovative three-year project took museum objects to the bedsides of hospital patients and older people in residential care homes to understand the impact of handling and discussing museum objects on patient wellbeing and happiness.Over 250 participants read the Patient Information Leaflet and signed the Consent Form agreeing to take part in the research and for digital audio recording (Medical Research Ethics Committee Approval MREC 06/Q050/78).MeasuresMeasures of wellbeing and happiness consisting of PANAS (Positive Affect Negative Affect Schedule), Wellness VAS and Happiness VAS (Visual Analogue Scale) were compared before and after the handling sessions.Artist ResidencyDuring the Heritage in Hospitals project, an Artist in Residence was employed to produce two exhibitions at University College Hospital and the Touch and Wellbeing interactive website to reflect the patients' experiences of object handing.The 'Touch and Wellbeing' is an online interactive exhibition of work by artist Mary Hooper shadowing this research project Heritage in Hospitals, a partnership between University College London and UCLH Arts, the arts project for University College Hospitals.Mary worked with researchers from UCL over a period of 18 months investigating the benefits to wellbeing of using museum handling collections with hospital patients at their bedside. This website is her response to the research.  Click here to open up a pop-up window - we recommend that you have a screen resolution of 1024 x 768 and are up to date with the latest Flash Plugin.Touch and Wellbeing website design: Elise LiversedgeTouch and Wellbeing website construction: Nick and Jon Weekes

This project teamed MA Textile students from Chelsea College of Arts with the Museum of Domestic Design and Architecture, enabling students to be actively involved in research exploring how ‘inspiration’ gained through engagement with museum collections is translated within the creative process.Video interviews captured the students’ narratives, providing a potential model for wider engagement with design collections.Project findings have been disseminated to encourage further engagement with museum collections.For further information on visit: soundcloud.com/paperweight-newspaperV&A Research Institute ForumProject Leads Linda Sandino, CCW/ V&A Senior Research Fellow, CCW Graduate School, Chelsea College of ArtZoe Hendon , Head of Museum Collections, Museum of Domestic Design and Architecture

Applications will open in January for the UCL Museum Summer School 2019 - It's All in the Mind - which will run from Sunday 21 July to Friday 26th July.Open to students who are currently in Year 12 or equivalent, the programme will:Provide valuable experience in creative and critical thinkingHelp you discover more about potential degree subjectsDevelop skills useful for studying at university levelWhat are the UCL Museums?UCL looks after thousands of objects, specimens and archives in our four museums, with many more kept in store. These collections are used in teaching and research throughout the university. From prints and drawings, to animal skeletons, to Egyptian sandals, we have something to inspire everyone, creating debate and discussion both within and outside the university.[[{"fid":"10043","view_mode":"small","fields":{"format":"small","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"Curious student examining an animal skeleton","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"Student in the Grant Museum","field_caption_heading[und][0][title]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][url]":"","field_caption[und][0][value]":"","field_float_left_right[und]":"none","field_file_image_decorative[und]":"0"},"link_text":null,"type":"media","field_deltas":{"1":{"format":"small","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"Curious student examining an animal skeleton","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"Student in the Grant Museum","field_caption_heading[und][0][title]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][url]":"","field_caption[und][0][value]":"","field_float_left_right[und]":"none","field_file_image_decorative[und]":"0"}},"attributes":{"height":"853","width":"1280","class":"media-element file-small"}}]]What will the programme cover?The theme of this year's Museum Summer School - It's All in the Mind - will encourage you to consider how throughout history, humanity has explored its place in the world. By studying objects and collections, both in our own museums and around London, you will investigate the many unique ways in which people have perceived the world around them and created their own realities.This innovative, interdisciplinary programme has been designed for students considering such subjects as English, History, Philosophy, Archaeology, Social Science, Anthropology and History of Art.How will I be spending my time?Throughout the week, you will take an active part in a series of lectures, workshops and tours, working alone and in groups. In addition, you will work on a creative team project which will be showcased at the end of the summer school. You will be staying in a university hall of residence in central London. The evening will be packed with social activities with the group and working together on your team project. This will give you a real taste of what life is like studying and living in one of the most exciting and dynamic cities in the world.How can I apply?Please fill out the online application here.Please note that the deadline for applications is Monday 29th April 2019.For more information, please contact:Sarah Hutton (Schools Engagement Manager) -  s.r.hutton@ucl.ac.uk   

“Keats in London: Using the Past to Inspire the Present” is a partnership between UCL English and Keats House. Just as Keats was inspired by London, whether it was out on Hampstead Heath or falling in love with his next-door neighbour, our programme of events provides opportunities for everyone to be inspired by Keats and the city he loved. Published authors and poets, after leading small groups of secondary school students – from London and as far afield as Bradford – around Keats’ old haunts and rifling through his belongings, will hold creative-writing workshops.UCL undergraduates, postgraduates and staff will exchange their knowledge and skills with the expertise of museum staff by helping to facilitate talks, guided walks, and undertaking archival research. And, on 13 June 2014, something Keatsian will travel across London to Bloomsbury in order to attend UCL’s celebration of London and literature: “One Day in the City”. All facets of this bi-annual day of events are free to the public and anyone is welcome to attend. There will be talks, walks, theatrical experiences, readings, conversations and bite-size introductions from real-life experts and celebrities on all things London and literary.Project LeadsNick Shepley, Teaching Fellow, Department of EnglishVicky Carroll, Principal Curator, Keats House

Hackney Museum and Archives have a track record of engaging local communities to explore their heritage in creative and dynamic ways. Local Roots / Global Routes explored Hackney’s local histories in conjunction with UCL’s History Department and the Legacies of British Slave-ownership project.The partners worked with two local secondary schools to create a performance-based session and interactive educational resource for Key Stages 3 and 4 based on Legacies of British Slave-ownership material. Teacher training sessions were hosted and a filmed version of the resource produced. UCL staff also delivered workshops, a walking tour and a showcase event for Black History Month in Hackney during October 2014.Related Events & ResourcesLegacies of African Enslavement in Hackney: Full FilmPutting the Black in the Union Jack? Black British History in Education - Bloomsbury Theatre, UCLSaturday 8 November 2014, 10 am – 7 pmProject LeadsKatie Donington & Kristy Warren, Research Associates, Department of History, UCLCheryl Bowen, Community Education Manager, Hackney Museum & Archives