Establishing some foundations for THE WASTELAND project

Participants: Representatives from a range of local organisations and cultural providers

Purpose: To give a more practical introduction to some of the key issues to consider in developing an exhibition. Also as an important research exercise in itself, generating ideas to inform future thinking.

In 2015 a gallery call-out was made for members of the public to collaboratively curate an exhibition on TS Eliot’s The Wasteland. The call brought together a group of historians, artists, authors and local residents - The Research Group - who began with a group conversation on the ideas they had in mind for the exhibition

Questions addressed on the day were;

Q1: What’s the difference between an exhibition about the poem and an exhibition about visual responses to the poem?

Q2: How will we know what material/content will be right for the exhibition?

Q3: Does this text go with this image? (An example was provided)

Q4: Does this text go with this image? (An example was provided)

Q5: Who are we as participants?

Q6: What conditions will help enable collective decision making?

The final exhibition Journeys with the Wasteland contained more than 80 works filling all 4 galleries. The interpretation materials included recordings of some of the group conversations; looking through each other’s eyes, sharing & changing perspectives on the artworks.