How will its priorities and policies change? Who will be its audiences and how will they engage with the museum? How might cultural institutions respond to global political developments – from Brexit to the refugee crisis?
Towards Tomorrow’s Museum examines current questions and new models for the art museum. Over ten sessions, the course considers the major issues involved in rethinking the role of the museum, its programme and collection, and how its activities sit within a broader social and cultural landscape.
Organised around a series of unique presentations by Tate staff on developing programmes and practices, the course introduces and analyses key themes concerning the future of the museum. Topics of discussion include new curatorial methods, the impact of digital technology, experiments in learning and programming, and how institutions might engage with a diverse range of publics. Balancing critical reflection on existing institutional models with practical steps towards creating new approaches, the course pays particular attention to the tensions and contradictions involved in institutional change, with the transformation of Tate Modern offering a particular context for discussions.
The course emphasises an international perspective, assessing Tate and other case study institutions within the global social and cultural dynamics of the twenty-first century. It also considers other issues of location and geography, such as the relationship between museums and their local communities and how cultural institutions might contribute to urban development.
About the course
Led by Dr. Richard Martin the course consists of ten three-hour sessions plus a reading week. Sessions will involve short lectures, group discussions, participant presentations, and talks by Tate staff members and special guests, including the artist Marysia Lewandowski.
Visits to the galleries including the Wolfgang Tillmans exhibition, as well as the collection displays and other facilities at Tate Modern and Tate Britain, will be arranged.
No prior knowledge of art history or museum studies is necessary. Participants will be encouraged to engage with a variety of texts and visual material, to discuss their own interpretations in a warm, dynamic and supportive setting, and to collaborate on activities in small groups.
About Richard Martin
Richard Martin is a Public Programmer at Tate, a Visiting Lecturer at King’s College London, and a writer on contemporary art, film and architecture for a range of publications. He is the author of The Architecture of David Lynch (Bloomsbury, 2014).
Organised in collaboration with the Department of Culture, Media and Creative Industries, King’s College London.
This event has been provided by Tate Gallery on behalf of Tate Enterprises LTD.