Couple of days ago I returned from (un)conference MuseumNext in Newcastle. While I usually leave conferences and talks feeling energised and inspired, this unconference left me exhausted and confused. It was a very fast-paced 24 hours tightly packed with frantic participatory activities. Much of these were in a done as group discussions around a table – a familiar form, well-practiced in the office meetings, that may seem participatory and inclusive but on closer inspection this can easily be challenged. The only talk – keynote by Nina Simons on design frameworks for participatory museum design was enlightening with many interesting examples and it was fascinating to see how many of the discussions that followed drew on its points.
The main programme revolved around six ‘wild ideas’ pitched by the delegates with a specific problem or a series of questions they wanted to pose to the other delegates and get their input. Each delegate then choose one of the ideas to work on as a part of a group. The ideas proved to be a lot less wild than I expected. Most of them were pitched by institutions in a very specific situation who often had a concept already well thought-through. This put me off a bit so I went for a pitch where no particular idea was on the table. The following discussion turned out to be very politically-charged, perhaps also due to the particular focus of its participant and I didn’t find much to contribute with.
The focus of the event was very much of solving real problems and coming up with plans of action. While those might not been immediately relevant to me, it was probably truly beneficial for those whose ideas got worked on. It will be interesting to follow how these projects turn out and I would be curious to hear whether and how were these results shaped by the work done during MuseumNext. I suspect that legacy of this event will unfold in what comes next.
The even kicked off with series of creative mini workshops run by [Re]Design. In a fast pace we moved around tables and activities and at each stop we created something small, played with waste materials or got to try one of the wacky machines [Re]Design developed.
It wasn’t all just hard work. I welcomed the opportunity to take a break from the discussion and play a game outside. A blind-folded ‘runner’ was finding his way through a maze navigated only by humming of other players forming the ‘walls’. Being the runner and orientating myself according to noises was such an uncommon sensation for me. Something like this should be a part of any conference.
The delegate packs came with a textile markers so each delegate could customise their bag. Nice touch.
