Changing Places: Evaluating the socio-cultural impact and experiential change of the new Museum of London in Smithfield
Lead Research Organisation:
Brunel University London
Department Name: Arts and Humanities
Abstract
The relocation of the Museum of London (MoL) to Smithfield in 2024 provides an opportunity for an empirical case study on the interplay between city museums and their urban contexts.
The move will transform the MoL's approach to the city: not just to its mission to connect people to the lived experience of London, but across its collections, programmes, public engagement activities, and to the unique morphology of its new site. The museum has the potential to become a more permeable institution, both philosophically and spatially. To do so, it must understand the nature and communities of its subject - London - and its immediate urban context - Smithfield - well before it opens its doors. It must also understand the impact of its presence on that same context before, during and after its move.
This PhD will develop a theoretical and methodological framework to map and evaluate the extant social, symbolic and experiential meanings embedded in Smithfield, the narratives that underpin its identity, how these are authored and 'read'. Further, it will analyse how the existing socio-cultural landscape can inform the MoL's institutional practices and connections to the neighbourhood, and the development of its surroundings. It will result in a practical toolkit to be used by the MoL beyond the period of the research to apply to the ongoing changing circumstances of Smithfield.
The PhD will be action research-based and apply a mixed methods approach. It will engage with the current academic discourse around museums as agents of social change, as well as a theoretical framework combining aspects of phenomenology and narrative theory.
The research will contribute to an understanding of how museum spaces physically interact with their surroundings; how new or relocated institutions can 'land softly'; and to better understand place-based narratives and their impact on urban atmospheres and everyday practices.
The move will transform the MoL's approach to the city: not just to its mission to connect people to the lived experience of London, but across its collections, programmes, public engagement activities, and to the unique morphology of its new site. The museum has the potential to become a more permeable institution, both philosophically and spatially. To do so, it must understand the nature and communities of its subject - London - and its immediate urban context - Smithfield - well before it opens its doors. It must also understand the impact of its presence on that same context before, during and after its move.
This PhD will develop a theoretical and methodological framework to map and evaluate the extant social, symbolic and experiential meanings embedded in Smithfield, the narratives that underpin its identity, how these are authored and 'read'. Further, it will analyse how the existing socio-cultural landscape can inform the MoL's institutional practices and connections to the neighbourhood, and the development of its surroundings. It will result in a practical toolkit to be used by the MoL beyond the period of the research to apply to the ongoing changing circumstances of Smithfield.
The PhD will be action research-based and apply a mixed methods approach. It will engage with the current academic discourse around museums as agents of social change, as well as a theoretical framework combining aspects of phenomenology and narrative theory.
The research will contribute to an understanding of how museum spaces physically interact with their surroundings; how new or relocated institutions can 'land softly'; and to better understand place-based narratives and their impact on urban atmospheres and everyday practices.
People |
ORCID iD |
| Monica Degen (Primary Supervisor) | |
| THOMAS BUTLER (Student) |
| Description | Article in 'Phoenix Column', internal Museum of London newsletter |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Article describing my research for the Museum of London's internal newsletter, the 'Phoenix Column'. Written towards the beginning of my fieldwork, this article raised awareness of the context and content of my research among Museum of London staff, helping pave the way for later interviews and research. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | CSM MA Narrative Environments presentation |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | A presentation of my research aims, context, and findings to 20-30 multi-disciplinary MA Narrative Environments students at UAL Central Saint Martins from the UK and overseas. This was followed by a brief Q&A about my research and other areas of my practice. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | City of London Access Group (CoLAG) presentation |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | A presentation of my research context and findings to the City of London Access group (about 15 attendees) at the request of the group secretary. I also included a call for research participants, and those wishing to know more. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | EC1 Echo - article |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | An article written for free local newspaper 'The EC1 Echo', distributed in and around Clerkenwell, Farringdon, and Islington. This article discussed the aims and context of my research, and included a call out for potential participants as well as those looking to find out more. It also included several photos. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Museum of London Engagement team presentation |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | A presentation of my research context, methods, and findings to the Museum of London Engagement team (5 people). This presentation elicited a strong positive reaction from the team, with one member commenting that it was reassuring this work was being done, and that they hadn't known/considered some of the aspects of Smithfield's sense of place that I presented. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Presentation - Sotheby's Institute of Art |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Undergraduate students |
| Results and Impact | A talk to 15-20 international students engaged on Sotheby's Institute of Art summer school. This was followed by questions and a discussion about my research and the Museum of London's relocation. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Smithfield Gazette - article |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | A short article describing my research context and aims in the Smithfield Gazette newsletter, produced by the Smithfield Market Traders Association. This contained my email address and a request for potential participants, and/or those interested in hearing more about my research. I subsequently received several emails from those wishing to take part or who had relevant information for me. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |