Many of you may have been following the heritage performance research project at the University of Manchester. (Their Center for Applied Theatre Research was awarded a major grant by the UK Arts & Humanities Research Council to study theatre and drama as interpretive tools with visitors to historic sites and museums.)
The three and a half year project officially ended on November 30. A Full Report, Executive Summary and detailed "data trawls" from each of the four case studies are now available on the PLH website, and also as part of a combined CD-Rom and DVD set.
The pack includes the full Research Report – the project rationale, narrative, methodology and detailed findings together with detailed 'data trawls' from each of the 4 main case studies – and edited highlights from the four main case study performances and also from keynote speeches (by Catherine Hughes, Baz Kershaw, Laurajane Smith and Tony Jackson and Jenny Kidd) given at the international conference held at the University of Manchester in April 2008: "Performing Heritage – research and practice". The performance extracts illustrate vividly and uniquely the diversity of museum performance and costumed interpretation practice, and the diversity of sites and audiences that the practice serves. Included are extracts from:
- The Gunner's Tale and The Chelsea Pensioner's Tale at the National Maritime Museum (London) – for the general public
- 'First person interpretation' and 'the great debates' at Llancaiach Fawr Manor (a 17th century manor in South Wales) – for organised school groups
- Triangle Theatre’s The Pollard Trail, in collaboration with The Herbert Art Gallery & Museum (Coventry) – a 'heritage trail' for the general public
- This Accursed Thing at The Manchester Museum – for general public and organised school groups
Together with the report they provide an important and timely means of accessing the research findings, and a unique research, study, teaching and training resource, for use by researchers and students in theatre/performance studies and museum/heritage studies, by practitioners, and by museum learning and public programme managers.
The Report CD-ROM + DVD pack is now available. The price is £10 incl. P&P in the UK and £15 worldwide. For more information or to place an order, please see the PLH website: http://www.plh.manchester.ac.uk/
