Exhibition Makers’ Toolkit

A social inclusion policy within a gallery or museum is primarily about reconnecting marginalised people with local services and opportunities, and ensuring that the multiple issues associated with personal problems and circumstances continue to be addressed.

Sustainability plays a key part in many museums’ organisation-wide strategies.

Transportation is a key element of any touring exhibition budget and organisational schedule, and can be the hardest to quantify/pin-down at the planning stage, because an exhibition originator may not have secured all of its venues.

Producing touring exhibitions can be time consuming and expensive but can also have the following advantages: [...]

Exhibits in touring exhibitions must be transported and kept in conditions that are at least as secure as those they normally enjoy.

Touring exhibitions carry many risks with them: financial, damage to objects, reputation, health and safety etc. Most of us manage these risks without knowing we are doing it. However, many institutions nowadays require evidence that risks have been identified and are being managed.

This section looks at the key areas to consider when developing or purchasing retail products for a touring exhibition. Some factors need only be considered by the exhibition organiser, but some will be relevant for both organiser and venue(s).

The traditional purpose of the catalogue is to list and describe all works included in an exhibition. The extent to which this basic function is extended and elaborated will depend on the overall aims of the exhibition and the expected size and commitment of the exhibition's visitors.

The progress from initial concept to realisation is a process of constant questioning, where answers will help to identify an exhibition's intention and scope.

Determining the suitability of an object to go on tour is an exercise in risk management.

There are lots of different ways that video, audio and other electronic media can be used within exhibitions. This chapter is a brief introduction to some of the technical considerations that you will need to make when including these types of works and displays in an exhibition.

The marketing of an exhibition may be sophisticated or simple, but the main objective remains the same - to generate publicity in order to attract visitors.

Many exhibitions include loans from external sources to augment the organising venue's collection and to explore the narrative or subject in full. Touring exhibitions are no exception to this rule.

This chapter provides guidance to tour originators and receiving venues in developing bespoke learning and education programmes, in conjunction with exhibition and tour planning.

Interpretation is not just a presentation of the facts. It is a means of delivering stories and messages in an interesting, meaningful and relevant way to your audience; layering information to take account of differing learning styles, access requirements and audience types; this takes practice, planning and time.

Taking part in an international tour, whether you are an organiser or a receiving venue, can be exciting and rewarding. Apart from extending the life of an exhibition and giving it an international audience, an overseas tour may increase the profile and reputation of an organisation and its collection, and the extra income generated may allow a larger project to be realised.

Insurance is something that anyone organising or receiving a touring exhibition needs to understand and be aware of, most particularly establishing who is responsible for insurance at each stage in the exhibition?s life.

It is vital that the installation and deinstallation of a touring exhibition are well managed, and carefully scheduled.