Early Modern Dress in Your Hands

人们对服装和时尚有一种国际迷恋。这在一定程度上是因为服装将过去拉近了。这看起来既熟悉--我们可以想象自己穿着这些衣服--也有异国情调--一个人怎么可能穿这样奇怪和不舒服的衣服？但服装和纺织品是易碎物品，需要专门的展示设施；历史悠久的面料不能轻易展示和处理。留在玻璃后面，公众最想触摸、试穿和体验的物品，除了最专业的参观者外，似乎与所有人都不在一起。矛盾的是，为理解我们共同的过去提供了最容易获得的途径之一的材料，却是最难获取的。这个项目的目的是打破这些障碍，为一系列不同的受众创造一种刺激的早期现代服饰体验，这种体验牢牢植根于AHRC资助的研究。它将利用2007至2009年间通过AHRC早期现代服装和纺织品网络开发的新知识，并在V&A生动地理解早期现代时尚。在12个月的时间里，V&A的策展和学习人员及其合作者将通过两个深入的、以博物馆为基础的项目接触到广泛的受众：为中学教师创造新的资源，以及与社区团体设计和提供一个表演项目。此外，还将为普通观众提供额外的在线资源，包括一部专业制作的电影，该电影将从文学和历史的角度深入了解人们对服装的看法。整个项目将通过与主要合作伙伴的评估研讨会来结束，以确保更广泛的英国博物馆社区能够从我们的学习中受益。

There is an international fascination with clothing and fashion. This is, in part, because clothing brings the past closer. It seems both familiar - we can imagine ourselves wearing these garments - and exotic - how could someone have possibly managed to wear such odd and uncomfortable clothing? But dress and textiles are fragile objects that require specialist display facilities; historic fabrics cannot be shown and handled with ease. Remaining behind glass, items that the public most want to touch, try on and experience, can seem removed from all but the most expert of visitors. Paradoxically, the materials that offer one of the most accessible routes to an understanding of our shared past are amongst the most difficult to access. The aim of this project is to break down these barriers and create a stimulating experience of Early Modern dress for a range of different audiences, an experience that is firmly rooted in AHRC-funded research. It will take the new knowledge that was developed between 2007 and 2009 through the AHRC Early Modern Dress and Textiles network and animate the understanding of Early Modern Fashion at the V&A. Over a 12 month period, the V&A's curatorial and learning staff and their collaborators will reach a broad audience through two in-depth, museum-based targeted projects: creating new resources for secondary school teachers and designing and delivering a performance project with a community group. These will be supplemented by additional online resources for a general audience, including a professionally produced film that will provide insights into how clothing was perceived from a literary as well as historical point of view. The entire project will be book-ended by evaluation workshops with key partners to ensure that the broader UK museum community can benefit from our learning.