Shining a Light on Women and Children in Antiquity

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Professor Brian Shefton (1919-2012) was a leading Classical archaeologist who established an internationally significant collection of Greek artefacts now located in the Great North Museum (GNM). The GNM is the leading archaeological museum in the North East of England with over 450,000 visitors a year. The Shefton Collection is arguably the most important British collection of Greek and Etruscan archaeology outside London, Oxford and Cambridge yet there has been little research conducted on it and very few objects have been published.This project aims to bring to light a group of ten objects from the Collection which relate to the lives of women and children in antiquity. Some of the selected objects are not on public display while others are displayed with minimal interpretation. The project will meaningfully engage with the public to generate new knowledge and research about the objects and Collection. The CapCo-funded Newcastle Material Culture Analytical Suite (NeMCAS) will shine new light on the 'lives' of these objects and those who interacted with them by producing new learning about methods of manufacture, decorative techniques, iconography and conservation histories. Close investigation will facilitate a deeper understanding of the objects' materiality enhancing the interpretation of their meaning and cultural significance. NeMCAS will facilitate high-quality documentation and digital models of the objects which will be used for both physical and virtual exhibitions and for schools' education through the GNM and Great North Children's Hospital (GNCH).Through NeMCAS research the project aims to bring the Shefton Collection into dialogue with science and contemporary art for the first time. The research will inform a programme of nine workshops in the GNM; creative practice will be used for engaging identified audiences with scientific, archaeological and artistic research. Project participants, working with academics, museum professionals and creative practitioners, will generate artistic responses to the Collection to be included as part of the public exhibition, facilitating collaborative research and engagement methods.The partnership with the GNM will enable the project team to reach targeted audiences (women's groups and Key Stage 2 primary school pupils) and ensure the research outcomes are widely disseminated. The engagement strategy will be embedded in the research from the outset. Key stakeholders (the GNM and targeted audiences) will shape the direction of the research through focus groups and workshops. These will guide the development of the research to generate new knowledge and resources about the Shefton Collection.Outcomes of the research will include a hybrid exhibition: a gallery intervention in the GNM and digital exhibition alongside public events and the creation of educational resources. Audiences will be actively involved in the decision making to encourage a diverse range of voices on the content of the exhibitions and the public events through which the project findings will be further disseminated.Formative evaluation points at various stages of the project will ensure that the project is both consultative and collaborative. A dedicated specialist will oversee the evaluation process throughout the project and analyse the resulting data to measure the impact of the project.