Sampling the past:a tactile approach to interactive musical instrument exhibits in the heritage sector

In the last decade, the heritage sector has had to adapt to a shifting cultural landscape of public expectations and attitudes towards ownership and intellectual property. One way it has done this is to focus on each visitor’s encounter and provide them with a sense of experiential authenticity.There is a clear desire by the public to engage with music collections in this way, and a sound museological rationale for providing such access, but the approach raises particular curatorial problems, specifically how do we meaningfully balance access with the duty to preserve objects for future generations?This paper charts the development of one such project. Based at Fenton House in Hampstead, and running since 2008, the project seeks to model digitally the keyboard instruments in the Benton Fletcher Collection and provide a dedicated interactive exhibit, which allows visitors to view all of the instruments in situ, and then play them through a custom-built two-manual MIDI controller with touch-screen interface.We discuss the approach to modelling, which uses high-definition sampling, and highlight the strengths and weaknesses of the exhibit as it currently stands, with particular focus on its key shortcoming: at present, there is no way to effectively model the key feel of a historic keyboard instrument.This issue is of profound importance, since the feel of any instrument is fundamental to its character, and shapes the way performers relate to it. The issue is further compounded if we are to consider a single dedicated keyboard as being the primary mode of interface for several instrument models of different classes, each with its own characteristic feel.We conclude by proposing an outline solution to this problem, detailing early work on a real-time adaptive haptic keyboard interface that changes its action in response to sampled resistance curves, measured on a key-by-key basis from the original instruments

Representation of transport: A Rural Destination Analysis

Moscovici’s social representations perspective is applied to a study of transport in a rural destination. The principles are demonstrated using empirical data from a questionnaire survey, developed following in-depth qualitative research. The data analysis strategy was founded on inductive reasoning, by employing cluster analysis and correspondence analysis. A social representations analysis demonstrates how individuals draw on socially accepted explanations of transport where they have little or no direct knowledge or experience of the actual transport modes (notably the alternatives to the car). By so doing, ideas are further perpetuated. Importantly there is ambiguity surrounding responsibility to take positive action yet a key to addressing transport issues is acknowledgement of responsibility. Keywords: social representations, transport, rural destinations

The Role of Sculpture in Communicating Archaeology in Museums

In this article I discuss an innovative museum strategy that aims to create a more evocative and engaging visitor experience. I argue that the inclusion of contemporary art, and specifically sculpture in exhibition design, activates visitor agency, empowering the public to take part in interpreting the human past. I explore the unique sensory engagement sculpture provides and the important role this can play for the public presentation of archaeology. I also examine an existing project that has called upon sculpture as an interpretive resource at the National Museum of Scotland, discussing its impact on visitors and its contribution to the discipline. I conclude with a discussion of a selection of living sculptors including Rachel Whiteread and Antony Gormley whose work, I argue, signals exciting opportunities for future artist-curator collaboration. By considering both current examples and future possibilities, this article builds a case for sculpture as an important and dynamic tool for the public understanding of archaeology in museums

Kyrgyzstan's 'manas' epos millennium celebrations : post-colonial resurgence of Turkic culture and the strategic marketing of cultural tourism

The paper addresses the symbolic nature of the Manas epos and its influence on both the unification of Kyrgyzstan and the enhancement of the country's national and Turkic identity. The case of the Manas epos millennium celebrations event is then used to illustrate the relationship between the uses of the Manas 'legend' in the construction of a national identity and in the positioning of the cultural tourism product. The paper subsequently assess the potential usefulness of the Manas epos in the creation of a destination image for Kyrgyzstan and in the positioning of Kyrgyzstan in the global tourism marketplace

Approaches to Measuring Quality of the Wilderness Experience

Wilderness is a special place that provides opportunity for unique and profound experiences. An essential task for the maintenance of these recreational opportunities is the definition and monitoring of experience quality. Four approaches to the measurement of the wilderness experience have developed in over 30 years of research: satisfaction approaches (which focus on evaluation of onsite conditions), benefits-based approaches (focusing on psychological outcomes), experience-based approaches (describing cognitive states experienced in wilderness), and meanings-based approaches (documenting socially constructed meanings ascribed to the experience). Each approach has its strengths and weaknesses. Given that the wilderness experience is a multifaceted phenomenon, it is not surprising that no single method adequately serves the needs of managers trying to preserve the quality of the wilderness experience in the context of rising use density levels. However, a linear and direct relationship between use density conditions and experiential quality should not be assumed

A Type of Preservation: Modern Recreations of Typeface at Genesee Country Village & Museum and the Cary Graphics Art Collection

Historical objects that serve educational and interpretive purposes face frequent use and can easily be damaged, particularly when those objects are designed to be disposed of following high usage. Conserving these artifacts through both digital and physical reproductions enables museum staff, scholars, and the general public to tell a more complete history of the objects and of material culture. To demonstrate the necessity of preserving functional artifacts, this thesis examined historic wooden typefaces used for document printing to answer the following question: do digital and physical reproductions of wood type fonts allow for preservation of the original fonts while maintaining an authentic, participatory experience for visitors? By working with the collection of typefaces at Genesee Country Village & Museum in Mumford, New York and the Cary Graphic Art Collection at Rochester Institute of Technology, I recreated damaged types with methods tested by scholars of printing history to demonstrate the value of physical and digital reproductions. I also showed how such efforts enable museums and other collecting institutions to view type as both an art form and a means of production. This research contributes to the ongoing discussion on the use of facsimiles in the museum space for exhibition and educational purposes and the conversations surrounding authenticity in museums

Australia’s first university sporting museum

Expansion of sporting facilities provided an opportunity to develop a new museum, the Macquarie University Sporting Hall of Fame Museum. This came from a decision to build linkages with sporting alumni to develop a distinct sense of institutional identity and instil a sense of pride and endowment in the Macquarie University community. Museum studies student interns were responsible for reconnecting with alumni of various sporting clubs to seek out stories and objects. While sporting museums are known in the higher education sector in other parts of the world, most Australian university museums have grown from discipline-specific teaching collections

Aoraki/Mt Cook and the Mackenzie Basin’s transition from wilderness to tourist place

The natural landscapes of New Zealand are a key attraction for domestic and international visitors for a variety of recreation and leisure purposes. This paper explores the interactions between heritage and recreational values for a region in New Zealand known for its sublime landscape (Bell and Lyall 2002). The paper discusses the transient movements and activities of visitors encountering this sociocultural landscape, often seeking to view the iconic landmark - Aoraki/Mt Cook – part of the Te Wahipounamu South West New Zealand World Heritage area – which is accessed via the Mackenzie Basin. Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park is a wilderness region that has significance not only for local inhabitants but also for travellers sightseeing and recreating in the area. Early inhabitants of the region – Māori from the Kai Tahu iwi (tribe) - visited the Mackenzie Basin‟s numerous waterways and lakes to gather mahika kai (traditional foods) and continue to have strong associations with the area. Since European settlement in the mid 19th century the Mackenzie landscape has been shaped by human activities, particularly farming, tourism and recreation

Serving highly vulnerable families in home-visitation programs

Home-visitation programs for families with young children are growing in popularity in the US. These programs typically seek to prevent child abuse and neglect and/or promote optimal development for infants, toddlers, and/or preschool-age children. This paper focuses on improving the capacity of home-visitation programs to meet the complex needs of highly vulnerable families with young children. Poverty, maternal depression and substance abuse, and domestic violence are noted as factors that place young children at risk for poor outcomes. The challenges of providing home-visitation services to families in which these risk factors are present are discussed. Family engagement, matching services to families’ needs, and staff capabilities are highlighted as areas in which improvements can be made to enhance home-visitation programs’ capacity to serve highly vulnerable families. Recommendations are given for improving the effectiveness of home-visitation programs in serving these families, as well for addressing policy and research issues related to the further development and evaluation of these programs.First author draf

Visitor Characteristics, Attitudes, and Management Preferences of the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex

The Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex (BMWC) encompasses 3 federal wilderness areas and spans over 1.5 million acres of iconic mountains and valleys in northwestern Montana. Here visitors can find a plethora of recreation opportunity that give access to some of the most rugged country that can be found in the lower 48 states. However, managing wilderness areas comes with the challenge of both preserving the natural resources found within their borders and enabling opportunities for recreational experiences. Wilderness social scientists always have striven to determine the type of visitors coming to wilderness, and see what sorts of experiences they pursue. Many attempts have been made to use the pristine conditions in the BMWC to collect data on visitor use. Using two previous studies as a foundation, this research focused on developing an updated survey with the goal of discerning visitor use within the complex, experiences sought after, management conditions tolerated, and noteworthy management actions that potentially need to be undertaken going forward. These goals were addressed with the development of an onsite survey that was administered during the summer of 2018 at eight selected high use trailheads found throughout the complex. Of those responding to the onsite questionnaire (n=209), a majority of (81.1%) of visitors have had previous experience in the Bob Marshall and indicated that they were most influenced by the prospect of immersing themselves in the various dimensions of wilderness character such as solitude, remoteness, and natural settings. The type of recreation use was primarily hikers (64.6%) that traveled in small groups of two to three individuals. A second follow up survey was solicited to visitors via email to collect more in depth data about perception toward management and conditions within the backcountry. Of those respondents (n=58), visitor attitude toward management conditions was overall reported to be positive with a vast majority (93.1%) of respondents claiming high satisfaction for their trip. Using these results, anecdotal experiences, and reviewed literature, additional commentary was generated addressing possible future pitfalls that could be experienced based upon various types of feedback provided by visitors. This study will be one of many that will continue to observe the ever changing dimensions of outdoor recreation visitor use and behavior