Presented at the Museums Australia 2012 National Conference in Adelaide. This presentation cites some international examples of when 'showing rather than telling' gets a message across effectively, and how museums might apply these principles in line with the National Standards for Australian Museums and Galleries. The Standards is the definitive best-practice guidance for museums.

1. When to show, when to tell:
New ways to apply the National
Standards
Wednesday 26 September 2012
Laura Miles, Museums Australia (Victoria)

5. National Standards for Australian Museums & Galleries:
http://www.collectionsaustralia.net/sector_info_item/107

6. National Standards for Australian Museums & Galleries:
http://www.collectionsaustralia.net/sector_info_item/107
Principle B2 & B3
presents significant
collection…to current and
potential audiences
Principle C1 & C2:
significant stories,
preserved for the future

11. http://sussexpast.co.uk/properties-to-discover/fishbourne-roman-palace

12. http://sussexpast.co.uk/properties-to-discover/fishbourne-roman-palace

13. Significance 2.0, Collections Council of Australia, archived at:
http://www.environment.gov.au/heritage/publications/significance2-0/
• Historic
• Artistic / aesthetic
• Scientific / research
• Social / spiritual
• Provenance
• Rarity / representativeness
• Condition / completeness
• Interpretive capacity
Or…

14. Significance 2.0, Collections Council of Australia, archived at:
http://www.environment.gov.au/heritage/publications/significance2-0/
…group your selected objects:
• Thematically
• Geographically
• Chronologically

15. Courtesy of the Brighton & Hove Museum, UK

16. Courtesy of the Brighton & Hove Museum, UK

17. www.victoriancollections.net

18. http://victoriancollections.net.au/organisations/bright-and-district-historical-society

19. http://victoriancollections.net.au/regions

20. https://twitter.com/VicCollections

21. Courtesy of Google Earth

24. Roadsigns in Wales and Romania

25. www.mavic.asn.au/museums

26. Text based resources on MA (Vic) website
www.mavic.asn.au/resources

27. Adding videos to our online resources
http://youtu.be/oUgG7HEpvyo & http://youtu.be/GGeYd1ivRSg

28. Visiting museums on-site to photograph examples of best practice

29. Purchased a microphone online for less than $50

30. Editing voice over using Audacity

31. Combining still photos and audio recording to create a video

32. Sharing our videos on YouTube
www.youtube.com/museumsaustraliavic

33. Open invitation at the Royal Armouries, Leeds, UK

34. Display at the Royal Armouries, Leeds, UK
Henry VIII’s fort at
Deal, Kent, built in
1540, has low walls to
present less of a target to
cannon.

35. Sharing collection photographs using HistoryPin
www.historypin.com

36. Contributing photos and stories via ABC Open
www.abc.net.au/open

37. Carroll/Fletcher Gallery, London
www.carrollfletcher.com

38. Carroll/Fletcher Gallery, London
www.carrollfletcher.com

39. http://pinterest.com/spacebeagle/

40. www.janbanning.com/books/bureaucratics/

41. www.janbanning.com/books/bureaucratics/
What’s on your desk?

42. From little things…

43. …big ideas grow

45. Australia: the first country to fully convert to polymer banknotes

46. The Bedlington Terrier

47. Conventions: spot the heritage attractions

48. Conventions: spot the heritage attractions
Centre for natural
knowledge
Julio Beobide (local
painter’s) museum
Local (things)
Thalassotherapy (seaweed
therapy) centre
San Telmo church
Flysch = geologically
significant cliffs
Beach

51. “Art lives in the small town of Arratia with this small workshop…”

52. Alboka, from the Arabic ‘al-bûq’ meaning ‘the trumpet’ or ‘the horn’

55. Juan Mari Beltran playing the alboka, courtesy of adancingfool:
http://youtu.be/Hbq3lsDTd_g

56. National Standards for Australian Museums & Galleries:
http://www.collectionsaustralia.net/sector_info_item/107
Principle B2 & B3
presents significant
collection…to current and
potential audiences
Principle C1 & C2:
significant stories,
preserved for the future

57. What is best shown? How?
What is best told? How?
Why are these objects
significant?
Can they be grouped by
theme, origin, time?
What annoys you?
What inspires you?
Can you borrow ideas from
museums and other places?

58. Takeaways:
Factsheets & videos: www.mavic.asn.au
Slides and images on Pinterest and Slideshare
Follow on Twitter: @laura_miles and @_mavic
Conference hashtag: #masa2012