Category: Old Heritage Archive

Archive of Tehmina Goskar’s Heritage posts, including on history, historical reviews and research and the public facing side of museums and culture (2004-19).

Becoming a city of culture

I’ve been working in recent months on the value and role of museums and similar organisations in place making–the new way of describing what has developed from early millennium debates on creating a sense of place. What makes places unique isn’t cutting it anymore. Like our museum visitors and users, people’s expectations from a city… Continue reading Becoming a city of culture

#100museumhours

2 years 100 chats on 100 subjects Two Hosts: @tehm and @sospot 46 Guest Hosts 22.1K Tweets (all time) 130-140K Impressions per month 4-5K Impressions per day ~25-100 Engagements per Tweet It’s a very simple enterprise, light weight but high energy and without any constrictions of institutionalism or stakeholder expectation. It’s free and for all-comers.… Continue reading #100museumhours

What Cornish National Minority Status means for Museums (and Arts and Culture organisations)

The decision to recognise the unique identity of the Cornish, now affords them the same status under the European Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities as the UK’s other Celtic people, the Scots, the Welsh and the Irish. Barely a ripple ran through the cultural sector nationally or here in Cornwall when, on 24… Continue reading What Cornish National Minority Status means for Museums (and Arts and Culture organisations)

What are rural museums anyway?

On 13 June #museumhour debated rural museums, or museums in rural regions. It didn’t take long for the farm jokes to start. The debate was guest-hosted by Cornwall Museums Partnership and Highland Museums Partnership and mainly involved questions about the challenges of working in museums in rural places and the benefits they provide to their communities.… Continue reading What are rural museums anyway?

Authority, authenticity and interpretation at Tintagel

Part of curtain walls of Richard, Earl of Cornwall's castle at Tintagel.

Summary This week my opinion article “Cornwall, Authenticity and the Dark Ages: Controversy at Tintagel Castle” was published by History & Policy. Following my visit to Tintagel on 30 April, it is an attempt to bring perspective to the key issues that have caused considerable upset and concern amongst Cornish communities, medieval historians and English Heritage. The… Continue reading Authority, authenticity and interpretation at Tintagel

Museums Association visits Cornwall

On 12 May the Museums Association visited Cornwall for the annual Members Meeting in the South West. I’d like to extend my appreciation to MA colleagues for making the long journey from London but also emphasise the importance of such visits to show it is a fully inclusive and diverse-led organisation that is interested in views from… Continue reading Museums Association visits Cornwall

English Heritage are in the Dark Ages at Tintagel

Tintogel, more famous for his antiquity than rewardable for his present estate, abutteth likewise on the sea; yet the ruins argue it to have been once no unworthy dwelling for the Cornish princes. Richard Carew’s Survey of Cornwall, 1602 Not long before Shakespeare released Hamlet, Richard Carew had already published his Survey of Cornwall–a masterpiece of Elizabethan-era… Continue reading English Heritage are in the Dark Ages at Tintagel

Diversity in the Nation

The phrase “increasing diversity” occurs regularly in discussions about culture but what do we mean? What does diversity look like?  Is diversity in the context of equality the same as diversity in the context of inclusion? Diversity is on every major cultural agenda. I have been taking a keen interest in how diversity is represented and expressed by museums and other heritage… Continue reading Diversity in the Nation

New Code of Ethics and what is a museum?

Museums enable people to explore collections for inspiration, learning and enjoyment. They are institutions that collect, safeguard and make accessible artefacts and specimens, which they hold in trust for society. Museums Association definition of a museum. Update: The Museums Association has just issued Additional Guidance for the new Code of Ethics. At the last AGM of… Continue reading New Code of Ethics and what is a museum?