| A Moment Defined in a Museum Exhibit |
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| Inspiration
Our challenge to you is to create a museum exhibit, either physically or digitally, that defines a historical moment. Below are some resources that might fire up your imagination and enthusiasm.
- landmark events – and how they are represented in our collection
- Slideshows – image of people, things and events on a range of topics
- Irish events wall – a dynamic collage of events, news stories and objects relating to the Irish in Australia – scroll to the bottom and more entries will appear
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How-to
1. Choose an event in Australian history that interests you – either because it resonates with you personally or because you regard it as nationally significant.
2. Research the event. By all means use an encyclopedia, a history textbook or other secondary sources to begin. But also consult primary sources – newspaper articles, photographs, objects. It is very important to try to gain different perspectives on the event, and to understand it in more than one way.
3. Represent the event. Consider both the content and the form: |
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| Souvenir banner commemorating the visit of the Duke and Duchess of York to mark the Federation of Australia |
- What story will you tell?
- Will one point of view dominate or will you provide several narrative threads?
- How will your audience gain a sense of the event’s significance as a ‘defining moment’?
- What evidence can you provide to illustrate it?
Make sure you include a combination of media. Use visual material as well as text and – if your exhibit is digital – audio or video. Some elements you might use in your exhibit are:
- one or more significant objects related to the event
- labels that explain and/or comment on the object
- a map showing the location of the event
- a timeline showing what happened before, during and after – you might include other contemporary events, if they help to set the scene
- photographs, text, audio or video material that captures part of the story
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4. Write a curatorial statement. Once you have created your museum exhibit, the final step is to write a statement explaining your personal approach to the challenge, and how your exhibit relates to the theme of Defining Moments. For example, does the event reflect certain values or attitudes? Or did it help to change the way we think about an issue?
5. Submit your entry. Depending on whether you have created a physical or digital exhibit, you should submit your entry as either a ‘museum display’ or ‘multimedia’. For details of the submission process, see the National History Challenge website.
Checklist
Elements to consider as you undertake the challenge: |
- Give your exhibit a creative title that conveys the significance of your chosen event and the tone of your exhibit.
- Ensure your display is supported by historical research.
Use the voice of the person whose story you are telling or those of other people who knew the person – quote them.
- Use relevant and appropriate labels to support the evidence. Consider the length of your labels and how much text your audience will read.
- Consider how the design of your museum display might enhance the presentation of the story – for example, would audio or video bring it to life, or are they unnecessary?
- Make sure the language and style of your exhibit remains consistent.
- Check that all objects, images and video/audio have correct and appropriate references; for example: Joe Donovan – 1974 Commonwealth Games jacket, National Museum of Australia.
- Include a compelling curatorial statement that explains how you approached the challenge and any obstacles you overcame.
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