Canny Curation: The art of running a successful exhibition
with Chris Burgess, Head of Exhibitions and Public Programmes at Cambridge University Library
Join us as Chris Burgess, Head of Exhibitions and Public Programmes, is quizzed by Sue Keogh about Cambridge University Library’s rich mix of public exhibitions.
From Margaret Thatcher’s head to Darwin’s notebooks and Agatha Christie’s typewriter, just how do you showcase these most intriguing and precious items? How do you use storytelling and graphic design to engage audiences? And how do you get them through the doors?
Sue will ask these questions and more, and you’ll get the chance to ask your own!
About Chris
As Head of Exhibitions and Public Programmes at Cambridge University Library, Chris develops the programme of events and looks for ways to engage the public. Appointed in 2017, Chris has curated diverse exhibitions and managed the transfer of the “Darwin in Conversation” show to the New York Public Library. He previously served at the People’s History Museum in Manchester and holds a PhD on British Election Posters.
About Sue
Some of you may know Sue, who used to run CamCreatives along with Paul and Steve in the early years. She also hosted a podcast with the UL on the Mystery of the Missing Darwin Notebooks, and her agency, Sookio, is running the campaign for the Murder by the Book exhibition.
About Cambridge University Library (The UL)
It’s one of the world’s oldest university libraries, home to a physical collection of nearly ten million books, maps, manuscripts, photographs and priceless objects, spanning thousands of years of human thought and discovery – in more than 2,000 languages, across 17 floors and more than 130 miles of shelving.
What you may not realise is that the Library runs regular exhibitions – and you don’t have to be a member of the University to enjoy them!
Recent exhibitions have included:
- Raymond Briggs: A Retrospective
- Darwin in Conversation
- Samurai: History and Legend
- Spitting Image: A Controversial History
And currently running is Murder by the Book: A Celebration of 20th Century British Crime Fiction, featuring the very manuscript of the novel in which Agatha Christie kills off Poirot, among other gems.
