Meaningmaking

1
Meaning-making identity How museums
galleries combat social exclusion

• Andrew Newman
• Newcastle University

2
Contents

• Social Exclusion
• Nature of identity
• Research projects
• Understanding responses
• Identity construction
• Conclusion

3
Social exclusion

• A shorthand term for what can happen when people
  or areas suffer from a series of linked problems
  such as unemployment, poor skills, low incomes,
  poor housing, high crime environments, bad
  health, poverty and family breakdown DCMS
• Citizenship deficiency
• The inability to be a citizen to play a role in
  the, Social, Political, Economic and Cultural
  life of society

4
Research projects

• Number of projects over the last 6/7 years
• Original project on museums and social
  exclusion funded by ESRC
• Series of projects funded by engage part of the
  en-quire programme
• National project funded by the Arts Council
  England
• Work on older persons response to the British Art
  Show 6, Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art,
  Gateshead
• Trying to understand how cultural property was
  being used by respondents in various ways for
  different purposes

5
Understanding responses

• Many ways to do this Circuit of Culture
• Five cultural processes regulation,
  representation, production, consumption and
  identity
• All linked together for our purposes focus upon
  identity appears to be the key
• Focus often upon production consumption often
  ignored

6
Nature of identity

• Identity complex/fluid responds to the needs of
  the present individually or collectively
• Loss of identity can be seen as exclusion

7
Identity construction

• Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art
• Apart from teaching it which I enjoyed I couldnt
  really see the point of it, especially
  contemporary art I just dont see the point of
  it. So I keep coming to these galleries and
  places like the Waygood and Vane and so on, to
  try and I may, you know, one day get an inkling
  as to what its all about. I strongly suspect
  that most of it is absolute rubbish, you know.
  And this has been confirmed by this exhibition
  here.

8
Identity construction

• This is why I keep coming back, until I can
  finally see something that makes the hairs on the
  back of my neck zizzle, like Annette McKinnon,
  Geordie artists that should be here.
• 2 Sorry, can I say something? I feel the same
  because theres a lot of local artists, amateur
  art groups which there's some fantastic artists,
  and I think some of those people should have a
  chance to display locallyI dont understand the
  art downstairs, but it annoys me, it makes me
  angry. I dont like it. I think its a waste of
  space.
• See identity construction happening

9
Identity construction

• Early work on the Greater Pollock Kist
  community development project
• Exhibition presented how residents wanted to be
  seen
• Attempt to deal with problems associated with
  physical location
• Involvement gives participants control
• Exhibitions were allowing people to make links
  with an imaginary collectivity

10
Identity construction

• People are unequal in their abilities to engage
  in identity construction activities
• Series socio-psychological elements
• Motivation
• Confidence
• Depression
• Alienation
• low self-esteem means that people will not take
  up/recognise opportunities
• Activities/exhibitions may help people deal with
  these issues

11
Conclusion

• For the excluded/powerless the process of
  identity construction the normal response to
  resolve problems or to achieve things does not
  happen
• By enabling this process to take place museums
  and galleries make a significant contribution