Victoria and Albert Museum
The Victoria and Albert Museum is the world's largest museum of decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 4.5 million objects. Named after Prince Albert and Queen Victoria, it was founded in 1852, and has since grown to cover 12.5 acres (51,000 m2) and 145 galleries.
The education department has wide-ranging responsibilities. It provides information for the casual visitor as well as for school groups, including integrating learning in the museum with the National Curriculum.
The education department has wide-ranging responsibilities. It provides information for the casual visitor as well as for school groups, including integrating learning in the museum with the National Curriculum.
Interactive storytelling: Anansi the spider
On display at the V&A from January - June 2012 were the world’s largest pieces of cloth made from spider silk. Included were a brocaded shawl made from the silk of more than one million female golden orb-weaver spiders collected in the highlands of Madagascar, as well as a cape which was on public display for the first time.
I was asked by the V&A to create an interactive family friendly event to engage and educate a younger audience. Working with a workshop practitioner, and in consultation with the Head of Education, we developed the concept of linking the object made from spider silk with a story about a spider. During the research process we discovered a canon of South African folk stories about a mischievous spider called Anansi. We used this as the starting point for our individual performances.
I created a new story by combining elements of two existing Anansi stories. I engaged the audience by incorporating repeated actions and noises which built up to a final crescendo of hilarity. I also created an abstract spider costume, watermelon helmet, and utilised a voice changing loudspeaker for the voice of Anansi herself.
I performed this piece in the main lecture hall of the V&A to a cumulative audience of over one thousand people. In terms of numbers this was reportedly the most successful storytelling event in V&A history.
I was asked by the V&A to create an interactive family friendly event to engage and educate a younger audience. Working with a workshop practitioner, and in consultation with the Head of Education, we developed the concept of linking the object made from spider silk with a story about a spider. During the research process we discovered a canon of South African folk stories about a mischievous spider called Anansi. We used this as the starting point for our individual performances.
I created a new story by combining elements of two existing Anansi stories. I engaged the audience by incorporating repeated actions and noises which built up to a final crescendo of hilarity. I also created an abstract spider costume, watermelon helmet, and utilised a voice changing loudspeaker for the voice of Anansi herself.
I performed this piece in the main lecture hall of the V&A to a cumulative audience of over one thousand people. In terms of numbers this was reportedly the most successful storytelling event in V&A history.
