2. Concept development

When working in a group and creating an exhibition it’s a good idea to start planning your final product early. Publication of your research can take many different forms. Final products can range from an exhibition in your school, a gallery or community centre to a two page printed report or a website. Each Small Object Big Story project will have its own individual identity.

Planning an exhibition also includes working out who would be interested in visiting the exhibition (audience/s) and what you would hope they would get out of the experience (key messages).

Engaging exhibitions begin with a strong concept, and are based on visually appealing objects and/or images. The exhibition should communicate interesting stories or ideas. Associated material such as photographs, diagrams, maps, personal stories, or artists’ statements can also contribute to a strong exhibition concept.

Establish project goals and theme

The following list of questions is provided as a guide for establishing your project goals:

• What is being researched?
• What is the purpose/desired outcome of the research?
• How much time will be allocated to the project?
• What sort of research will you undertake?
• Will the research be undertaken individually or in groups?
• What will the format of the final product be – an installation/exhibition, an online exhibition, a publication?
• Will there be partners in the project? If so, how will those relationships be developed?
• If the project is part of a community learning activity who will manage the project?
• What sort of evaluation procedures will be employed?
• How will successful completion of the project be identified?

Discuss a theme upon which the presentation of the objects and stories can be based. Broad themes could be change, place, influences, functions, gender, time, and socio-political or environmental issues. More specific themes could be work in the home, toys, tools, journeys, our ancestors, and where our family came from.

An Exhibition Proposal or Brief is a foundation document to help scope out an idea for an exhibition, the document can be used as the basis for communicating and decision making about the exhibition, and as a basis for funding applications.

Tip: you might like to check out Assign Roles so that everyone has an understanding of what they’re going to be working on.

Stages of exhibition development

Once the project goals have been identified, establish a timeline to plot the key activities associated with research, investigation and exhibition or publication of research.

A project plan will help you work through the stages of developing the exhibition. Planning an exhibition involves working backwards through the process, breaking down all the tasks that need doing, providing plenty of time for each stage, and working out who is doing what. We suggest having a quick read of the whole Small Object Big Story guide to understand the steps you'll undertake when creating your exhibition.

Tip: participants can create a digital log for their research in journal or diary format. Using collaborative document tools such as Google Drive or Trello can help this process.

Venue

Exhibitions are an exciting way to present objects, stories, written work, art pieces, multimedia and performances. Regional libraries, galleries, historical societies and other community groups may offer suitable spaces, while some schools have even established 'School Museums'.

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