Research into the tangibility of the object encourages a different approach to study from that of only digital or documentation by connecting through haptic encounters to the senses and by stimulating the curiosity. This approach is seen to enable accessibility to the archive for new audiences and those outside of academia.
The main event for this research project, The Tangible Archive Symposium, took place on 7 December 2023 with eleven presentations selected from almost thirty applications. The themes of the Symposium explored ways in which archives and collections are not only used in academic study, but can additionally inspire new ways of understanding the past. Of particular interest were projects which demonstrated archives as inspiration for creative practice and practice as a ‘way in’ to the archive.
Each speaker demonstrated that studying archives and collections through tangible objects brings new reflections and contemporary relevance to historical material. Speaker sessions were followed by Q & A, with an audience of approximately sixty attendees from within the University and external visitors.
The keynote speaker was Dr Sue Breakell who spoke about a recently published book she has co-edited with Wendy Russell, The Materiality of the Archive: Creative Practice in Context.
Image: Chair from the Parker Knoll Archive and Panel, The Tangible Archive Symposium.