¹û¶³Ó°Ôº

This is a novel approach to an existing problem and has no precedent that we know of. It repurposes existing technologies and is unique in the way it brings together different expertise within ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº.―  Sarah Aitchison (Head of ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Special Collections) & Nina Pearlman (Head of ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Art Collections)¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Rightsholder Clearance Project (2021-22)On the occasion of the Slade 150 anniversary, ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Art Museum launched the ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Rightsholder Clearance Project, a multiphase initiative with several objectives: to locate copyright holders for works in the Slade Collections; to rethink the process and methodology of rights tracing; to foster knowledge exchange and cross-disciplinary collaboration; to develop new tools to simplify processes and offer more sustainable solutions to sector-wide problems.The lack of copyright permissions is a barrier to access and knowledge exchange. The process of securing rights is time-consuming, costly and poses a challenge to many smaller museums and collections, who play an essential role in reshaping narratives by enhancing visilibility of marginalised artists and amplifying under-represented voices in heritage collections. Through this collaboration between ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº museum staff, archivists, developers and technology specialists across various university departments, the Rightsholder Clearance Project offers novel, technological solutions to a long-standing problem, enabling the future participation of smaller museums and collections in the metaverse.Phase 1 was part of Virtual Exhibitions, a collaboration between ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Culture and ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº's Bartlett Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis (CASA), which explored the potential for next generation 360VR for the cultural and higher education sectors. It was funded by ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Art Museum with support from ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Innovation & Enterprise knowledge exchange via the ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Higher Education Innovation Fund.Phase 2 expanded the project to collaborate with ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Library and Special Collections. This phase was supported by a National Archives' Testbed grant (2022).Plans for Phase 3, a collaboration with ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Advanced Research Computing Centre, are underway.Information for potential rightsholders Do you have any works in the collections of ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Art Museum or ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Special Collections? Are you Slade alumni? Are you a representative of the estate of a deceased artist or author?Do you have further information to share about other rightsholders or works already online?If so, we want to hear from you!Please email culture.copyright.art@ucl.ac.uk or spec.coll@ucl.ac.ukYou can search the ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Art Museum catalogue or view a selection of artworks here. You can search ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Special Collections.More about ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Rightsholder Clearance Project - Phase 1The rich body of artworks in the Slade Collections includes 3,000 drawings, paintings and prints, many of which were accessioned via the Slade’s student prize system and augmented by gifts and works by staff. Prizes have been awarded annually since the establishment of the School in 1871 as an important recognition of the quality of a student’s work. Phase 1 sought to trace rightsholders and to secure copyright permission for works in these collections. Copyright falls under â€˜Intellectual Property Rights’ and is a legal right protecting work that is the result of human skill, judgment or labour, and automatically resides with the first creator of an original piece of work (or their employer). Once rightsholders have been identified and permission to reproduce images has been granted, ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Art Museum can ensure the continued relevance of this renowned collection by providing online and publication access, and increasing wider engagement with the works. This phase also explored a new solution for managing the resulting documentation more effectively. Activities undertaken included the setting up of the due diligence rights tracing process for ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Art Collections. The team also worked in partnership with developers towards a proof of concept for a new rightsholder database and tracing process, including the automation of rights-consent and licensing by repurposing secure web applications for online surveys and data collection.¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Rightsholder Clearance Project - Phase 2Phase 2 continued the knowledge exchange and dialogue between ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº museum staff, archivists, developers and technology experts from ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº CASA and ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Information Services Division. This phase scaled up the ambition for a bold, new approach to the sector-wide problem of securing rights. The project sought to automate and streamline the due diligence process for third-party copyright in art collections and archive collections. This phase focused on testing the proof of concept using two data case studies: a sample of the correspondence section of the George Orwell Archive held by Special Collections, and the recently digitised Stanley Spencer postcard album held by ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Art Museum.¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Rightsholder Clearance Project - Phase 3Phase 3 will seek to develop the proof of concept to offer a robust and sustainable software solution to the rightsholder clearance process that is shareable across the cultural and heritage sector.The project teamThe cross-disciplinary project team includes Nina Pearlman & Tashi Petter (¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Art Collections), Rebecca Sims & Sarah Aitchison (¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Library Special Collections), Valerio Signorelli & Andy Hudson-Smith (¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis), Jason Lopez (¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Information Services Division) and Jonathon Cooper (¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Advanced Research Computing). The project has also benefited from input from ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Educational Media and copyright and IP guidance from Naomi Korn Associates.

[[{"fid":"7291","view_mode":"super_xl","fields":{"format":"super_xl","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Vote100","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][title]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][url]":"","field_caption[und][0][value]":"","field_caption[und][0][format]":"limited_html","field_float_left_right[und]":"none","field_file_image_decorative[und]":"0"},"type":"media","field_deltas":{"1":{"format":"super_xl","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Vote100","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][title]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][url]":"","field_caption[und][0][value]":"","field_caption[und][0][format]":"limited_html","field_float_left_right[und]":"none","field_file_image_decorative[und]":"0"}},"link_text":null,"attributes":{"height":"1042","width":"3125","class":"media-element file-super-xl"}}]]The Representation of the People Act, passed on 6 February 1918, extended the right to vote to women of a certain age and economic status. Ten months later, on 14 December 1918, 8.5 million women voted for the first time.Forty years before this, ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº became one of the first universities in England to admit women on equal terms with men.  â€œThese events will give us an eye-opening insight into the barriers women have faced at ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº and in the wider world, and how far they were able to reach despite them. It is also an important opportunity to examine where equality is still to be achieved and learn from the past. I’m delighted that ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº is playing such an active role in celebrating this centenary year, and I think it will provoke a lot of debate about how far we have come and how far we still need to go."—¹û¶³Ó°Ôº President & Provost Professor Michael Arthur Exhibitions that will run across the year include: Prize & Prejudice, an exhibition in the ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Art Museum that shines a light on the women who won the coveted Slade Prize;  ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Female Firsts, a series of contemporary art works honouring female academics ranging from leading Bletchley code-breaker Mavis Batey to the UK’s first female doctor Elizabeth Garrett Anderson; Disrupters and Innovators, an exhibition in the Octagon Gallery that celebrates the perseverance, originality and ingenuity of female students and staff at ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº in breaking down gender barriers; and Dangers and Delusions? Perspectives on the women’s suffrage movement presents satirical commentaries, campaign literature, personal notes and petitions in order to examine the actions and reactions surrounding the case for universal suffrage.Details about the launch and other events and activities are presented below.Exhibitions:[[{"fid":"8507","view_mode":"small","fields":{"format":"small","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"Colour photo of a painting that shows a woman looking to her right. 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This exhibition is dedicated to a group of remarkable women whose lives and careers were shaped by what they learnt, taught and researched at ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº. Read more 'Dangers and Delusions'? Perspectives on the women’s suffrage movementUntil 17 Dec 2018Free exhibition¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Main LibraryDisplaying items from ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Special Collections, this exhibition examines the actions and reactions attending the women's suffrage movement from the 1860s to the Representation of the People Act 1918. See satirical commentaries including Laurence Housman's Anti-Suffrage Alphabet alongside campaign literature and petitions for and against legislative change. Read moreFive Colours, Five LandscapesUntil autumn 2018Free exhibitionSouth Cloisters, ¹û¶³Ó°ÔºSee five new paintings consisting of ochre colours created from coal mine water treatment sites across the UK.  Artist Onya McCausland has developed the new paint colours as part of her PhD research, and these colours will now be produced commercially by Windsor & Newton.[[{"fid":"7511","view_mode":"small","fields":{"format":"small","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Female Firsts","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][title]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][url]":"","field_caption[und][0][value]":"","field_caption[und][0][format]":"limited_html","field_float_left_right[und]":"none","field_file_image_decorative[und]":"0"},"type":"media","field_deltas":{"1":{"format":"small","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Female Firsts","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][title]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][url]":"","field_caption[und][0][value]":"","field_caption[und][0][format]":"limited_html","field_float_left_right[und]":"none","field_file_image_decorative[und]":"0"}},"link_text":null,"attributes":{"height":"2118","width":"2823","class":"media-element file-small"}}]]¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Female FirstsThroughout 2018Free exhibitionSouth Cloisters, ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Female Firsts reflects on women's remarkable achievements and progress since 1918, when the first women secured the right to vote in the UK. This exhibition is a development of Women at ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº: Presence and Absence, which explores the institutional change that has taken place since the founding of ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº in 1826 – from the initial decision to admit women in 1878 to the re-negotiating of spaces and positions that is still taking place today. Read more[[{"fid":"9671","view_mode":"small","fields":{"format":"small","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"Redress at ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Art Museum","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"Redress at ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Art Museum","field_caption_heading[und][0][title]":"Redress at ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Art Museum","field_caption_heading[und][0][url]":"","field_caption[und][0][value]":"Design by Justin Badger, image by Seungwon Jung","field_float_left_right[und]":"none","field_file_image_decorative[und]":"0"},"link_text":null,"type":"media","field_deltas":{"1":{"format":"small","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"Redress at ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Art Museum","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"Redress at ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Art Museum","field_caption_heading[und][0][title]":"Redress at ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Art Museum","field_caption_heading[und][0][url]":"","field_caption[und][0][value]":"Design by Justin Badger, image by Seungwon Jung","field_float_left_right[und]":"none","field_file_image_decorative[und]":"0"}},"attributes":{"height":"1568","width":"1500","class":"media-element file-small"}}]]Redress25 Sep - 14 Dec 2018Free exhibition and events¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Art MuseumSlade artists Sophie Bouvier Ausländer, Katherine Forster, Seungwon Jung, Zeinab Saleh and Naomi Siderfin, redress the contemporary relevance of the once celebrated practice of drapery drawing. Join us for artist performances and workshops in October and November. Read moreEvents and online content: The House of DoorsOct - Dec 2018Free public artThe House of Doors project returns to ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº to mark the centenary of the first women in the UK getting the right to vote. Launched in 2015 by ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Artist-In-Residence Kristina Clackson-Bonnington, this public art project explores how society has changed as a result of women getting the vote. Read more.The World of ¹û¶³Ó°ÔºDate and venue TBCFree eventYour first chance to see this updated edition of the book charting the history of ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº, from 1826 to the present day. Written by Georgina Brewis, Negley Harte and John North, the book tells the stories of the extraordinary women who built the university. Read more¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Vote 100: Wikipedia edit-athonDate and venue TBCFree eventTake part in this special event, to improve Wikipedia and increase the visibility of pioneering ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº women online. As part of the ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Global Citizenship Programme, teams of ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº staff and students will come together in sessions led by Wikipedia to build, edit and connect articles online.[[{"fid":"8643","view_mode":"medium","fields":{"height":"1136","width":"1647","class":"media-element file-small","format":"medium","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"Black and white photo showing a woman sitting inside with children around her","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"Kind To Women","field_caption_heading[und][0][title]":"Kind To Women (2018)","field_caption_heading[und][0][url]":"","field_caption[und][0][value]":"","field_caption[und][0][format]":"limited_html","field_float_left_right[und]":"none","field_file_image_decorative[und]":"0"},"link_text":null,"type":"media","field_deltas":{"1":{"height":"1136","width":"1647","class":"media-element file-small","format":"medium","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"Black and white photo showing a woman sitting inside with children around her","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"Kind To Women","field_caption_heading[und][0][title]":"Kind To Women (2018)","field_caption_heading[und][0][url]":"","field_caption[und][0][value]":"","field_caption[und][0][format]":"limited_html","field_float_left_right[und]":"none","field_file_image_decorative[und]":"0"}},"attributes":{"height":"1136","width":"1647","class":"media-element file-medium"}}]]Kind to Women: How the 1967 Abortion Act changed our livesOnline: kindtowomen.comThis moving documentary brings to life the story of this groundbreaking legislation and highlights this historic turning point for women's rights. People share their vivid memories of the time, including women who survived illegal abortion, the nurses who picked up the pieces when things went wrong, campaigning doctors and abortion rights advocates. The film is free to watch online. It was also screened at the ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Institute for Women's Health on 6 March 2018 as part of 2018's Vote 100 programme.In Her TimeOnline: inhertimeucl.comA ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº-based journal and podcast devoted to the exploration of gender history, created with ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº ChangeMakers / MA History. This online platform hosts articles and reviews created by students for students. The website also hosts a podcast featuring academics, writers, activists, artists, filmmakers and more, discussing the the importance of gender to their work. It was launched on Thursday 1 March 2018 as part of 2018's Vote 100 programme.Parliament and MePodcast: ucl.ac.ukListen to our new podcast celebrating Parliament Week 2018, featuring ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº thinkers - experts in their field - and the women who have inspired them along their way. Past programme:The Spirit of Slade Ladies PastThu 1 Feb 2018Performance¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Art MuseumA chance to commune with the Spirit of Slade Ladies Past. This immersive evening event was developed with artist Tai Shani and ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº researchers. Amongst the Slade’s class of 1918, many had a keen interest in spiritualism and the occult. WWI seems to have prompted people to turn to such practices as a means for those who lost loved ones to grieve sudden death and the end of relationships.¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Lunch Hour LectureFri 9 Mar 2018Free lectureG13, 1-19 Torrington Place, BloomsburyTick, tock of the biological clock. Women are increasingly delaying the birth of their first child, as they lead very different lives to their mothers. But a woman’s fertility declines with age, significantly so by the mid-30s. Professor Joyce Harper, Professor in Genetics and Human Embryology Globally, is working on an arts project to increase fertility awareness and studying social egg freezing, which may help some women delay fertility.Representation of the people in science: Women in civic and citizen scienceMon 12 Mar 2018South Cloisters and Haldane Room, Wilkins BuildingAn opportunity to explore the role of women who promote science, chaired by Dr Charlene Jennett, who opened the event with a note about researching citizen science. The panel included science writer Dr Alice Bell, talking about women involved in civic science in the 1970s; artist Jo Hurford sharind her experience of approaching ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº about air quality and other environmental impacts of the development in the area; Dr Louise Seaward discussing women's participation in a highly technical and challenging digital humanities project at ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº; and Prof. Sarah Bell on the role of women in engineering.Women in EgyptThu 22 Mar 2018Free talkPetrie Museum of Egyptian ArchaeologyDrawing on the collection including the papyrus texts, this talk put life for women in ancient Egypt under the spotlight.Women in Queen Square: Celebrating the centenary of Votes for Women in the UKUntil 30 Apr 2018Free exhibition¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Queen Square Library, 23 Queen SquareExplore photographs, objects, and documents from Queen Square Archives. The library received a wide range of nominations for women past and present to appear in the exhibition, which features Anita Harding, Patricia Limousin and Jenny Vaughan. 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Read more[[{"fid":"6943","view_mode":"medium","fields":{"format":"medium","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"Confessions to the Mirror ","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"Confessions to the Mirror ","field_caption_heading[und][0][title]":"Confessions to the Mirror ","field_caption_heading[und][0][url]":"","field_caption[und][0][value]":"%3Cp%3EConfessions%20to%20the%20Mirror%2C%20Image%20copyright%20Sarah%20Pucill%3C%2Fp%3E","field_caption[und][0][format]":"limited_html","field_float_left_right[und]":"none","field_file_image_decorative[und]":"0"},"type":"media","field_deltas":{"1":{"format":"medium","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"Confessions to the Mirror ","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"Confessions to the Mirror ","field_caption_heading[und][0][title]":"Confessions to the Mirror ","field_caption_heading[und][0][url]":"","field_caption[und][0][value]":"%3Cp%3EConfessions%20to%20the%20Mirror%2C%20Image%20copyright%20Sarah%20Pucill%3C%2Fp%3E","field_caption[und][0][format]":"limited_html","field_float_left_right[und]":"none","field_file_image_decorative[und]":"0"}},"link_text":null,"attributes":{"height":"1050","width":"1789","class":"media-element file-medium"}}]]Confessions to the MirrorTue 22 May, 6:30-8:00pmFilm screening, £5¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Art MuseumJoin us for Slade artist Sarah Pucill’s film Confessions To The Mirror (2016) and a discussion of gender, politics and space. The film includes French Surrealist artist Claude Cahun's life and work, including her political activity and imprisonment in Jersey with her partner Suzanne Malherbe during the Nazi occupation of the island. After the screening, Sarah Pucill will be in conversation with art historian Maria Walsh. Book tickets now[[{"fid":"8743","view_mode":"medium","fields":{"height":"3937","width":"7673","class":"media-element file-medium","format":"medium","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"Illustration of a tree outlined on a grey background. 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Read more If you are If you planning an event at ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº that could be part of these celebrations we would love to hear from you. Please email the project team at culture.centenary@ucl.ac.uk.

New research by emerging artistsThis exhibition and series of public events formed the 8th annual invitation to students at the Slade School of Art to delve into ¹û¶³Ó°Ôºâ€™s art collections and to create new works in response. For the first time, it was based on a longer residency format. This allowed for more intensive research, with artists discovering many hidden treasures, to produce individual, contemporary works in a range of media, including installation, performance and painting.Working with the medium of performance, Naomi Fitzsimmons revisited BLAST, a literary magazine produced to promote Vorticism, a modernist art movement headed by Wyndham Lewis. Blast / Bless expanded the archive’s boundaries and meanings by engaging with them in the present with the theatricality of the live format. The work explores techniques utilized to seduce viewers, and how relevance today within and for systems of power. Kara Chin produced paintings with kinetic elements calling attention to the unseen, as embodied by the very nature of the museum’s stored collection. David Blackmore’s research into Countess Markievicz, a former Slade student who was an Irish militant revolutionary, politician and suffragette, also engaged with the unseen by making her conspicuous absence at ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº visible via his sculptural intervention and bespoke archive that inhabited ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Art Museum, ¹û¶³Ó°Ôºâ€™s main library and the Slade’s Material Museum.So many fascinating discoveries were made during the residency that a special display box was put together, dedicated to rarely seen material 'From the Vault'. It featured a bi-weekly rotation of items selected by the Slade artists in residence and guest curators from the wider ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº community, including some treasures discovered by ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Museum Studies students. These objects often required conservation and further research, therefore, the changing display often served as a proposal for further enquiry, encouraging repeated visits to the space and inviting audiences to participate in the process of discovery.See here for more information about the ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Art Museum/Slade Collaboration series.This is part of ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Art Collections’ commitment to interdisciplinary research-impact collaborations. For more information or expressions of interest to collaborate contact museums@ucl.ac.uk/ 

 Twelve artists trace connections through ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº's art collections. For the fourth annual Slade collaboration, 12 Slade artists were invited to the ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Art Museum, where they delved deep into cupboards to discover a number of hidden treasures: a rare portrait print by William Blake of the physiognomist Johann Caspar Lavater, an early chalk drawing of a lion, a hand-coloured Japanese woodblock print of a flying bat. YouTube Widget Placeholderhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYh7_2CXJkIIn the form of painting, drawing, video and sound art, the Slade students responded to the exhibition title of Vincula, the plural of ‘vinculum’ – ‘a horizontal line over a group of terms to show that they have a common relation’ (Oxford Dictionary). Recurring themes and motifs included portraiture, the limitations of language and the uncanny.  Many of the featured artists have gone on to forge prolific artistic careers, exhibiting internationally and publishing research, with some like Ian Giles returning to collaborate with us for the exhibition RE-LAUNCH in 2015. Yvonne Feng was receipient of the William Coldstream Prize in 2017. The exhibition featured: Katie Aggett, Alan Chan, Philippa Connolly, Robert Crosse, Yvonne Feng, Ian Giles, Estelle Holland, Laura Kuch, James Ng, Ninna Bohn Pedersen, Kristan Saloky and Freddy Tuppen.For more information about the ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Art Museum/Slade Collaboration series, see here.

[[{"fid":"16162","view_mode":"large","fields":{"format":"large","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"A man with dark hair wears a VR headset in a gallery space with friezes behind him on the wall","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"Virtual Exhibitions knowledge exchange project","field_caption_heading[und][0][title]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][url]":"","field_caption[und][0][value]":"Using a VR headset in ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº's Flaxman Gallery","field_float_left_right[und]":"none","field_file_image_decorative[und]":"0"},"type":"media","field_deltas":{"1":{"format":"large","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"A man with dark hair wears a VR headset in a gallery space with friezes behind him on the wall","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"Virtual Exhibitions knowledge exchange project","field_caption_heading[und][0][title]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][url]":"","field_caption[und][0][value]":"Using a VR headset in ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº's Flaxman Gallery","field_float_left_right[und]":"none","field_file_image_decorative[und]":"0"}},"attributes":{"height":"432","width":"768","class":"media-element file-large"}}]]The Virtual Exhibitions knowledge exchange project was launched in July 2021, and focuses on how new technology can be adapted for blended and remote learning for academic and museum audiences, enabling people to engage with collections in new ways, wherever they are in the world.It brings together the expertise, ideas and skills of highly specialised teams from across the university, including ¹û¶³Ó°Ôºâ€™s Museums, ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis (CASA) and AI start-up Kagenova.The research team comprised of:Principal investigator: Dr Nina Pearlman, Head of ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Art Collections, Co Investigators: Professor Andy Hudson-Smith, Director of Digital Urban Systems,  Dr Valerio Signorelli, Lecturer in Connected Environments, Dr Leah Lovett, Senior Researcher, Project partner: Professor Jason McEwen, Founder & CEO, Kagenova & Professor of Astrostatistics, ¹û¶³Ó°ÔºAbout the projectYouTube Widget Placeholderhttps://youtu.be/PMD5U1NS0lkToday’s immersive experiences typically provide either realism or interactivity, but rarely at the same time (web-based 360 degree virtual tours of museums are a good example of this).However, cultural users need to be able to experience museum collections in a realistic way online, while also interacting with them in genuine and meaningful ways. One of the goals of this project was to better understand users’ digital needs to enable us to explore how we could meet them using Kagenova’s innovative technology.To achieve this, we conducted desk research on the use of immersive technologies in arts and science. We also made many captures using 360 VR technology of ¹û¶³Ó°Ôºâ€™s cultural spaces, explored technical and site challenges and evaluated the student user experience of a pilot that was created.Where are we now?Technologies that deliver virtual immersive environments are in constant flux. The technology that was employed in this project, copernic worlds, has been superseded by copernic AI as Kagenova leverages their underlying technology deliver AI driven 3D generative worlds.  The teams at CASA continue to advance research in the area of connected environments, exploring new technologies that connect the physical and digital worlds. ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Art Museum teams continue to work in collaboration with data and computer scientists and are currently exploring the application of touchless computing in museums, with colleagues and students in ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Computer Science.Project backgroundTechnology moves fast and forward. For many of us, the pandemic has caused the boundaries between our home, work and leisure lives to combine. Whatever our individual exposure levels to technology has been, we have all experienced some form of a metaverse (virtual reality spaces in which you can interact with a computer-generated environment and other users). This is also true for visitors of cultural organisations.¹û¶³Ó°Ôº is home to a number of museums and exhibition spaces. Over time, they have evolved to fulfil a wide range of functions, from supporting academic research and learning to entertainment. Like many small museums, they are under pressure to create new, engaging digital experiences for the students and communities they serve.In the future, small museums need to create digital products that can bridge these physical and virtual worlds to meet their audiences’ needs. Unfortunately, they often don’t have the budget or infrastructure to compete with national museums when developing new digital products and services. However, through their connections with the wider higher education research communities, university museums are in a unique position to respond to these issues in creative way.About the partners¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Museums¹û¶³Ó°Ôº is home to a number of world-class museums and collections, including ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Art Museum, the Grant Museum of Zoology and the Petrie Museum of Egyptian and Sudanese Archaeology. Its team takes a multidisciplinary approach to engage with its users through innovative programming and support for research, teaching and object-based enquiry.KagenovaKagenova was established by data scientists from ¹û¶³Ó°Ôºâ€™s Mullard Space Science Laboratory. The company has developed novel geometric AI and machine learning methods that derive from cutting-edge celestial research poised to transform the 360VR user experience.CASAThe Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis (CASA) is an interdisciplinary research institute at ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº focusing on the science of cities and is part of The Bartlett, ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº's Faculty of the Built Environment. Researchers from CASA have been exploring virtual environments for many years with a focus on technological innovation and accessibility.Funding partnersThis knowledge exchange project is supported by ¹û¶³Ó°Ôºâ€™s Higher Innovation Fund (HEIF), managed by ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Innovation & Enterprise. The partnership has been facilitated by the Business and Innovation Partnerships team within ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Innovation & Enterprise.OutcomesThis project has enabled ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº to have a better understanding of museums’ digital needs, the conditions required to meet these and who needs to be part of the conversation. It has also allowed Kagenova to gain a better understanding of how its innovative 360 technology could work in other sectors.As a process, it reinforced our belief in the value of knowledge exchange in fuelling experimentation and innovation. It can lead you to unexpected places and discoveries. Building on ¹û¶³Ó°Ôºâ€™s strength in innovation, the learnings from this project are being disseminated and shared across cultural and technology networks, the education sector and the media. It has been presented at a number of conferences, including Discovering Collections Discovering Communities organised by National Archives, Research Libraries UK and JISC and the EdTech Summit.Without this project, these learnings would be either logistically impossible or prohibitively expensive to achieve individually. Lastly, it has led to future spin off knowledge exchange projects, including further research into copyright and digital technology.Find out moreRead the press release 

The severed heads of two famous scholars have spent the last few decades hidden from public view. Both were men strongly associated with ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº that consented to have their remains preserved for future generations to display, research and discuss. Here we exhibit the head of philosopher Jeremy Bentham for the first time in decades, alongside cutting-edge scientific techniques to extract and sequence his DNA. We also consider why the archaeologist Flinders Petrie left his head to science, and explore how the actions and work of both men have influenced our modern attitudes to death and what it means to be human.By looking at Flinders Petrie’s and Jeremy Bentham’s heads in the context of their own scholarship, alongside current scientific advances and other human remains from ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº's collections, 'What does it mean to be human?'  Examines the power of human remains to generate debate and critical reflection. Come and explore these issues in archaeology, history and philosophy of science, evolutionary science and ancient DNA research in this exhibition and accompanying events series.EventsWhat does it mean to be human? Through talks, workshops and a late opening discover how we use science to understand the dilemma of death. The Head of Flinders Petrie?Wednesday 6 September, 1.15-1.45pmTalkPetrie Museum of Egyptian ArchaeologyFind out more about the so-called head of Flinders Petrie that is stored in a jar in the Royal College of Surgeons. Elizabeth Jones (¹û¶³Ó°Ôº STS) explains why it is there and the questions to science that it poses.  Death DrawingFriday 27 October 6-8pmWorkshopGrant Museum of ZoologyBe inspired by the heads and art works depicting heads on display in our exhibition, A Study of What it means to be Human?, as well as objects in the Grant Museum of Zoology to draw from death with artist Lucy Lyons. Includes an afterhours visit to the exhibition.Fake News: The Heads of Jeremy Bentham and Flinders PetrieWednesday 22 November 1.10 – 1.50pmTalkOctagon Gallery Everyone knows that the philosopher Jeremy Bentham’s head was used as a football. We all know that the widow of the Egyptian archaeologist Flinders Petrie brought Petrie’s head to England in her hatbox. Yet neither of these stories is true! Find out more about how such myths are made and how this exhibition is debunking these and other ‘fake news’. Unexpected Utility: Sequencing the Genome of Jeremy BenthamWednesday 11 October 1.15-1.45pmTalkOctagonThis talk explores what ancient DNA is and how an attempt was made to sequence the genome of the philosopher Jeremy Bentham. Lucy van Dorp will explain why we bother to analyse ancient DNA and present examples of how such analysis has had an impact on modern understanding of diseases and human activity. Lost Skills: Will WritingTuesday 21 November 1.10 – 1.50pmWorkshopPetrie Museum of Egyptian ArchaeologyHow do you write a will? How do you make it legally binding? Be inspired by a 3,000-year-old example preserved on papyrus from Ancient Egypt to write your own will. Discover how philosopher Jeremy Bentham’s will had an impact on modern ideas about death. Find out more about these historic examples and get advice on will writing.Curating Heads: Museum Studies Round TableWednesday 22 November 4-5.30pmDiscussionInstitute of ArchaeologyChaired by Dr Alice Stevenson (UCl IoA) a panel of museum professionals who’ve curated human remains and material culture around death and dying give provocations for discussion. A Wake for Jeremy Bentham: What Jeremy did for Death and the Living15 February 6-9pmLate openingSouth Cloisters, Wilkins Building Join us to celebrate Jeremy Bentham’s 270th birthday while his head is on display in the Octagon gallery and to bid adieu to his auto-icon as it goes to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. At this long-table style event a series of speakers will make a 5-10 minute ‘toast’ to Jeremy Bentham that explores how his decision for his body to become an auto-icon had an impact on how death and the dead body is perceived as well as people living. [[{"fid":"5863","view_mode":"small","fields":{"format":"small","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"Star shaped logo for ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Grand Challenges","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][title]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][url]":"","field_caption[und][0][value]":"","field_caption[und][0][format]":"limited_html","field_float_left_right[und]":"left","field_file_image_decorative[und]":"0"},"type":"media","field_deltas":{"1":{"format":"small","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"Star shaped logo for ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Grand Challenges","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][title]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][url]":"","field_caption[und][0][value]":"","field_caption[und][0][format]":"limited_html","field_float_left_right[und]":"left","field_file_image_decorative[und]":"0"}},"link_text":null,"attributes":{"height":"1943","width":"2244","class":"media-element file-small"}}]]¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Grand Challenges funded the extraction and genome sequencing of DNA from the remains of Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832) with a view to a wider programme of research on the history, legacy, ethics and practices of researching, exhibiting and curating human remains. The plan was also to extract DNA from the head thought to be of the ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº archaeologist Sir Flinders Petrie (1853-1942) in the Royal College of Surgeons but due to issues with family consent, we have not been able to do this. However, we still consider why Petrie left his head to science.