The Antique Dealer Project Conference generated a great deal of positive discussion and feedback – thank you again to everyone that participated and contributed during the 2 days – and to those that helped with the organisation….we could not have delivered the conference without so much help and enthusiastic interest from everyone involved.
We are working on some analysis of the conference, summaries of the sandpits and etc – and our team of Postgraduate students who worked so hard during the conference are also hard at work compiling the analysis…that should be ready soon and will be distributed to all conference delegates, and uploaded to the project website.
The project conference was also a strategic part of the Antique Dealer research project itself, and so as part of the analysis we are also continuing to evaluate the research ‘Impact’ of the project. Research Impact, as those in the world of academia will know, is now a key aspect of all university research projects – and is a fundamental part of the REF (Research Excellence Framework). The REF is the quality assessment mechanism that all UK research intensive universities participate in, every 5 years or so – the next REF exercise is due to be in 2020. Anyway, as part of the research impact for the Antique Dealers project we are keen to capture and assess how the research has effected (impacted upon) anyone outside of the world of academia.
And talking to Bobbie Roberton (Keeper) and Rachel Conroy (Curator) at Temple Newsam House, they mentioned how much the staff at Temple Newsam House enjoyed the conference, and how many new things about the collections at Temple Newsam they had learned as a result of the conference – so this was an opportunity made in heaven for our Research Impact! I hot-footed it to Temple Newsam last week to have a chat with the TN staff. We staged an informal ‘focus-group’ feedback session, with tea and cake generously provided by Temple Newsam! Here are some of the staff who give their time so generously too – left to right – Michael Clark, Lyn Crispin and Helen Clayton (who’s father is also an antique dealer!…) – also present was Debra Crossley, but she had to leave before I took the photograph….
Temple Newsam House staff – Michael Clark, Lyn Crispin and Helen Clayton.
There were so many positive comments from Michael, Lyn, Helen and Deborah – they tell me that it was so illuminating having Antique Dealers talking about the objects at Temple Newsam, and that they had not realised how significant the antique trade had been in the development of the collections. One of the really positive outcomes of the conference is that Michael, Lyn, Helen and Deborah have all indicated that they will share their new knowledge with the public visitors coming to TN….now that IS a real result!
Thank you again to all the staff at TN for all their help and enthusiastic support to the Antique Dealers Research project.
Mark
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