How to read a museum Language, bodies and reading between the lines of museum exhibitions Mon 10 May 2021 11:30am – 12:30pm WA Maritime Museum Museums tell us stories about who we are. These are stories that range from national mythology to personal triumphs and tragedies, and aim to connect their audiences with a feeling of collective memory. The processes of museum collecting, curating and exhibiting stories is done carefully and meticulously—but these processes are not without bias and agenda. How museums tell stories, what stories are told and who decides upon these stories all influence the visitor experience. Join Toni Church as she discusses the art of language, the representation of bodies—particularly female bodies—and the processes of meaning-making within museums. This approach will critically examine some examples from recent Australian exhibitions to demonstrate how visitors can “read between the lines” in museums. About your presenter Toni Church is a PhD candidate at the University of Notre Dame Australia. Her creative doctoral thesis combines her professional experience in the museums industry with research that draws out the autonomous voices in the writing of European women who travelled to early colonial Western Australia. She is also the Museum Curator at the Old Court House Law Museum (Law Society of Western Australia). Please note that the opinions and research shared in this lecture represent the presenter and not the institutions with which she is affiliated. Details Date: 10 May 2021 Time: 11.30am – 12.30pm Location: WA Maritime Museum Cost: Free event. Admission fees apply to visit the WA Maritime Museum galleries or the Vikings: Warriors of the North, Giants of the Sea exhibition. No bookings required. Seating will be allocated on arrival. Credit: WA Museum