Adrift Resource Pack
A resource pack for museums, galleries, community groups and others, drawing on our experience of creating an exhibition and engagement programme about marine litter.
The pack is a template of how Royal Cornwall Museum interpreted these themes alongside author Tracey Williams in the summer of 2023, but is intended as a guide to be adapted and put to use in different contexts.
Inspired by the book ‘Adrift: The Curious Tale of the Lego Lost at Sea’ by Tracey Williams
The exhibition used the cargo spill of Lego and other items from the Tokio Express in 1997 as a springboard to discuss plastic in the world’s oceans, how it gets there, the major problems it presents, and how people can approach it. The exhibition won the ‘Exhibition of the Year’ for large museums at the 2023 Cornwall Heritage Awards.
A more sustainable form of touring exhibition
Instead of creating a touring exhibition in a traditional sense, the decision has been taken not to transport large quantities of plastic and to create this resource pack instead. This is largely because it would be giving the items, in themselves waste content, a second go at polluting the planet. Instead this pack presents suggestions for how to collect your own items for exhibiting in a meaningful, community-focused way.
What the resource pack contains
The pack takes you through different elements of exhibition design and curation. The Content section includes objects, collection, safety, copy and images. The Design section includes tone, colour and text. The Display section includes objects, materials, cases, artists, printing and mounting. The Events and Engagement section highlights key events and family activities, as well as a session plan for a formal or schools-based workshop. You’ll also find some short films relating to Adrift here.
Credits
We are pleased to be able to produce and distribute this resource pack free of charge. Where possible please credit both Tracey Williams and Royal Cornwall Museum. If you have questions about this resource, please email [email protected]
Download the resource pack here.
