Jade French introduces her new publication; Inclusive Curating in Contemporary Art: A Practical Guide

Back in 2013, I had the pleasure of working at The Atkinson when it had recently reopened its doors after its major capital refurbishment. Its multi-use building comprising of a gallery, theatre, library and café facilitates a unique interaction between art and its community and is one of the many reasons I enjoyed my time there.

Since leaving The Atkinson, I have gone on to undertake research in museums and galleries that aims to explore ways to reimagine curating as an inclusive practice with communities. Between 2014-2018, I collaborated with Liverpool’s centre for contemporary art Bluecoat and self-advocacy group Halton Speak Out to examine how curating might be made accessible to learning disabled people, resulting in the exhibition Auto Agents in 2017.

I have now written a book based on this research titled Inclusive Curating in Contemporary Art: A Practical Guide. Grounded in this case study of Auto Agents, the book details the five-step process of how I made curating inclusive and accessible alongside a range of practical resources and key debates. Curating is often considered an exclusive job for a privileged few. But, by breaking it down using the methods and tools included throughout this book, not only does curating become more usable for more people, it also contributes to understanding the ways in which our cultural spaces can become democratized.

Inclusive Curating in Contemporary Art: A Practical Guide is aimed at museology academics and students as well as artists, community organisers and museum professionals alike. I hope this book presents not only a practical curatorial process but contributes to broadening the ways in which curating — and crucially the curator — is defined.

The book can be purchased from the ARC Humanities Press website with a 50% discount code: ARCFRENCH50, valid until the end of December 2020

Posted on 13 August 2020 under General news