The Covid-19 pandemic has been a transformative global event, arguably one of the most significant in human history. From the start of the pandemic, curators in Glasgow have been collecting objects to represent how society has been affected by Covid, and how individuals and organisations have responded to the sudden and unexpected situation, both in Glasgow and globally.
A new team was set up for this purpose, including curatorial, outreach and conservation staff from Glasgow Museums, as well as colleagues in other sectors such as the City Archives and the Special Collections department of the City Library service.
With Patricia Allan: Curator of World Cultures, Glasgow Museums
Isobel McDonald: Curator of Social History, Glasgow Museums
The aim of this ITP session, which took the form of a knowledge exchange, was to learn and share from participants own experiences, ideas and challenges resulting in an increased understanding of the issues around contemporary collecting in a time of crisis.
The Glasgow team shared an outline of how their project began, its scope, and reflected on how their response to collecting has changed as the pandemic continued to impact Glasgow and the world.