JISC

This project is part of the images project cluster in this particular programme. The main focus for projects in this cluster is on the creation and use of still image collections for learning and teaching.

Background

Modern crafts history is a subject that has little published material to serve it at present. This collaborative project will digitise images of the many artefacts in the Crafts Study Centre's collections of 20th century crafts, together with textual items from part of the archive. This will produce a total resource of 3000 images and 1000 documents that will be integrated into the learning and teaching practices in the area of modern craft. The resource will be delivered through the JISC-funded Visual Arts Data Service's (VADS) collections repository thereby benefiting from interoperability with other collections hosted by VADS and the work VADS is doing to promote the use of its collections for learning and teaching.

The project is a collaboration between the Surrey Institute of Art and Design, University College, the Crafts Study Centre and VADS.

Aims and Objectives

The overarching aim of the project is to create a high quality digital resource of images of work by important 20th century crafts people that is delivered via the Web and of use in learning and teaching. The specific objectives are to:

• Produce a database of 3000 images of artefacts in the Crafts Study Centre and a further 1000 digitised texts from the archive in the collection
• Deploy a current metadata standard to describe each item and to promote interoperability with cognate resources
• Deliver the database through the VADS collections repository accessible from the Crafts Study Centre Web site
• Develop a package of learning materials which make use of the digital resource within the Design Curriculum
• Enable individual adaptation of the resource for use within learning and teaching by providing access to the VADS image selection and display tools which are being developed as part of the PICTIVA (Promoting the Use of Online Image Collections in Learning and Teaching in the Visual Arts) project

Project design

The project will follow the VADS Guide to Good Practice on the creation of digital resources for the Visual Arts and will comply with the standards promoted by the JISC's Image Digitisation initiative. The project will commission a set of learning and teaching materials to accompany the digital resource and support its use by the wider community. These will be developed by academic staff in the Faculty of Design at the Surrey Institute. A phase of 'on the ground' consultation will be crucial to confirm the relevance and usability of proposed materials. This phase of the project, therefore, will commence with a period of consultation with other partners in the Art, Design and Communication Subject Centre (one of the Learning and Teaching Support Network's subject centres) where the opinions of students and lecturers will be canvassed and advice sought.

Outcomes

The project will give students and teachers greater access to the Crafts Study Centre's collections and, through delivery mechanisms established by the VADS, be interoperable with complementary projects such as the University of Brighton's 'Design Council Archive'. This will help to illuminate the benefits of interdisciplinary sharing of information and resources through a wide range of institutions. Ultimately, the project addresses the propagation of learning and teaching through access to the collections and serves the needs and interests of makers, critics, scholars, researchers and enthusiasts of contemporary crafts. The project's dissemination plan has three main goals: to raise awareness of the project; to share learning and good practice; and to advertise the outcomes. The findings will be fed back during the lifetime of the project to regular cluster meetings of other image-based projects. Nearing completion, the project findings will be disseminated to the wider community. Information about the project will appear in subject related newsletters and journals and through presentations at conferences and seminars.