EDUCATOR AS A CURATOR. MUSEUM POWEREXHIBITION AS EXPERIMENT TO EXTENDMUSEUM EDUCATION FIELD

Abstract

The paper presents the research project implementedby the staff of the University of Silesia in Katowiceduring the Museum Power Exhibition at the National Museumin Krakow. The semiotic interpretation of the data amassedin FGIs and IGIs, these enriched with class observations, DeskResearch, as well as the analysis of purpose-created documents,allowed to fulfil the goal of the investigation. The interdepartmentalcooperation launched when educators becameExhibition’s curators was of the main interest to the researchers.These actions were considered as examples of the implementationof the ‘educational turn’ in Polish museology wheretendencies to clearly separate and differently evaluate curatorialand educational practices are distinctly visible. The analysisof the manners of extending fields of museum education byeducators-curators enabled the identification of a set of recommendationsfor initiating display projects implemented andco-created by the education department staff. In the presentationof the research results the focus has been put on threeareas in which the shift was observed: types of knowledgeorganizing thinking about the display; perception and applicationof educators’ competences; and shaping informal relationsand producing institutional trust. The paper speaks infavour of the necessity to take into account the experience andcompetences of the education department employees whencreating valuable exhibitions and consolidating good relationswith committed public.