The Manchester Bee Hive The Object Dialogue Box featured on this sheet is Box no. 6, commissioned by Manchester Art Gallery. The vessel is a modified beehive containing 19 smaller artworks that have been especially developed to work with Manchester collections. These pieces often have some degree of instant, but distorted recognition. One object is merged with another to create a hybrid through which our conventional readings of the originals are thwarted. Through this simple process we are forced to look again at what we might normally overlook or dismiss. In this moment our conventional readings are doubted and questions begin to emerge. The type of Learning / Interpretation Using a ‘Dialogic’ approach to learning and interpretation, the facilitator establishes a focused but ‘questions-led’ process rather than searching for pre-ordained specific answers. In this way proportionally more of the responsibility for the learning is placed with the learning group and simultaneously with the individual learner. This approach is intended to extend rather than replace more established didactic methods of learning and interpretation. New Development One of the most significant developments of this box has been a more precise identification of specific themes or narratives within Manchester’s collections. This is important because in the making of the boxes these themes gradually undergo a lateral (rather than literal) translation and distillation into objective visual form. Simply put, pinpointing themes enables the objects to be made with more accuracy. This pinpointing has been made possible by involving a number of gallery staff in a type of thematic mapping process that previously the artists followed intuitively and as a solo practice. By sharing this process at the planning stages dozens of single-word themes were generated. The sifting and constellation of these themes enabled a more accurate matching of the visual narratives of the objects and the artworks on show. Through this matching there is a much higher probability of creative connections being made. How they are used In keeping with dialogic approaches to learning and interpretation each institution is encouraged to develop its own specific methodology for using the boxes. Other than the basic ethos outlined above there are no prescriptive approaches. Each box has a ‘first aid kit’ of questions, idiomatic phrases and prompts, but these are intended as starting points or safety nets. One reliable approach has been to see the objects act as a fulcrum point, a hub, or a compass to help learners navigate unusual routes through the galleries and make unexpected links with collections. When used in this way the objects provide a bridge between the personal knowledge of the individual and the ‘objective’ knowledge (facts) about the institution or subject being considered. In this way, the personal knowledge and questioning attitude of the learner is legitimately linked in creative dialogue with the subject. One way to perceive the Object Dialogue Boxes is as creative catalysts. They can be used for short creative discussions, or for much more sustained projects where the learning processes can be explored in more depth alongside other skills. With the right facilitator, the learner’s creative engagement can be extended into writing or making projects that expand specific themes or topics. Practical exercises can be used as a way of assimilating and integrating aspects of creative learning that might have been outlined in earlier dialogue. Who might use the Boxes? The products and processes that make up the Object Dialogue Boxes have been extensively tested through action research projects and independent evaluations. They have been shown to have a significant and positive impact upon learning at most levels. A full range of people - from primary and secondary school learners, to adult learners of all kinds, have used all the Boxes effectively.
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