The online 3-day workshop on “Temporary Exhibition Design: Agile Exhibitions in a Rapidly Changing Environment” took place from 11 to 13 June 2021.  

12 heritage managers from Africa (Rwanda, Egypt), Europe (Greece), USA and Asia (Philippines, Syria) have been trained on how temporary exhibitions can enhance and promote the mission of an institution, create new audiences and generate revenue.

Starting from developing an exhibition concept to the point of taking that exhibition on tour, this workshop took participants through every stage of making a memorable exhibition. This workshop also concentrated on creating agile exhibitions that are responsive and adaptable to change. The workshop encouraged active participation and opportunities to share experiences and workshop ideas for future programmes.

The workshop has been conducted by Tessa Pierce and Catherine Sargent. 

Tessa Pierce has worked across multiple art and design organisations to deliver major exhibitions and commissions over the past 8 years, including the Victoria and Albert Museum where she delivered exhibitions such as Tim Walker: Wonderful Things, alongside multiple international tours. Formerly, she has held roles with Groves-Raines Architects, Open Eye Gallery Edinburgh and Edinburgh Art Festival. 

Catherine Sargent was an exhibition project manager at the Victoria and Albert Museum for seven years before becoming a freelance consultant and advisor. While at the V&A, she delivered Cars: Accelerating the Modern World as well as the international tour of You Say You Want a Revolution? Records and Rebels 1966-70. Prior to her work at the V&A, Catherine worked with the collection at the V&A Museum of Childhood.

As well as the people delivering the course, there were also guest lectures of Hikaru Nissanke and Marie Foulston. 

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Hikaru Nissanke, MA Cantab AA Dipl ARB RIBA and Director, OMMX. 

At OMMX, we promote alternative approaches to building that aren’t just about how a neighbourhood looks and feels, but also who and what it stands for. Our approach is rooted in academia but is above all grounded by practice and dialogue with clients, consultants and communities. We build understanding by dealing with facts honestly and people’s feelings sensitively. We create spaces that we can all relate to and that help us relate to one another.

This year, we have been nominated for the EU Prize for Contemporary Architecture, the Lisbon Triennale Début Award and are included on the AJ’s 40 under 40 “a showcase of architecture’s brightest up-and-coming talent”. We’ve been shortlisted to represent the UK at the Venice Biennale in two of the last three open national competitions. Past clients include the V&A, RA, Design Museum, English Heritage, Wellcome Collection and British Library.

Our work has been published widely and we regularly contribute to architectural critique and discourse at institutions across Europe, recently participating in the Architecture Foundation event Introducing New Housing—“a presentation of the best architects and most progressive developers working in the UK today”— and at the Building Centre panel discussion Rethinking The Way We Live.

I currently teach at the AA where I cofounded RAW. RAW stands for Respect Accountability and Wellbeing and is a staff led group that seeks cultural and structural reform to ensure that the AA not only meets its moral and legal obligations but is an inspiring and inclusive place for everyone to work.

This past decade, many of the global challenges have represented a lived reality for us at OMMX. My experience has taught me to communicate clearly, concisely and empathetically when discussing complex and often sensitive issues with different audiences. I am now applying to RDAG to help you shape a built environment that properly caters for the planet, its diverse communities and natural habitats.’

Marie Foulston, Curator and Creative Director

Marie Foulston is an award winning curator and creative director of playful exhibitions, installations and experiences. Most recently she was Curator of Videogames at the V&A where she curated the headline exhibition ‘Videogames’ and founded ‘Parallel Worlds’, an annual conference on the design and culture of games. In 2020 she was director of experimental games festival ‘Now Play This’ at Somerset House. Across her career she has collaborated with a host of international organisations and brands including the Smithsonian, the Game Developers Conference, London Film Festival, Penguin Random House, Channel 4, V&A Dundee, ACMI, the Art Gallery of Ontario and MoPOP.