International Case Studies

MLA has compiled this list of case studies describing successful international museum, library and archive projects.

British Council’s Henry Moore Exhibition in China

The Henry Moore exhibition was the British Council’s first significant cultural event in China since Tiananmen Square. It reached more than a million people, and the extensive media coverage was highly positive, praising the exhibition as innovative, inspiring and a catalyst for strengthening ties between China and the UK.

British Council’s Turning Points exhibition

‘Turning Points: 20th Century British Sculpture’ was the first major exhibition of British art to be seen in Iran since the founding of the Islamic Republic in 1979. The exhibition changed Iranian perceptions of Britain, and brought the artistic communities of both countries into real contact for the first time.

Taking Flight at Cartwright Hall

Taking Flight , an exhibition at Bradford’s Cartwright Hall, presented the work and experiences of three Bradford artists’ at the Basant Kite Festival in Lahore, an event of major cultural significance for a substantial community in Bradford. The event successfully engaged the community and generated first time visits to Cartwright Hall by children who had visited the Festival in Lahore.

Cartwright Hall's Exchange with Hamm

Twin cities Bradford and Hamm, in Germany, are using reciprocal exhibitions involving contemporary artists in Bradford and Hamm to generate positive publicity in both countries and enhance twinning. The project is part of Bradford’s Urban Cultural programme which will help put the region on the map.

Derbyshire County Council’s Involvement in Africa@21

Derbyshire readers and librarians were given an inspirational taste of leading African writers through a special library promotion and live links with Namibia, as part of Africa@21. The British Council piloted this project in a bid to promote new audiences for African literature and to exchange skills between the UK and Africa.

Derbyshire Record Office’s Archive of the Gell Family of Hopton

Derbyshire Records Office has drawn on the knowledge of a Zambian scholar to understand the significance of one of its holdings linked to the British South Africa Company in the early 20th century enabling them to promote a little known resource to academics and researchers.

Royal Albert Memorial Museum Totem Pole Project

Schools from across Devon were introduced to the living traditions of Vancouver Island through the Royal Albert Museum’s Totem Pole project which involved a 25-strong group from the Nuu-chah-nulth Nation. The project gave the museums’ collections new life and increased their educational impact as children returned to the museum to follow the progress of the carving.

Gilbert Collection’s Hungarian exhibitions

The Gilbert Collection’s two exhibitions , showing treasures from Hungary’s finest gold and sliver collections for the first time in the UK, provided the opening and concluding events of Magyar Magic, a celebration organised by the Hungarian Ministry of Culture. This event gave two nations a better understanding of each others cultural heritage.

The Herbert Museum’s new Peace and Reconciliation Gallery

The Herbert, Coventry’s Museum and Art Gallery unites Coventry’s twin cities through a new Peace and Reconciliation Gallery , to complement the city’s broader international peace work and enhance its international image.

Lincolnshire Libraries’ work with the Portuguese community

Portuguese cultural events in Lincolnshire libraries, facilitated by the Portuguese Embassy were held in 2004 to help build bridges between the UK’s largest concentration of guest workers from Portugal and the broader community. The initiative followed race riots in Boston, Lincolnshire and forms part of Lincolnshire County Council’s social inclusion and cohesion work.

Manchester Museum’s Postcards from Tanzania

Representatives from the Museum of Village Life in Dar Es Salaam helped to create an exhibition at the Manchester Museum introducing new perspectives in interpretation and helping to document part of the Museum’s collection in store.

National Archives of Scotland Conservation Exchange with the Czech Republic

The National Archives of Scotland engaged in a mutually beneficial conservation exchange with the State Central Archives in Prague to plug a recruitment gap.

William Hodges Exhibition on Tour from the National Maritime Museum

The National Maritime Museum tours overseas with its William Hodges Exhibition to extend its reach and raise its profile.

Reading Across the Lines

Schools in County Durham are exchanging creative writing work with schools in Novosibirsk in Siberia as part of ‘Reading Across the Lines’, an innovative reader development exchange programme involving creative writers, libraries and schools. The project is a commitment to sharing Britain’s expertise in reader development and increase interest in its contemporary literature.

Somerset County Council’s Participation in the Public Libraries International Network

The implementation of a global internet service giving users of Somerset Libraries access to a 24 hour, seven day a week enquiry service is just one of the improvements Somerset Council has delivered through their involvement in the Public Libraries International Network .

Oral History Unit at Southampton City Council

An online exhibition with five European partners sharing how regeneration has been approached in other port cities is one of the initiatives enabling Southampton’s Oral History Unit to introduce new perspectives to their work and extend beyond the parochial.

Stoke on Trent Library’s online Readers Group with Ohio

Stoke on Trent Library is enabling elderly, visually impaired readers to exchange views on books and life with correspondents in America through an online readers group exchange with Cleveland, Ohio.

Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum - Kalahari Project

Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum’s Voices of the Kalahari project brought the living traditions of the Kalahari bushmen to Glasgow’s inner city children. It has been particularly valuable to young people by allowing them to learn about another culture, and highlighting common ground with their own culture.

Chinese New Year at the Victoria and Albert Museum

Artists and craftsmen from China breathe new life into V&A’s collections and engage a large audience for Chinese New Year special event .

Iranian Night at the Victoria and Albert Museum

A special event which featured talks by an Iranian film director, film showings, multi-media installations including work by renowned Shirin Neshat, fashion, music, food and dancing was one of the Victoria and Albert Museum’s most popular “Friday Lates” ever. Well over 4,000 people attended with around thirty per cent coming from London’s Iranian community.

Bollywood Image and Identity Exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum

Image and Identity , a project run by the V&A in partnership with regional museums, used an exhibition of Bollywood cinema posters and film poster artists from Mumbai to encourage young people to explore their own image and identity.