Small Space, Big Ideas: The Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology

Abstract

The Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, UCL, displays material from the pre-dynastic period of Egypt, from all periods through the Old, Middle and New Kingdoms – as well as from Ptolemaic, Roman, Coptic and Islamic Egypt. This range illustrates the diversity of antiquity in the Eastern Mediterranean and down the Nile Valley into Africa. The refurbishment of the museum last summer has enabled us to use the main gallery much more for teaching (Fig. 1), because we now have a seminar space, as well as being able to seat more people in the museum for our public events. After a short closure, we reopened in September 2010, since when our visitor numbers have increased by around 60% – and there have been more public events, book launches, meetings, seminars and discussions than ever before. We struggle to meet the demand for use of our space and juggle the needs of researchers. The Petrie Museum is, despite the size and range of its collections, a small museum in terms of space and resources. My job as Audience Development Officer at the museum is to raise its profile (both within the University and externally), increase its usage, expand audiences and run engaging learning activities. There has been a regular public programme at the museum since 2007, and interest in the talks, films and trails we put on has increased. One of the good things about being a ‘smaller’ university museum is the freedom to experiment with activities and articulate differing ideas about the ancient world, cultural heritage and Egypt. Another great aspect is the access we have to people and cutting edge research. Recently, I invited some PhD students from the Institute of Archaeology to give talks at the Petrie as part of our public programme. The newly refurbished space can comfortably seat about 40 and is intimate enough for there to be a good discussion afterwards (rather than just having a typical Q & A session). The museum is a perfect conduit for public engagement in a relatively informal environment. I have found that people are particularly appreciative of hearing about new research from postgraduates and, apart from fitting into the ‘impact’ agenda, it provides an excellent experience for the researchers delivering the talks.