When exploring the Great North Museum, I was impressed at how vast the collections were. There is a lot to explore and also a lot that could be missed in just one visit. Most of the sections were visually captivating and unique, however, the sections that interested me the most were the ones that featured wildlife.
I am interested in animals and nature, especially those that are local to the North of England. We were told that some sections of the museum are due to be rethought and reorganised, specifically those about ancient history. These sections required me to spend more time in order to understand the stories and meaning behind the pieces.
We were shown around the museum by Ruth, who explained about the ethics of having some of the relics on show. She told us that it is hard to know whether it is morally correct to display some relics because the way that they have come to be in the museum's possession is not acceptable in the modern day. I enjoy learning about the meaning and historical significance behind the relics, it allows me to understand and empathise with the pieces and their unique journey.
This has given me a few ideas when choosing which section I will focus my final composition on. I would like to focus on one of the sets of birds in the museum, this is because I have recently enjoyed using an application on my phone to help identify local birds when out walking. I would like to use this to inspire my work, using field recordings to compose my final piece of work. Knowing the stories behind each piece, I intend to write my piece showing respect and care for each item and acknowledging how became part of the Great North Museum.
