The Archives, Collections and Objects Research Network (ACORN)
The Archives, Collections and Objects Research Network (ACORN) brings together historians, practitioners, educators and curators with a shared interest in exploring the potential of collections and archives for research in art and design.
Participants in this multidisciplinary network are active in conducting and supporting research that involves the study of objects, images and documents in a wide range of collections and archives, including those held by MMU within both the Faculty of Art & Design and the University Library. One of the aims of ACORN is to extend awareness and knowledge of these holdings and to promote, facilitate and enhance their use as resources for different types of research.
Of equal importance, ACORN provides a forum for sharing information on research resources and projects, as well as opportunities to discuss and debate issues related to the role of collections and archives in the study of art and design and its associated institutions. While collections and archives are widely recognized as important resources for historians and practitioners in art and design, their research value is often seen as self-evident, and they are exploited in a superficial and unreflexive way. Moreover, the cultural, historical and institutional integrity of collections and archives is generally disregarded and overlooked as a focus of research in its own right. ACORN aims to stimulate a broader, more critical engagement with collections and archives, enabling a fuller exploration of their potential, encouraging innovative research methodologies, and opening up the intellectual accessibility of resources.
A further key element of ACORN’s role is to initiate and support the development of collaborative projects with a range of partners, in particular the archives, libraries, museums and galleries sector. Enquiries regarding PhD supervision are also welcomed.
To summarise, ACORN aims to:
- conduct and support research involving the use of objects, archives and collections held at MMU and elsewhere
- foster awareness of the potential of MMU’s collections and archives, and promote, facilitate and enhance the use of these as research resources
- initiate and organise conferences, symposia, seminars and other events
- by means of the above events and through publications, projects, and participation in other subject-specific networks, provide a forum for
- discussing issues related to the use of collections and archives for research in art and design
- disseminating knowledge of various collections and archives, their research value and projects associated with them
- stimulating innovative and reflexive approaches to the use of collections and archives for research in art and design
- develop links with museums, galleries, archives and libraries
- initiate and support the development of collaborative and cross-sectoral research projects
For further information, please contact John Davis or Dr Simon Ford