Tea in the Attic 2011

Tea in the Attic

What: Tea in the Attic is the Museum Studies PhD discussion group.
Who: While it primarily constitutes PhD students from the School of Museum Studies, visiting students and PhD students from other departments at the University of Leicester who are interested in our topics of discussion are welcome.
When: It meets every Wednesday fortnight, in the Collections Room of the School of Museum Studies from 5-7pm. We head to the Lansdowne pub afterwards.
We are an informal group, which aims to discuss topics that are relevant to the multidisciplinary nature of Museum Studies in an open, supportive and comfortably intellectual environment.
Sessions are based largely around group discussion of a topic which is allocated in advance. One or two people take responsibility for the planning of each session. Participants should expect some degree of preparation, but not so much that it is difficult to fit around their studies (e.g. around half an hour’s reading).
People bring their own drinks. Nibbles and cakes can also be brought along to share.
Examples of possible focusses for discussion:
 Journal article
 TV programme (watched before or during session)
 Photographs of a museum visit
 An object or collection of objects
 A visitor - “In conversation with...” (but not a lecture)
 Bluffer’s guides to areas of theory or research practice
 Test-running conference papers
 Weekend group visits to museums
 Anything else that fits the format and that might be interesting to the group.
Sessions will be planned for a semester at a time, and advertised on the Attic blog. As it just so happens, the next session will be led by yours truly ("J") and will focus on museums in comedy. It will be LOLarious. We will then turn serious and set up a more formal timetable for the rest of the semester - get your thinking caps ready, kids! (If any Archaeology, Art History, History or other PhDs would like to join us, get in touch!)