Heritage as Process: Constructing the Historical Child’s Voice Through Art Practice TAYLOR, Rachel Emily Available from Sheffield Hallam University Research Archive (SHURA) at: http://shura.shu.ac.uk/25151/ This document is the author deposited version. You are advised to consult the publisher's version if you wish to cite from it. Published version TAYLOR, Rachel Emily (2018). Heritage as Process: Constructing the Historical Child’s Voice Through Art Practice. Doctoral, Sheffield Hallam University. Copyright and re-use policy See http://shura.shu.ac.uk/information.html Sheffield Hallam University Research Archive http://shura.shu.ac.uk Heritage as Process: Constructing the Historical Child’s Voice Through Art Practice Rachel Emily Taylor A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirement of Sheffield Hallam University for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy October 2018 Declaration I, Rachel Emily Taylor, declare that the enclosed submission for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, consisting of a written thesis, a box containing artefacts from workshop sessions, two accompanying publications, field notes, two CDs containing films and audio tracks, and a website displaying visual material from the research, meets the regulations stated in the handbook for the mode of submission selected and approved by the Research Degrees Sub- Committee of Sheffield Hallam University. I declare that this submission is my own work and has not been submitted for any other academic award. The use of all materials from sources other than my own work has been properly and fully acknowledged. i “I wasn’t crying about mothers,” he said rather indignantly. “I was crying because I couldn’t get my shadow to stick on. Besides, I wasn’t crying.” Peter Pan ii ABSTRACT Heritage as Process: Constructing the Historical Child’s Voice Through Art Practice David Harvey describes heritage as a ‘process’ that is not inert and takes place in the present (2010). In heritage practices there are opposing discourses and positions. Artists add another voice to the discourses of heritage and have been described as ‘critical figure[s] in the heritage process’ (Howard, 1998) because they present institutional critique, craft new heritage, and open up ‘Authorised Heritage Discourse’ (Smith, 2006). The role of the artist in this process is explored through practice and the critique of works by artists, including: Corin Sworn, Andrea Fraser, and Danh Vo. This study challenges how art and artists are used in heritage practices, and proposes that artworks that have not been commissioned by heritage institutions can still be used to critique the processes of heritage. The study focuses on historical biographies at the Foundling Museum in London: a ‘museum of childhood’ (Harris, 2013). In current heritage practice, children are regarded as passive and their role is ‘obscured’ (Smith, 2013). In the Foundling Museum there is a tension of ownership that stems from the lack of separation between the histories of children and the history of childhood. Often, the adult voice is represented rather than that of the child. Children are often voice-less in the preservation of their history, as this process is generally undertaken by adults on behalf of the children or ‘perhaps for their childhood selves’ (Smith and Pascoe, 2013). Many scholars still fail to differentiate histories of children, which concern actual practices of young people, from histories of childhood that are ideological concepts adults hold of children. This study explores how the voice of the child might be ‘found’ or reconstructed, using art practice as a form of interrogation. The facilitation of workshops with contemporary children provided material to construct the historical child’s voice. The workshops explored the children’s empathetic engagement to the foundlings through role-play and art making; alongside examining the boundaries of freedom and control. Field notes were employed as a method of documentation and critical analysis when photography of children was not permitted due to ethical considerations. Finally, curation of situated artworks were employed as a method to test the communication of the historical voice in the museum. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Many people have helped me complete this project, and I would like to thank the following: • My family, Linda, Ken, and Muriel, who have supported me throughout and without their encouragement, I would not have embarked on this study. • My supervision team, Becky Shaw, Sharon Kivland, and Deborah Middleton. This project would not exist without their insight, patience, and generosity. • A number of museums and archives gave me the opportunity to work with their collections, exhibit, and include them in the research: the Foundling Museum (Alison Duke, Stephanie Chapman, Emma Middleton, and Elisabeth Lee), the Horniman Museum and Gardens (Tom Crowley), the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic (Simon Costin), Bishops’ House Museum (Ken Dash), the Brontë Parsonage Museum (Jenna Holmes), and the London Metropolitan Archive. • My colleagues in Sheffield Hallam University’s research department and the AHRC Heritage Consortium, all of which have provided a sounding-board for my project. In particular, Caroline Claisse, Amelia Knowlson, Louise Finney, Emma Bolland, and Taras Nakonecznyi. • My friends Tom Battey, Tamsin Nagel, Louise Morris, Barry Dodds, Susan Scott, Arabella Walker, and Jasmin Lodge. • Finally, I would like to thank the children who participated in the workshops. iv CONTENTS Declaration i Abstract iii Acknowledgements iv Contents v List of Illustrations viii Introduction 1 Chapter One: Heritage and Childhood 6 1.1. Heritage 6 1.1.1. Heritage Discourse 9 1.1.2. Artists and Heritage 15 1.1.3. The Artists Position In the Retelling of History 24 1.2. Children and Childhood 32 1.2.1 History of Children and Childhood 32 1.2.2. Children in the Heritage Industry 35 1.2.3. Representations of Children in Museums 37 1.2.4. Artists and Children 40 Chapter Two: Method of Practice 44 Initial Experiments 45 Phase I: Artist Residency 46 Part A: In the Museum 46 Part B: In the Archive 47 Phase II: Social Art Practice 49 Part A: Observing the Museum’s Art Workshops 44 Part B: Leading Art Workshops with Children 52 Part C: The Workshop Structure 53 Part D: Drawing and Field Notes as Documentation 55 Phase III: Art Practice as Curation 57 Chapter Three: Single and Multiple Voice 58 3.1. Found Voices 63 3.1.1. In the Archive 63 3.1.2. In Literature 65 v 3.1.3. The Spectator’s Voice 66 3.2. The Constructed Voice 70 3.2.1. The Artist’s Voice 62 3.2.2. The Contemporary Child’s Voice 75 3.5 Ensemble Voices 78 3.5.1. The Anthem 80 3.5.2. An Interruption 83 3.6 Discussions 85 Chapter Four: Freedom and Control 92 4.1. Observed Art Workshops 95 4.1.1. Nursery Workshop, January 2016 96 Reflections 99 Sketch Artwork 100 4.1.2. Nursery Workshop, February 2016 101 Reflections 103 Sketch Artwork 104 4.1.3. School Workshop, February 2016 104 Reflections 108 Sketch Artwork 108 4.2. Artist-led Workshops 108 4.2.1. The School Theatre 109 4.2.3. The Family Home 115 4.2.2. The Museum 117 4.2.4. The School Classroom 121 4.3. Discussion 122 4.3.1. Ethical Restrictions 122 4.3.2. Controlled Space 125 4.3.3. The Children’s Role 129 Chapter Five: Empathy and Over-Identification 131 5.1. The Empathetic Child 134 5.1.1. Painting at Home 134 5.1.2. At the Museum 140 5.2. The Empathetic Spectator 148 5.2.1. The Artist as Spectator 148 5.2.2. Testing Testing 152 5.2.3. Kept Within the Bounds 154 5.3. Discussion 157 5.3.1. The Institutionalised Child 159 vi 5.3.2. Heritage, Empathy, and Indifference 161 Chapter Six: Conclusion 163 Future Directions 169 Bibliography 170 vii LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Introduction Token Display in the Introductory Gallery, The Foundling Museum Photograph: Rachel Emily Taylor Chapter One: Heritage and Childhood Figure 1.1 Silent Sticks, Corin Sworn (2015). Photograph: the Whitechapel Gallery Figure 1.2 Mothertongue, Danh Vo (2015). Photograph: Mousse Magazine Figure 1.3 Diagram of Practice, Rachel Emily Taylor (2019) Figure 1.4 Ragged Children: Mended Lives, the Ragged School Museum (2016) Photograph: Rachel Emily Taylor Figure 1.5 Loose Parts, Simon and Tom Bloor (2013). Photograph: the Whitechapel Gallery Chapter Two: Method of Practice Map of Practice, Rachel Emily Taylor (2018) Chapter Three: Single and Multiple Voice Figure 3.1 Children’s Handwriting Book (detail), the London Metropolitan Archive (1840) Photograph: Rachel Emily Taylor Figure 3.2 Foundling Characters, Rachel Emily Taylor (2016) viii Figure 3.3 Foundling Characters, Rachel Emily Taylor (2016) Figure 3.4 Foundling Characters (performance), Rachel Emily Taylor (2016) Photograph: Michael Day Figure 3.5 Thomas’ Testimony (film still), Rachel Emily Taylor (2016) Figure 3.6 Children’s Handwriting Book, the London Metropolitan Archive (1839) Photograph: Rachel Emily Taylor Figure 3.7 Repeat After Me (film still), Rachel Emily Taylor (2016) Figure 3.8 The Choir at the Foundling Hospital, Robert Barnes (1893) Figure 3.9 An Interruption, Rachel Emily Taylor (2016) Photograph: Rachel Emily Taylor Chapter Four: Freedom and Control Figure 4.1 Field Notes (detail), Rachel Emily Taylor (2016) Figure 4.2 Field Notes (detail), Rachel Emily Taylor (2016) Figure 4.3 Field Notes (detail), Rachel Emily Taylor (2016) Figure 4.4 Triumphant Lamentation (detail), Rachel Emily Taylor (2016) Figure 4.5 Field Notes (detail), Rachel Emily Taylor (2016) Figure 4.6 Field Notes (detail), Rachel Emily Taylor (2016) Figure 4.7 Gin