Public Program Planning

Title: Public Program Planning
Assessment type: Written Report
The aim of this assignment is to put into practice the reading you have been doing and your learning from the discussions and activities in class. You are to prepare a development plan for a public program of your choice.
This could be, for example, a program for a school group, a holiday activity for a family group, a guided tour, development of a young children’s program/space, a theatrical performance for a public space in a museum, a demonstration or an interpretation plan for an exhibition.
You should specify the institutional type and relate it to the mission and aims of your chosen site. Some students find it useful to base it on an upcoming exhibition – to make the activity more concrete. A plan for a session of about one hour’s duration is expected. The theoretical basis of your plan should be included.
This assignment should be the equivalent of about 2,000 words however it may be developed in any appropriate alternative form.
It would be most appropriate to select a public program at a gallery / museum with which you are familiar (and perhaps at which you work).
While the plan is not due until the end of the term, you should develop your idea throughout the term, as there will be activities designed to workshop your ideas.
Outline your plan considering the following (as appropriate):
What is the purpose of your program (ie: what do you want the participants to learn/experience?) and who is/are your target audience/s?
What theoretical underpinnings do you consider to be appropriate for your program?
Consider the elements of the program that you think would be most appropriate to help visitors have an enjoyable learning experience.
What considerations do you need to make to suit the age, experiences, interests, physical needs of the audience?
What would be an appropriate length/scope for the program?
What staff would be needed/involved and what training/expertise would they need?
What materials would be needed?
How does the program link to the museum’s holdings/exhibits?
Consider costs and feasibility of these costs.
The program does not need to be in detail (eg no need for full text of a guided tour), but it must show the sequence and elements involved.