By Daniel H. Mutibwa
Museum Objects as Base Material in the Service of a Wide Range of Creative Activities
Introductions underway on arrival at County Hall Leicesterhsire.
The afternoon of Wednesday 5 November 2025 marked the first of our two visits to County Hall Leicestershire in the context of the 3D Printing Museum Handling Objects Placement (3DPP).
Between October 2025 and March 2026, 3DPP piloted the use of 3D‑printed objects for museum handling sessions.
The students participating in 3DPP also undertook in-depth research on the viability of 3D printing objects for museum handling sessions for use at Culture Leicestershire (CuL), Leicestershire Museum Collections facilities, and Creative Learning Services as well as across the museum and heritage sectors nationally.
This visit served two purposes. First, to acquaint the students with relevant leaders and officers and the work they do at Culture Leicestershire (CuL), Leicestershire Museum Collections, and Creative Learning Services at Leicestershire County Council. .
Second, to gain first-hand knowledge and understanding of the contexts and settings within which museum objects are stored, cared for, handled, and used
This knowledge and understanding were particularly useful to the students early on in the placement — providing the background and context within which 3D replicas — generated following 3D printing at the 海角黑料 — were going to be put to use in enhancing and supporting museum work at Leicestershire County Council museum facilities.
Esther Shaw (Community Participation Work, Culture Leicestershire (CuL)) warmly welcomed us. The students learnt that CuL constitutes the Libraries, Heritage, Collections and Learning and Cultural Participation Services at Leicestershire County Council.
Leicestershire Museum Collections collects and cares for objects reflecting the life, interests, and history of Leicestershire's people and places.
Creative Learning Services develops a wide range of resources and offers professional support to stimulate reading for pleasure and creative learning across school curricular within the county of Leicestershire. The students were then introduced to six officers who spent the afternoon with us:
Leaders, officers, and students acquainting themselves with each other and discussing shared affinities and common interests.
- Alison Clague (Senior Curator, Leicestershire Museum Collections);
- Pippa Vidal Davies (Volunteering Manager, Culture Leicestershire);
- Eliza Gilbert (Volunteering Co-ordinator, Culture Leicestershire);
- Lisa Webb (Artworks and Resource Box Officer, Creative Learning Services);
- Kirsty Ballard (Cultural Outreach Manager, Culture Leicestershire); and
- Sian Matthews (Culture To You Project Officer, Culture Leicestershire).
Following introductions, Lisa Webb led students on a tour of the resources, artworks, and collections cared for by the Creative Learning Services team.
It was fascinating to learn about how collections are cared for to ensure that they remained well-maintained and in good condition during storage.
Beyond storage, it was striking to hear about how museum objects are taken and designed as base material to support a wide range of activities — in addition to the typical exhibitions and displays.
We learnt that one activity encompasses storytelling in its many diverse forms in relation to:
- moments from history and associated learning;
- people’s different experiences;
- changes over time; and
- local stories that capture lived experiences.
Museum Objects and the Feelings, Emotions, and Sentiments They Give Rise To
Lisa Webb (centre) handing a wooden sculpture for inspection to one of the students — Martha Sheehy.
The tour of a wealth of unique resources at Creative Learning Services in the Eastern Annexe building in progress.
The vital role that museum objects play in learning and storytelling was made explicitly clear during the object handling sessions run by Lisa Webb first — followed by Kirsty Ballard and Sian Matthews (Culture To You).
When in storage, objects in museums are distanced from people’s feelings, emotions, and sentiments.
As selected objects were passed around for both the students and staff to touch and inspect, expressions of feelings, emotions, and sentiments were invited which was wonderful to see and experience.
This precisely captures the spirit of the ‘Culture To You' project which Kirsty and Sian described as a unique offer that provides access to Leicestershire County Council’s unique art, museum collections, and interactive activities to people in their own homes.
Lisa introducing some of the handling objects that the Creative Learning Services team use in their work, including in schools.
Kirsty and Sian introducing some of the handling objects that the Culture To You team use in their work in non-museum spaces, including people's homes.
It was instructive to learn that sharing objects in non-museum spaces not only allows a wider audience to access them but also creates a fun and interactive experience that features informal (but valuable) learning and individual and collective storytelling.
During the object handling session, the fun and interactive experience was wonderfully scaffolded by an exciting (and helpfully challenging) task sheet titled ‘See, Think, Wonder: Building a Fantasy Museum’.
Here, the students were presented with ‘mystery objects’ whose origins and functions were unknown.
In small groups, the students were invited to::
- look at the object in front of them and to discuss what they saw (including colour, texture, and shape);
- think about what the object could have been used for (including who they thought made it); and
- ask the object a question (such as what they wanted to know about the life of the object).
Based on their discussions and responses, the students were then asked to think about how they would describe the object to a museum visitor using a label.
It was such an instructive exercise — and by extension, a fun and indeed wonderfully interactive experience all round that impressively drew out the students’ personal and collective power(s) of imagination!
Volunteering and Versatility as Key Features of Work in the Museum and Heritage Sectors
Leaders and officers sharing with the students their professional trajectories within the museum and heritage sectors.
The leaders and officers in attendance then spoke to the students about their professional trajectories in the museum and heritage sectors.
One common theme that emerged from this interaction was that volunteering early on was vital not only in helping to build up a strong professional portfolio but also in making a difference to people through culture and heritage work.
Another common theme was that versatility can be instrumental in gaining different knowledges and internalising different ways of working — all of which is beneficial and essential in our constantly changing world of work.
And yet another common theme was that securing a position in the museum and heritage sectors is anything but straightforward.
It is not often that students get to hear about the professional trajectories of industry professionals first-hand, so this was a unique and invaluable opportunity for students..
And not only did the students take away a lot of valuable learning and tips offered generously by leaders and officers, but they also made the most of the opportunity by asking questions and checking their understanding of the opportunities and challenges afforded by the contemporary museum and heritage sectors