The Sue and Ian Purdy Lecture with Luke Syson, Director and Marlay Curator - “Winds of change”

“Museums are not the relatively simple places they once were. When I began my career at the British Museum nearly thirty years ago, it was just beginning to change with curators, many of them up to that point squirrelled away writing catalogues for other scholars, urged to be more ‘outward-facing’. Over three decades museums have, quite rightly, become ever more conscious of their public role -providing learning but also entertainment and experiences. How then should a university museum - this university museum - with one of the greatest collections anywhere, a jewel in the crown of one of the world’s great universities, seek to marry tradition with the most exciting developments in visitor engagement? How might the Fitz remain a place for cutting-edge research but become, dare one say it, more fun, more relevant to people’s lives. We’re thinking hard at the moment - and this lecture will be a wonderful opportunity to share our ideas.” - Luke Syson