Site 2 : Understanding the Audience
The audiences for the Manor are varied. Visitors can be part of a school group (20,000 children annually), other large visitor group, or independent (i.e. family group, friend group, individual). The research team, through various visits to the site, have seen all of these groups in 'action' as visitors and audiences. Tony Jackson has tracked a school group through a day's visit, and Jenny Kidd has visited the site as an independent visitor on two occasions. On one of these occasions, King's Day at the Manor, other visitor groups were in evidence, namely large organised groups of visitors, and even groups of costumed volunteers from elsewhere in the UK .
However, the proposed audiences for this study are more limited (yet twofold). Primary school groups taking part in the 'normal' living history experience that LFM represents will make up one group under study (L.i). Alongside this, the research team will study one pilot 'Great Debate' with Key Stage 3 (KS3) school groups (aged 11 to 14), facilitated by select pupils from KS5 (lower sixth). This latter set up will involve 70 pupils from KS3 and 12 from KS5 (L.ii).
Navigation of the Manor without encountering a costumed interpreter is unlikely and, in order to partake in the entirety of the proffered visitor experience, undesirable. Visits thus involve a certain level of co-operation with the idea of performance as an interpretative tool that is unnecessary for visitors to other sites such as NMM (most visitors to LFM presumably know this is what they will encounter ahead of their visit). Some advance warning is also given to visitors at the visitor centre on arrival, including a personal 'good conduct' letter from Col. Pritchard's brother-in-law.
Therefore, the total number of subjects for the research will be.
L.i. 60 - 70 pupils (in 2 class groups)
L.ii. 82 pupils
Totalling nearly 150 pupils of varying ages.
Through the research, it is hoped that the research team will be able to provide in depth discussion of the following:
- Social context of visit - school groups will be the focus of the research, how does this context impact upon the experience? How does it differ from the experience of independent visitors?
- Social positioning - This will enable us to address the 'social inclusion', learning and access aspect of the research questions. Are the sites meeting/challenging/ignoring their written/stated objectives in actuality? (if indeed those objectives can be located).
- Audience positioning - over course of performance. Observation (video, photography, tracking and mapping). This involves liaison between the Manor and the University, and the acquisition of written confirmation of all agreements/permissions.
- Audience Response - At all times it must be ensured that the gathering of data does NOT interfere with the experience of the audience/visitor. This could lead to a skewing of research results.
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