Olfactory visitor experiences are becoming increasingly popular. Museums and heritage spaces around the world are using scent to engage and develop audiences, contextualise collections and enhance narrative experiences, as well as to inject some fun into exhibitions and programming. But what makes an olfactory visitor experience effective? What expertise and resources are needed to do one well? And how do we go about measuring its impact? This course will explore and address these questions through a range of interactive, discussion-based lectures and hands-on workshops.
Whether using scent for the first time, or refining your olfactory approach, the sessions are designed to hone skills and inspire creativity that can be applied to any museum or heritage context. There will be a balance between developing an understanding around the theory and rationale for using scent, exploring effective examples through case studies, and hands-on activities to test techniques and develop ideas for your own museums.
The programme will include object handling and gallery-based activities at the Ashmolean Museum led by Matthew Winterbottom, curator at the Ashmolean Museum, and a masterclass on sensory interpretation with Tasha Marks, of AVM Curiosities.