When we think about curation, we naturally think of traditional museums and the great effort that goes into organising and caring for the objects that are displayed within. We imagine rooms full of old relics and hidden artwork waiting to be dusted off and revealed in their full glory. Museum curators are like mysterious guardians of the past who tell a story through a careful selection process that may begin with thousands of items. Yet, curation can be applied to many areas of culture and entertainment, both old and new.
What is a Curator?
The term curator is most commonly used to describe anyone who uses their years of knowledge and expertise to handpick art, music or any form of entertainment to satisfy a target audience. A great example in Sheffield would be the DocFest, an international film and arts festival which champions documentary filmmaking alongside art to spark debate and influence change. The organisers’ curate over 150 feature-length and short documentary premieres from dozens of countries worldwide with more than 60 languages represented. In addition, over 30 artists and art collectives are represented at the festival.
Music Curation
A music festival is another example of a form of entertainment that is curated. Events such as Tramlines Festival, which is next due to be held in Hillsborough Park in 2022 require careful curation to tailor the line-up to the audience. The event features the Leadmill Stage which is curated by the BBC Introducing scheme. This brings new acts to the attention of the festival audience where they’ll feature alongside the Main Stage acts such as The Streets, Royal Blood, Supergrass and Dizzee Rascal.
Museum Curation with a Modern Twist
The National Videogame Museum in Sheffield is proof that not all museums are full of ancient relics. When the centre opened in 2015, it was the first of its kind in the world and was visited by over 100.000 visitors in its first three years. The curators host many exhibitions and educational programs. The games are curated into bundles which are groups of games that explore commons ideas or concepts. The museum has since won many awards and has become one of the key proponents of the video game world.
Content Curation
Curation can come in many forms. TV streaming platforms such as Netflix or Amazon curate a schedule of shows and series to satisfying their subscribers. This varies from region to region and is selected based on audience viewing habits and preferences.
In social media, content curation is now a popular practice. It follows the principle that publishers don’t need to write, produce or design all of their own content. Instead, they can search for content that might be entertaining, important or useful to their existing readers. Providing the content is delivered in the right way, it can be a great way of boosting engagement and reach.
Curation of Products, Services & Merchandise
Other websites curate lists of recommended products for customers by analysing their features and benefits and ranking them accordingly. If you are looking to book a holiday, you can use a travel comparison site to find flights, hotels and hire cars. The same thing applies in the world of online casinos because if you are looking to play online games, you can check out a casino bonus comparison site for the best welcome offers and free spins. Sites like this help list all of the relevant offers, guiding players to the most appropriate deals, and explain what each one means.
Even more, if you are buying a new turntable to play your old vinyl collection, you’ll find a website out there to help you choose the best sound for your budget. A huge number of products and services are served by curated comparison sites to aid your decision-making process.
Everyone’s a Curator
If you think you have never curated anything in your life, think again. If you have ever put together a Spotify playlist to share with friends, you are a curator. If you have ever put together a recommended reading list for a friend or a book club, you are a curator. If you have ever discussed your favourite goals of all time with your mates in the pub, you are a curator.
There are always times in our lives when we use the knowledge we have gained to select, organise and present what we feel is the very best representation of content, merchandise or information available. Sometimes, we don’t even realise we are doing it.
