The Centre for Design History is delighted to welcome curator of art and design Laurie Bassam, Brighton & Hove Museums, to discuss her career and socially engaged practice.

Finding your Curatorial Voice: Contemporary Practice in Historic Institutions

Laurie Bassam, Curator: Art, Design and Craft, Brighton & Hove Museums

November 6th Hellerup Staircase, Mithras House, Moulsecoomb Campus, 4-5pm

How do you find your curatorial voice within the structure of a museum—and why does it matter? In this talk, curator Laurie Bassam reflects on their journey through institutions like V&A Dundee, the National Trust for Scotland, and Brighton Museum to explore what it means to shape meaningful, relevant exhibitions in public-facing spaces. Laurie shares insights on developing a curatorial perspective, working collaboratively within museum teams, and balancing institutional priorities with personal conviction. This is a practical, reflective talk for anyone curious about a career in the museum sector, and what it means to curate in a modern context, within historic collections and institutions.

Laurie Bassam is a curator and creative producer with a background in museum practice, having worked in the last decade for a diverse range of institutions including V&A Dundee, the National Trust for Scotland, and Brighton Museum. Their curatorial work is grounded in public engagement, collaboration, and socially responsive storytelling. Laurie has developed exhibitions and interpretation projects that bridge historical collections with contemporary voices, always with an emphasis on accessibility and inclusive practice.

Laurie has worked on huge range of exhibitions and projects including; Burns Online (digitising the Robert Burns Manuscript Collection), Night Fever (curating club culture 1960-now) and Plastic (Remaking our world, how plastic has shaped the modern design world – a cross country curatorial project, working with V&A London and Vitra Design Museum.) Laurie is particularly interested in how contemporary audiences engage with social and political themes; and how design objects can be used to bridge the gaps between our collective histories, stories and public institutions.

What is IOTA II?

IOTA II – IOTA stands for Image, Object, Text, Analysis, and was the title of a seminar series established by dear former colleagues Louise Purbrick and Jill Seddon. IOTA II aims to resurrect the inclusive nature of the original IOTA, bringing together students, colleagues and all interested parties from beyond the university to consider the visual and material world from a wide range of perspectives. It is a space for work-in-progress to be shared and nurtured, and for our research to be celebrated.

Image credit: (C) Murdo Macleod, with the Permission of V&A Dundee.