Image: A photo demonstrating the visitor analysis at Peterhead Prison Museum (Robert Gordon University (RGU))
University study analyses visitor reactions and engagement at Peterhead Prison Museum
A research project is underway at the Peterhead Prison Museum in Aberdeenshire, examining how visitors engage with challenging exhibits and ‘difficult heritage’.
Set within the preserved prison environment, the study is led by Dr Rachael Ironside from Robert Gordon University (RGU), and aims to provide insights into public reactions to various exhibitions, including a life-like murder scene and isolated prison cells.
Titled ‘Talking about Prisons’, it is funded by The British Academy and will utilise video footage of visitors’ live reactions to analyse their experiences.
Dr Ironside, Associate Professor at RGU, said “We are excited to start this project which seeks to explore visitor interaction at several exhibits within Peterhead Prison Museum.”
“We hope that our research will provide insight into our relationship with difficult heritage in a way that hasn’t been explored previously while also helping museums to design exhibitions based on an increased understanding of how its visitors negotiate complex, and often troubling, aspects of human history.”
She highlighted the growing academic and public interest in dark tourism and prison museums, noting that there is still much to learn about how people engage with ‘difficult heritage’.
Alex Geddes, Operations Manager at Peterhead Prison Museum, said the ongoing research is hoped to “shine a light on the work we do in dealing with difficult heritage,” and said “if the outcome also supports others in a similar field, then for me personally it is a win, win.”
