In 2008 Barker Langham were commissioned to develop an exhibition on the explorer, traveller and photographer Wilfred Thesiger, who twice crossed the Empty Quarter Desert in the 1940s. This permanent exhibition, which opened in December 2008, is housed in Jahili Fort in the oasis city of Al Ain.
The content for the exhibition was primarily archival and our work included researching and selecting appropriate collections from museums, stores and published sources. From these we were able to curate the exhibition spaces and develop a narrative based on interpretive themes. Barker Langham were also integral to the production of support material, which included bespoke learning resources, an exhibition catalogue and a short documentary film. In addition, we ran focus groups and conducted interviews with educational users and local people who comprised the target audience.
The success of this exhibition has led to our appointment as oral history curators – collecting stories of former soldiers who served at Jahili Fort. The plan is to incorporate this material into a future exhibition within the fort.
