How we help
We offer ‘Critical Friend’ insights, feedback, and recommendations on visuals, content and messaging, for exhibitions, websites, and visitor resources
We provide accurate information on architecture, art, archaeology, material culture, and history of medieval Islamic societies (geography, politics, culture, science, literature, etc.), with special expertise on the caliphal period, and al-Andalus (Spain, Portugal)/Islamic West
We offer advice on games and mixed reality to support curatorial strategies and public education
We provide art historical interpretation of specific works/artefacts, including reading and translating Arabic inscriptions
We develop educational resources for K-12 and university learners, to introduce and contextualise specific objects/artworks
Benefits
Wide professional experience advising and working collaboratively with curators and other professionals in GLAM (Galleries, Libraries, Archives, Museums) and cultural heritage organisations
Partnership with Edinburgh Innovations providing support, funding, studentships, and connections to Scottish industry and networks
“Not only is Glaire a pleasure to sit down and talk with, she is a font of information about Islamic art and approaches her work with care. Glaire will give direct and honest feedback about various aspects of your project, along with actionable improvements (when requested and where needed). Glaire gave me insightful feedback on several public-facing texts for a forthcoming exhibition, helping me ensure that they were historically accurate and culturally sensitive. She also outlined resources I could consult for additional information. Since Islamic art is not my area of expertise, I was deeply grateful for her attention to detail and broad knowledge base.”
Heather Alexis Smith, Assistant Curator, Pulitzer Arts Foundation, St. Louis
“Glaire Anderson’s expertise in Islamic art has been invaluable to me for my curatorial research on Arthur Melville, a Scottish artist who visited North Africa in the late nineteenth century. She was swift and efficient in checking the display label for historical accuracy and assisted me in using the correct terminology, suitable for a modern audience.”
Professor Frances Fowle, University of Edinburgh
“I contacted Dr Anderson when developing a display about Islamic science for a major exhibition. Being new to the topic, I sought her guidance on what I had devised, whether my interpretations were sound, my object selections appropriate, and what I had overlooked. Dr Anderson provided expert and accessible feedback, which I appreciated due to my unfamiliarity with the subject. Her assistance helped me to identify a key pairing of objects, which I am now negotiating to borrow for the show.”
Dr. Sue Brunning, Curator, European Early Medieval & Sutton Hoo Collections, The British Museum, London
“Thank you! It felt like a really fruitful and useful conversation both in the context of the exhibition, and for ongoing relationships and thinking about our work as an organisation. Your contributions were fantastic in terms of taking us from research to broader thinking about the issues raised.”
Ruth Bretherick, Research and Public Engagement Curator, Fruitmarket Gallery, Edinburgh
