Compréhension de l'oral

Script

Alistair Hudson (director of Mima): One of the things, we said is, in a way, that everything should become a project. We should, in a way, to, kind of… in order to reprogramme the museum, we need to make the museum more useful to people. So rather than just looking at, say, the galleries and the collections being the main focus of activity, the things like the café, the education space, the community program, and everything else supporting that – what if we flipped it round? And said the main job of the museum, the main job of the institution, is the café, the shop, the education programme, the community programme, the work we do with different constituencies… All these different aspects which normally, the stuff that floats around the core activity – if we flip this around and say that programme, in a way the human programme, is the main activity, and the exhibitions and the collections support that. So you flip the way of working around. Then, also, you think about that in terms of the museum: rather than the state, the superstructure supporting the museum, what if the museum supports the superstructure? What if we become – make the museum involved in everything that's going on in the town? If we get the museum to take part in what's already happening? So could we get involved in housing? Could we get involved in health care? Could we get involved in schools, education? Could we get involved in any aspect of life? What is it the institution, what is it that art can do in the world, that would make a ­difference?

Proposition de compte rendu en français

Dans cette vidéo, Alistair Hudson – directeur du Mima – explique qu'à son arrivée à la tête du musée, son équipe et lui ont cherché à redéfinir la mission du musée, ce qui a consisté à mettre non plus les expositions et les galeries au cœur du dispositif comme traditionnellement, mais, paradoxalement, ce qui est généralement considéré comme « annexe » : café, espace éducation, programme de travail avec la communauté.

Ils se sont également penchés sur l'inversion des rôles entre le musée et la ville : l'idée était que le musée soutienne la ville et ses activités, et non l'inverse.

Il s'est demandé comment le musée pourrait jouer un rôle dans des domaines qui généralement ne sont pas en lien avec lui, tels que le logement, le système de santé ou l'éducation, afin que l'art puisse changer le monde qui l'entoure, dans une certaine mesure.

Compréhension de l'écrit

▶ 1. Alistair Hudson, who is a museum director, explains that to him, art should not just be a financial investment, but should be useful to society, by offering solutions to the problems we encounter. He has already implemented this strategy in the Mima, by organising a free lunch event, thereby contributing to mixing people from different walks of life. He intends to continue in Manchester, where he has already launched an exhibit about joy that focuses on the practicalities of art and intends to set up one about economics. His objective seems to be to make people realise how useful art can be contrary to popular opinion.

▶ 2. Most people believe that a work of art is something you pay for or you admire in a gallery and has a value only in itself. On the contrary, Alistair Hudson considers that the importance of art lies in its potential effect on the world and society – and he intends to do so by flipping round our conception of the place of the museum, to be at the service of the community.

Expression écrite

Sujet A (3^rd opinion)

It is all very well going to a museum, but most of the time, it is a very intellectual process which often leaves you frustrated. You queue for hours before reaching a painting that you don't even have enough time to look at properly because a crowd is pressing around you. I find this very unsatisfactory, and even stressful.

Yet, I have had memorable experiences in work­shops organised around the theme of an exhibition. They offer the advantage of introducing us to something concrete, that helps us understand better what an artist went through during the creative process. Moreover, it enables us to share this moment with our friends, and we have something to bring home other than a memory or a photo.

I remember taking part in such a sculpture work­shop, working with specific tools such as a mallet and a chisel. It was awesome!

(146 words)

Sujet B (2^nd event)

Dear Sir,

I am writing to you today in order to make a suggestion that could make our town more lively and unite the community around a common project.

The idea would be to organise a singing event for Christmas, which would bring together children and elderly people. I thought we could for instance ask the primary school in Fleet Street and the retirement home in the same street, if they'd accept to work together.

This would certainly benefit both groups, as the elderly often tend to enjoy having young people around and act as grand­parents, and the children would discover something new, and become more open-­minded. I already have a potential choirmaster who has volunteered to join us – the one in charge of the church choir. Please let me know if you are interested.

Best regards.

(137 words)