Quarterly Report: Cyfarthfa Castle Museum & Art Gallery Access and
Outreach Officer
Year Two, Quarter 1 (1/09/2007 – 31/11/2007)
Exhibitions
Exhibition of Cultural Connections in Museum & College
During September and October, the Cultural Connections exhibition was displayed in the museum following the launch at the beginning of September
(see report for year 1, quarter 4). From the end of October to mid November it was displayed in Merthyr Tydfil College as part of a fair-trade event and exhibition.
Workshops and Events
During this quarter, preparations were made for the series of free winter workshops designed to attract members of the local community to the museum and to teach traditional skills. These included stick weaving and mosaic making in November and Victorian decoration and Victorian wreath making in
December. There was a high level of demand for these workshops, and additional workshops were added to the original programme.
Stick Weaving Workshop 8/11/2007
As part of our winter workshops series, a workshop was run in the museum on the traditional craft of stick weaving. Participants were taught how to use weaving sticks to weave wool with most people managing to complete a scarf within the 3 hour session.
All feedback for this event was positive.
Comments from feedback forms include:
“It was great to learn a new skill in a lovely environment and in good company!”
I liked the originality of the craft, it was something uncommon. I liked the quality of the resources and the teaching style and felt really welcomed”
Roman Mosaic Making Workshop 22/11/2007 & 24/11/2007
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Another in our winter workshops series, participants were taught how to mosaic a mirror frame from scratch. This also included a chat and hand-out on the history of mosaic making from the Greeks to the present day. Most people in the workshops had never made a mosaic before the session, and everyone managed to complete their project by the end of the workshop, with some great results.
All feedback for this event was positive. Comments from feedback forms include:
“It was social and relaxed, I liked the fact that we learned to do something in a short period of time rather than having to make a long term commitment. The staff were helpful and friendly.”
“I loved the opportunity to do something different!”
Global Village; Cyfarthfa Park 30/09/2007
As a member of the Global Village Forum, the access & outreach officer was closely involved with the organisation of the Global Village multicultural festival in Cyfarthfa Park. The Global Village is a one-day event in Cyfarthfa Park including a programme of performances, workshops and stalls that celebrate multicultural diversity.
As well as being involved in the organisation of the event, the museum also hired a dark tent (right) at the
Global Village in which to show the Cymal funded
Moving Stories film made with a group of children from ethnic minority backgrounds living in Merthyr Tydfil
(see report for year 1 quarter 4). The group of young people involved in making the film attended the screening together with their families and friends. The film was then screened at half-hour intervals throughout the day to members of the public, alongside the ‘from here to there’ film project made by the
University of Glamorgan.
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The museum also had a stall at the event, with a display relating to local Welsh culture, we offered free Welsh dragon face stencilling, and a Welsh culture quiz based in the museum. The Global Village event also coincided very well with the
Cultural Connections exhibition at the museum.
Outreach Sessions
Sketty Primary School Outreach Session: Roman Life 3 Day Workshop 16/10,
17/10 and 19/10/2007
Working with the museum’s education officer, this new outreach session for schools was devised with the aim of expanding the schools outreach service in
2008, offering Roman, Egyptian and Victorian outreach sessions that incorporate educational and craft activities. Three workshops were held with classes of children group aged 6-9 on consecutive days, teaching them about Roman life and incorporating a range of arts and crafts activities.
Day 1: The Roman Army
The group were taught about the Roman army and Roman marching camps, were signed up to the Roman army, given Roman names and taught how to march and fight in formation. They also tried on replica armour, and were taught about how the Romans dressed for battle.
Day 2: Roman Crafts
On the second day we explored Roman dress and Roman crafts. We looked at the different types of clothes worn by members of society and the group dressed up in togas and made their own Bulla (necklaces worn by young Romans). They were taught how to wash like Romans using olive oil.
On the second day we also looked at cooking and food storage. The children made their own amphora using self-drying clay and we used replica Roman pots to demonstrate how they stored and cooked food.
Day 3: Roman Banquet
On day three, we held a Roman banquet. The children dressed in the togas and the room was laid out in the shape of a triclinium.
The group were divided up into slaves and emperors and took turns to prepare and serve each other food: they were taught about the master/slave relationship
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and the different foods that the Romans ate and tried a range of foods, including honey, yoghurt, flat breads, fresh and dried fruit and olives. They were taught about Roman banqueting practices, including the vomitarium!
Tours & Museum Visits
Youth Offending Team ISSP: 12/10/2007, 1/11/2007 & 29/11/2007
A series of visits to Cyfarthfa Castle Museum have been incorporated into an
OCN in Active Citizenship being offered to young offenders who are going through the Caerphilly Youth Offending Team Intensive Supervision and
Surveillance Programme.
Working in close co-ordination with Amy Thomas, Project Development Officer, a workbook was devised which closely meets the requirements of the OCN. The workbook includes an industrial history gallery trail based on objects in the collection, and a session working with the handling collection. This is an ongoing project in which groups of OCN students will be visiting the museum on several occasions over the next year.
Conferences attended:
15/11/2007 Young People, Heritage and Culture: Creating a Future from the
Past; National Museum, Cardiff
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