ST. AUSTELL CHINA CLAY MUSEUM LTD.
RE-ENGAGING THE CLAY COUNTRY WITH THEIR HERITAGE
Project summary for part time Curator
Introduction
The position of part time Curator forms part of a new project entitled ‘Re-engaging the Clay
Country with their Heritage’ The project is part funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and part
funded by the European Agricultural Fund for European Development 2007-2013 which is
delivered on behalf of the South West Regional Development Agency by the Clay Country Local
Action Group.
Wheal Martyn
Wheal Martyn is the only china clay museum in Europe and it preserves the significant historical,
industrial and social heritage of Cornwall’s important China Clay industry and the impact it had on
St Austell and its links worldwide. The charity, St Austell China Clay Museum Limited, was formed
in 1974,
St Austell China Clay Museum Ltd.’s registered objects are:
'To secure for the benefit of the public the preservation, restoration improvements, enhancement
and maintenance of features and objects of historical and industrial interest in the area of St.
Austell and the surrounding districts of Cornwall including the provision of an Industrial Museum
relating to the China Clay Industry and the organisation of meetings, exhibitions, lectures,
publications and other forms of instruction relevant to the historical and industrial development of
central Cornwall.'
In 2010 South West Lakes Trust became the Corporate Trustee of the Wheal Martyn charity.
South West Lakes Trust is the largest combined recreation and conservation charity in the region
and in 2010 was awarded the Queens Award for Enterprise in the Sustainable Development
category. Visit www.swlakestrust.org.uk for more information.
The Museum is based on the site of two former China Clay works within a 26 acre site which
includes woodland walks, ancient buildings, an SSSI and a view into a modern working China Clay
pit at the summit of the site. The buildings on site are made up of the former Victorian
infrastructure much of which is scheducled by English Heritage as an Ancient Monument and
houses displays of artefacts, machinery and an interactive discovery centre as well as a café and
gift shop.
The Museum was designed to preserve the heritage and relate the story of the china clay industry,
which started in mid-Cornwall in the eighteenth century. The Museum holds an extensive
collection of artefacts connected with the China Clay industry. Currently accessioned into the
collection are 4856 objects and 3049 photographs, the vast majority of which are owned by the
museum with a small number of objects on loan. The collection includes an array of items
including paintings, ceramics, tools, band cups, social history artefacts and there are also vintage
commercial vehicles, a locomotive and rolling stock. In addition to this the China Clay History
Society hold a substantial archive of documents, maps, technical drawings and some 100,000
photographs relating to the clay industry and the local area. These items have been donated to the
society, most of which are currently stored in archives off site. The History Society was formed in
2002 and is part of the Museum, the membership currently stands at 240 members.
The project
The project is concerned with re-engaging local people with their heritage through education,
community interaction, interpretation, volunteering and events as well as continuing to safeguard
the heritage through documentation and preservation. The project involves both the physical site
at Wheal Martyn as well as the many artefacts, documents and photographs relating to the China
Clay industry and the social history of the Clay Country.
This project will help conserve the unique heritage of the china clay region through the
employment of a part time curator and a part time learning officer. By working with local
volunteers from the China Clay History Society and local community these officers will further
preserve, enrich and extend the knowledge of the Clay region and our China Clay mining heritage.
The curator will work to enhance the visitor experience by developing a programme for refreshing
exhibitions and enhancing their educational and learning potential for different audiences such as
families and schools, taking into account recommendations from a recent professional review of
the museums interpretation and displays which was carried out by an outside consultant in 2010.
This will include enhancing interpretation, improvements and additions to the audio visual
interpretation on site and the introduction of changing displays to maximise the use of the
collection, increasing its accessibility to the general public and encouraging a greater audience
and repeat visits.
The curator will also work to further safeguard the museums collection by ensuring that the
collection is well documented and by looking at conservation and restoration of specific artefacts
based on priorities which will be identified following a professional audit of the collection which we
intend to commission shortly.
The curator will lead a team of volunteers to continue the documentation and accessioning work of
the museum while they can then concentrate on making the collection accessible and engaging
with the local community.
In parallel to the work of the curator a part time education officer will focus on the rich heritage of
the china clay area; enabling people to learn about past lives, find out how our mining heritage
influences us today and look ahead to the clay region’s future.
The introduction of a education officer will enable the museum to offer an enhanced educational
service to the schools that currently visit, maximising their learning experience by offering tailored
packages, and hands on activities, this will enable schools to spend more time at Wheal Martyn
taking advantage of an educational offer which is structured to link with various aspect of the
modern curriculum. The officer will work with our volunteer guides to ensure they too are able to
deliver a quality educational experience.
The education officer will also engage with schools which currently do not visit the museum as well
as linking in with relevant college and university courses and will widen the remit of our educational
package to explore aspects of the china clay industry and the local area in the past, present and
future.
In addition an educational unit will be developed by Sense of Place that can be used by schools
and will sign post Wheal Martyn as a place for out of classroom learning. The unit will be focused
on the china clay industrial and cultural heritage and regeneration of the Clay Country and will be
used by local primary and secondary schools as a transitional unit for pupils moving from key
stage 2 to key stage 3.
Activities will be organised by both officers that will help to engage local people with their heritage
and offer visitors a more in-depth understanding of it. This will again widen our audience and
encourage individuals, families and groups to visit for specific events and provide reasons for them
to return.
Some of the key activities for project include:
•- Recruitment of a curator and learning officer
- Establish contact with local Primary and Secondary Schools, consult with them and seek
feedback
- Develop and deliver new and more educational experiences and provide out reach
education through loan boxes and a specially developed “sense of place educational unit”
- Re engage the local population with heritage through community events
- Recruit and train volunteers to assist with collections care, curating exhibitions and the
delivery of educational activities
- • Present the museum in a readily accessible manner to as wide an audience as
practicable
- Host events to bring Wheal Martyn back into the heart of the community
For any further information please contact Colin Vallance on 01727 850362