SOCL

Strengthening Our Common Life

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Chiedza Mhondoro: GAMELAN : DEBUSSY AND BEYOND

It’s been over 30 weeks and OMI’s Cheerleader is still in the UK Top 10 - and also remains one of my go-to songs on Spotify - showing that World Music continues to have an influence in Europe. My music knowledge is quite basic and I’m quite content with the regular BBC Radio One playlist but have enjoyed learning more about the Gamelan, especially since doing a radio show on it on Resonance FM.

Squeezed in between navigating a new work environment, familiarising myself with a 21 acre site and trying to remember the names of my new colleagues, I was introduced to Southbank Centre’s gamelan Kyai Lebdhåjiwå (The Venerable Spirit of Perfection) as part of my induction. 

If you find yourself at an Indonesian wedding, play, birthday, coming of age celebration, village cleansing ritual or any other ceremony integral to Indonesian life, you’ll most probably hear the melodic gamelan tones and rhythms rising from the striking of a variety of instruments. The gamelan is an orchestra of mainly percussion-based instruments of gongs, metallophones, drums and more.

Southbank Centre received its gamelan in 1987 from the Government of the Republic of Indonesia, making it the first non-educational institution in the UK to house the instrument. What started off in Europe as an instrument and music ensemble known primarily amongst academics and musicians, the gamelan has reached far, becoming part of the UK National Curriculum and influencing musicians from other genres.

Claude Debussy – La Mer

The famous classical music composer Claude Debussy came across the gamelan at the Paris Exposition of 1889 and started incorporating the seemingly simple structures and rhythms into his work. The gamelan’s heterophonic textures (variations added onto a single melody) can be in heard in Pagodes from Estampes (1903).

John Newton Howard – Touring the City and The Secret Swim

Howard, who composed the film scores for Pretty Woman, Blood Diamond and The Hunger Games (all three) used traditional gamelan-esque sounds to represent the beautiful and mystical people of Atlantis in the 2001 Disney film.

Michael Davies and Alexandre Desplat – Camera Obscura

Two years after Atlantis Davies, and Desplat brought the alluring sounds of gamelan to a Dutch painter’s studio in Girl With A Pearl Earring. As Scarlett Johansen and Colin Firth peek into a 17th Century camera obscura, gamelan chimes can be heard over a violin composition.   

Björk – Crystalline

Björk had a ‘gameleste’ made for her 2011 album Biophilia. This hybrid instrument between a gamelan and a celesta (music box with a keyboard played in a similar way to a piano) features on some of the experimentalist-pop songs in the album. Crystalline starts with metallic percussion and concludes with electronic beats and rhythms, bringing traditional gamelan sounds into the pop music easily heard on a BBC Radio One playlist.

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Chiedza Mhondoro: REFUGEES, IMMIGRANTS AND ART EXHIBITIONS

What do asylum seekers and refugees in the UK need? Food? Shelter? 10 minutes with a GP? Would you add art exhibitions to that list? A friend of mine got me thinking about this when talking about Adopting Britain, an exhibition curated by Southbank Centre in partnership with Counterpoints Arts.

Counterpoints Arts is an organisation that supports art by and about migrants, asylum seekers and refugees. Adopting Britain explores the many reasons why these groups of people migrate to the UK, alongside their experiences of making a home in the UK and the contribution they have made to the British arts. 

Over the past few months we’ve been bombarded with information and opinions on immigration, with so many of the opinions being negative. We’ve heard about the health tourists, job snatchers and Muslim terrorists that flee their make-shift camps in Calais, flood our shores and make a beeline for the benefits office. These labels don’t really reflect the truth or that each person who comes to the UK has an individual story.

Donald migrated to the UK in the 50s alongside other West Indians who had been recruited directly by London Transport to keep the city running. He worked as a bus conductor for 9 years and loved working with his bus driver Sid. One of their colleagues wasn’t as nice as Sid and compared him to the gollywog on the packaging of Robinson's jam. Donald was put off eating jam for years.

Steve was a naval engineer and travelled the world on a Singaporean ship. When docked at a UK port, he would visit his cousin in London and they would often go to the cinema in Leicester Square. A woman caught his eye at this cinema one day and after dating a while, he decided to permanently settle in the UK to start a family with her.

Steve at Southbank Centre

Bus Conductor Donald Hinds, c.1965 © TfL from the London Transport Museum collection

Hajy came to the UK from Iraq to seek asylum. His application was refused and so he went to Sweden where his application was also refused. He was deported back to Iraq where just days after his arrival, his three grandchildren were killed in a car bomb. Three years after this, Hajy himself was shot in the head by a gunman. 

Hajy Khalil by Behjat Omer Abdulla

When Hajy came to the UK to seek asylum he most probably needed food, shelter and access to healthcare, but he equally needed a voice. I’d never heard of Hajy until the day before Adopting Britain opened when the artist's account of his story was discovered on the back of the portrait.

After our physical needs have been met and we have shelter, we all want to feel as though our lives and experiences matter. It matters that Hajy was shot by a gunman, just as it matters that Donald was the victim of a racial stereotype and that all three men are lumped together and given false labels. They deserve to have their stories heard.

Adopting Britain, and the other exhibitions that Counterpoints Arts support, places a value on the people whose personal stories are explored in the works on display. Art is beneficial to those individuals and to society as a whole. After hearing Hajy’s tragic story, are we not encouraged as a society to challenge the dangerous rhetoric around immigration?

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Chiedza Mhondoro: ARTS AND CULTURE, A HUMAN RIGHT?

Article 31 - Every child has the right to relax, play and join in a wide range of cultural and artistic activities.

Just as I'm about to start the second half of my SOCL traineeship, I have the time to pause and reflect on how Southbank Centre honours article 31 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Children, the starting point for last October's WHY? What’s Happening for the Young festival. 

I’m ashamed to say it but I had no idea what the UNCRC was before starting my 12 month traineeship at SBC in September 2014. After 3 intense weeks of programming WHY? and the subsequent 5 months of working in the Festivals team however, I’ve gone from gentle believer in the benefits of cultural and artistic activities to firm advocate. 

Every British child, and adult, has a right to enjoy the arts, from the classically trained Beethoven buff to the beat boxer from the estate round the corner. Southbank Centre welcomes either of these people with arms open wide. Whether your parents have just bought you a flat in Fulham or you don’t have enough for a Boots meal deal, whether you remember what you were doing the day of the Queen’s coronation or you’re too young to know what Ceefax is, all visitors are invited to relax and take part in a varied selection of cultural and artistic activities.

It all started with the Festival of Britain in 1951. The Second World War had left much of the UK in ruins and there was a need for hope and a sense of healing. Nicknamed a ‘tonic to the nation’, the festival became a place for the British to gather and enjoy the arts alongside science and innovative design. People felt connected.

Why? festival brought children, young people and adults together in a discussion on everything concerning the young, from online bullying to managing pocket money to universal access to music education in primary schools. Adhering to the UNCRC is a step towards levelling out the playing field between that Beethoven buff and the boy from the estate in the UK.

Both boys should be able to dream. The equal access to good music education regardless of their socio-economic background encourages them to develop their talents, interests and personality. The arts have the power to change lives. Music, literature, painting, acrobatics, shadow puppetry, story-telling or any other art form connect people. Having the right to take part and enjoy them can be that tonic that sparks hope in a community. 

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Fahima Begum :  A view of a West Indian on British Life

There were a good number of West Indians who had volunteered to do war work during both the World wars. They came from all parts of the Caribbean, all walks of life, all political persuasions and all ethnic backgrounds.

During my research on the topic of British Empire and the colonies, I came across this text which highlighted how one person felt during the process of settling into their mother country which they had held in great esteem.The text gives an idea of perhaps the unfair treatment some West Indians received when they moved into England.

The text is from the book, Caribbean Wars Untold : A Salute to the British West Indies by Humphrey Metzgen (Author ) and John Graham (Author).

In the book the authors tell the story of the Caribbean during nearly five centuries of warfare from the time of Columbus to the present decade; of how West Indians consistently rallied to Britain's side in its many years of peril, volunteered for service in its armed forces and for work in its wartime factories and forests. It also explores the consequences of social, political and economic of the world wars on both the British West Indies and the United Kingdom - extract taken from the 'Book Description' on Amazon.

Quote from Connie Marks who served in the British Women's Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) in Kingston during Second World War.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Caribbean-Wars-Untold-Salute-British/dp/9766402035

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Banana Plantation Aka Banana Story

British Pathe, the world's leading multimedia resource with a history stretching back over a century. The finest and most comprehensive archive of fabulous footage and stunning stills.

This is a fascinating video I discovered on British Pathe that gives an insight into Banana harvesting in Jamaica, West Indies. The West Indies exports more than 60,000 tonnes of Bananas to the UK and Europe. A journey of over 4,000 miles. 

Although this video is dated 1957, it is a great source of visual information that I used in my workshop based on the British Empire and how the colonies supported Britain during WW1 and WW2.One way in which some of the colonies such as India, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand helped Britain was providing resources like wool, silk, cotton, spices, rice, oil, fruits as well as many other things.

Fahima Begum is Trainee on Cultural Co-operations Strengthening Our Common Life (SOCL) programme. SOCL is funded through the nationwide Skills for the Future initiative launched by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

www.britishpathe.com/

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Fahima Begum: A section from the Map of the World, The Daily Telegraph, dated around 1912.

The image is a close up of Africa and India from around 1912-14.

The red markings point to the areas that Allies had taken over or occupied, this would have been during the First World War. In one part of the map there is a red mark pointing to 'East Africa taken over by Allies on Dec 1st 1914' and also on another indicates  'Basra occupied by British Nov 21st 1914'.

It may give us an idea of how the past could have played a part in the ongoing modern day conflicts.

The map was a helpful source of information for a workshop that I organised in exploring how WW1 & WW2 affected or changed the British Colonies. It is visually fascinating to see how some of the countries appeared during the rule of the British Empire and how much has changed over the years.

Fahima Begum is a trainee on Cultural Co-operations Strengthening Our Common Life (SOCL) programme. SOCL is funded through the nationwide Skills for the Future initiative launched by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

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Fahima Begum: The Trinidad Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve

Photo above: West Indian ratings of the Trinidad Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve operating a depth charge thrower, September 1944, Second World War.

What did the Trinidad Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (TRNVR) do?

During World War 1,16,000 men served from the West Indies. 

There was a greater impact in the Caribbean during World War 2.

The TRNVR placed unknown number of men throughout the Caribbean to work on merchant vessels, mine sweepers and other such craft.

Like their predecessors; they joined The West Indian Local defence forces, such as the Barbados Volunteer Force, The Jamaica Volunteer Training Corps, The British Guiana Defence Force and the Trinidad Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve.

Fahima Begum is a Trainee on Cultural Co-operations Strengthening Our Common Life (SOCL) programme. SOCL is funded through the nationwide Skills for the Future initiative launched by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

http://www.iwmprints.org.uk/

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Fahima Begum : British Empire

During World War Two, forces from the British Empire, were involved in all the major theatres of war, as well as serving on their own and on the British home fronts.

As well as providing men and women for the war effort, the Empire supplied raw materials and goods to Britain.

The posters above tell us the kind of resources India and Canada  produced.

Fahima Begum is a trainee on Cultural Co-operations Strengthening Our Common Life programme. SOCL is funded through the nationwide skills for the future initiative launched by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

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Wallace & Gromit from the drawing board, an exciting new exhibition opening in M Shed, Bristol from 24 May - 7 September 2014.

It will explore the creative talent behind Wallace and Gromit on their 25th anniversary of their first ever film release. The must see exhibition has been especially created for M Shed by Aardman Animations and Cod Steaks - the company behind many of the Aardman sets that can be seen on the screen. Visitors will have the opportunity create their own stories inspired by Wallace and Gromit's world in the 'Get Creative' event. All ages are welcome to take part in this event. Every Thursday 10am - 12pm. Free with Exhibition entry.

There will be a discussion about contemporary storytelling in the session, 'Cracking Stories' with Paul Kewley (Executive Producer, Aardman Features), children's author Rachel Carter and Richard Headon, Director, Desperate Men). Chaired by author and broadcaster Sarah LeFanu. Tue 3 June, 6-7.30pm. Free. Booking required.

Also another fun activity which children and adults can participate in is the workshop 'Characters from clay with Aardman' this is were they can make their own favourite character - Gromit, Shaun the Sheep or Morph with assistance from Aardman's expert model makers. 

Tue 12 & Tue 26th Aug, 10am, 12pm and 2pm (1 hour workshop) Suitable for age 4+ £3 child/£5 adult. Booking essential.

All information has been provided from the advertising leaflet for the Wallace & Gromit from the drawing board  exhibition. 

For more information visit: http://mshed.org/whats-on/

Fahima Begum is a Trainee on Cultural Co-operations Strengthening Our Common Life programme (SOCL). SOCL is funded through the nationwide Skills for the Future initiative launched by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

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Fahima Begum: Brunel's ss Great Britain

During my first week at the National Museum of the Royal Navy, I was given the opportunity to visit the ss Great Britain in Bristol. On my journey I saw some of the iconic landmarks of Bristol including the Clifton Suspension Bridge http://www.cliftonbridge.org.uk/ which was designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel in 1831, the old the Cabot Tower (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabot_Tower,_Bristol ) which is a 105ft tower built in 1897 to commemorate John Cabot’s well-known voyage from Bristol and the continent of North America four hundred years earlier. There was also the St Mary Redcliffe Church http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Mary_Redcliffe located in Central Bristol.

The SS Great Britain is a Victorian ship and one of the many great creations of Isambard Kingdom Brunel. It is located in the Great Western Dockyard in Bristol. The ship was launched in 1843, and was called ''the greatest experiment since the Creation''.

What makes the SS Great Britain great?

•The vast iron hull made the ship the biggest, strongest ship ever built at that time.

•Brunel used the very latest invention: a steam powered propeller instead of a wooden one.

She had a 1,000 horse-power engine, and could carry enough fuel to power her to America.

By using these 3 important elements, Brunel created a ship that changed history.

In part one of my tours I was shown the 'Dry Dock' this is a narrow basin or vessel that can be flooded to allow a load to be floated in, then drained to allow that load to come to rest on a dry platform. The Dry Dock is where the SS Great Britain is now positioned. I was guided under the glass sea where I explored the ship's vast hull. I was able to see how the ship’s hull is preserved and learnt that there is a humid air extractor; used to ensure the ship is kept in good condition.

As moisture can cause corrosion to the ships iron hull, the Humid Air Extractor takes in water that is contained in the air around us. The humidity in Bristol's air varies depending on the weather, but it is often more than 80%. When the air reaches 100% humidity it starts raining. There is a cloud of air containing 20% humidity that surrounds the hull to protect it.

In the second part of my tour, I moved onto the Weather deck where I stepped back in time to explore how passengers would have been accommodated on the ship. The tour guide provided details of how the first class passengers would be located near the more 'pleasant' half of the ship and the steerage passengers (known as third class) would have been sat in the less pleasant half of the ship. I learnt that travelling in steerage was not bad, but as long as you got along with your fellow passengers! Also there is a white line drawn across the deck; this revealed how passengers from different classes were kept separate.

I was surprised to learn that animals in the mid-19th Century would be carried on board: the ship was at sea for 60 days and there would have been no opportunity to buy food supplies during the voyage. I discovered that one passenger had listed the number of animals on board on one such journey, detailing: one cow, three bullocks, 150 sheep, 30 pigs, 500 chickens, 400 ducks, 100 geese and 50 turkeys.

Following from the Weather deck, I went to the Promenade deck, where I viewed the rooms that passengers would have stayed in during voyages. The ship had a Surgery room which was used for when a passenger or a crew member was injured. This part of the ship was visually exciting to see, as it gave me an impression of the way health and safety was considered in the Victorian times.

In the final part of my visit I went into the Brunel Institute & David MacGregor Library which is one of the world’s most important maritime archives. I was fortunate to get up close and personal to precious documents and rare personal objects which belonged to Isambard Kingdom Brunel.

My tour on SS Great Britain was incredibly insightful and enabled me to recognise the importance of changes in technology in Maritime history, which is why SS Great Britain holds such a historical significance.

Here are some pictures from my visit to ss Great Britain.

Humid Air Extractor

Dehumidification Machine

The Ships Iron Hull is more than 160 years old.

The surface of the iron hull has flaked away and has deteriorated that in some places there are holes in the plates, this is the result of corrosion which has been caused by chlorides trapped in the molecular structure of the wrought iron plates (as explained in the guidebook).

Brunel’s Propeller – This is a replica of the one used in ss Great Britain. The first Propeller was 15’6’’ (4.7) in diameter, weighed 3.9 tonnes and drove the ship up to 12 knots. Brunel tested several propeller designs to find which was the most efficient.

Dining Saloon in the Promenade deck was a popular area for socialising in between mealtimes. There were concerts, amateur theatrical performances, charades and other entertainment, as explained in the Guidebook.

Model of ss Great Britain 1:48 scale, built in 1977-1981. This model is on display in the David MacGregor Library.

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Roshan Gibson: #Expect the Unexpected

Was it a leaked National Trust advert intended to change our brand identity? Was it a spoof campaign or PR stunt? Was it made by us or not? These are the questions that have been circulating NT places since the hilarious video first went viral four weeks ago.

To date over 103,139 people have viewed the video, leaving behind over 200 comments and causing quite a commotion in the world of social media (#ExpectTheUnexpected.) It would seem that hundreds of people from far and wide were just as curious as we were to work out where this video had originated from.

We met with the creators and to our surprise they were a student team briefed by their lecturer to rebrand the National Trust.  We met with the duo to give them a massive pat on the back, but also in the hope that they may collaborate with us in the future. Their video not only made us all laugh, but also inspired us to keep challenging elements of the heritage world which are often perceived as dated and exclusive. 

Roshan Gibson is a trainee on Cultural Co-operation’s Strengthening Our Common Life (SOCL) programme based at the National Trust, London. SOCL is funded through the nationwide Skills for the Future initiative launched by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

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Maheema Chanrai - Fingertip Explorers and Family Fortunes

Fingertip Explorers has been a grounding, consistent project throughout my traineeship. It was my first principal project at BMGA back in August 2013, and has seen me through nine months, three supervisors, two teams and five of the most daunting minutes of mylife. At first glance, it is little more than a family handling activity, the types of which take place at museums across the country on a regular basis. But that’s it: the joy of Fingertip Explorers is just how simple it really is.

The activity involves small groups comprised of one or two families, with a facilitator. The groups have a mystery handling object in their ‘Feely Bag’, and they have to discover more about the object without looking, primarily through touch.  Prompted by the facilitator, the group uses open questioning to find out more about the object, from how it feels, to what it might have been used for, to the era it came from. Emphasis is not placed on figuring out the right answer, but focus is directed towards the creative process that gets participants to think about their objects, and the idea that you can ‘touch but not look’ provides such a refreshing change to the often passive museum experience.

Back in August 2013, my supervisor Louise Evans and I ran four sessions of Fingertip Explorers at M Shed during the summer holidays. I was pleased to note success as the project fulfilled its outcomes; families commented about how much they enjoyed the simple pleasures of working together to uncover history. M Shed’s place as a museum of public history ensured that the objects we used stimulated families to share stories about their past with one another. After we’d finished, I undertook a thorough evaluation of the project, concluding that what was a truly engaging activity needed better promotion as well as a wider range of objects in order to attract repeat and new audiences.

In February, my colleague Alex Hardy and I spoke at the Kids in Museums ‘Family Fortunes’ workshop in Cardiff on the subject of Fingertip Explorers.  Together we gave a ‘Five Minute Blast’ and two half-hour workshops on how to use volunteers and handling objects to encourage intergenerational engagement with a museum’s collections. It was incredibly nerve-wracking attempting to condense something that is essentially in-depth to a room full of experienced professionals, but they reacted well to our presentation and the workshops were well-attended. They say that “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery”:  I met one of the attendees again at a later conference, who mentioned that he is hoping to run a version of Fingertip Explorers in his own organisation. High praise indeed!

The process has now come full circle. During the Easter holidays, I will be leading three sessions of Fingertip Explorers at Bristol Museum and Art Gallery. We will be using a different set of objects, primarily reflecting our Natural History and World Cultures collections: the objects which provoke the most meaningful reactions are usually those which are transcendental and universal, those which anyone can identify with, appreciate enjoy. We have also invited along families from Bristol’s visually- and hearing-impaired communities, as the sensory dimension of Fingertip Explorers can add an extra level of experience for these visitors.

If you are in Bristol do please come along and experience a rare opportunity to explore museum objects at more than just face value.

Maheema Chanrai is a trainee on Cultural Co-operation’s Strengthening Our Common Life (SOCL) programme based at Bristol Museums, Galleries and Archives. SOCL is funded through the nationwide Skills for the Future initiative launched by the Heritage Lottery Fund. All views expressed in this post belong to Maheema.

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Roshan Gibson: Would the National Trust come to the Diary Room?

The London Project (endorsed by the National Trust) works to reinterpret ‘place’ through the lens of London’s contemporary cultural scene and works to engage a younger, multi-cultural, critical and demanding public. The project seeks to find new ways for Londoners to develop their relationship with the capital’s special places, and strives to support the National Trust in gaining relevance in London where, compared to other areas across the UK, it currently has minimal impact.

In September the National Trust controversially opened up the Big Brother House as a temporary National Trust Property. 500+ ticket holders took part in a volunteer-led tour of the house/studio, learnt about its sociological and historical importance, and were even summoned to the diary room to talk to the voice of Big Brother. There was also the ‘Best Big Brother Housemate Ever’ competition which at first, may have been interpreted as a rather trivial part of the event.  Nevertheless, the stakes of the competition were high and one lucky ex-housemate would win National Trust membership for a whole year— something they were all desperate to get their hands on.

A competition’s a competition and there had to be a winner: in third place came the very lovely two-time champ; regular “Favourite Housemate” poll topper and now ex-Big Brother main show presenter- Brian Dowling. In second place, the late and great reality TV legend who shot to fame during Big Brother 3 and then to global infamy upon her 2007 Celebrity Big Brother return; Jade Goody. And the winner…drum roll please…the unforgettable and outright hilarious, pint-sized tantrum-throwing 2006 Housemate; Nikki Grahame. Right now, you may well be thinking, and quite ironically too, “who is she!?”, and you may also be wondering why on earth this competition is worth talking about at all? 

As I announced the results to diehard Big Brother enthusiasts who’d been Tweeting in daily reminders about the competition, I began to realize that over the last month our social media platforms had not only grown a great deal, but more significantly, the type of content being posted had also changed. Among the comments about the competition results, there were posts from thrilled Big Brother fans:

Comic souvenir photographs taken by our guests…

And some very important discussions about our interpretation of this much condemned studio-cum-TV house-cum-human zoo: 

I had to wonder—would the National Trust have attracted such vibrant and diverse engagement if this event had commanded less of a social media presence? And will the National Trust’s new found London ‘fans’ stay interested in unconventional National Trust activities? When asked in our post event online survey whether or not participants would be likely to attend future events at National Trust properties, 84% of attendees either agreed or strongly agreed that they would and some even aired their new found interest in the National Trust on twitter itself: 

It’s clear that events like this not only offer something fresh to Londoners and the heritage world, but they inspire diverse and unexpected audiences to the National Trust’s work, which in turn, makes us much more socially inclusive and approachable than generally perceived.

For our critics, the opening of Big Brother House and the London Project’s work more generally, is far removed from the National Trust’s vision to ‘protect historic places and green spaces…opening them up forever, for everyone.’ But if we really are concerned with opening historic places for ‘everyone,’ what better place was there to start than the house that’s described by TV critics as ‘the most important house in Britain’ and one that reflects 'human kind in all its glorious diversity,’ as described by the National Trust’s London Director Ivo Dawnay.

It was great to see the London Project’s relatively new social media platforms not only grow, but become highly engaging. Whilst I still can’t say I’m a fan of Endemol’s BAFTA-award winning Big Brother franchise, I can say that as an aspiring museum professional, I’ve been incredibly inspired by this interpretation of our modern and national heritage. The challenge now? To continue delivering high calibre events that surprise, engage and spark debate!  

Roshan Gibson is a trainee on Cultural Co-operation’s Strengthening Our Common Life (SOCL) programme based at the National Trust, London. SOCL is funded through the nationwide Skills for the Future initiative launched by the Heritage Lottery Fund. All views expressed in this post belong to Roshan

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Fahima Begum: Sea Life Roadshow at the Nimrod Community Centre in Gosport – 21/02/2014

Image above shows my display from the Sea Life Roadshow.

The Sea Life Art project is part of the activity plan for the museums new galleries. HMS – Hear My Story is a major new exhibition situated in the brand new Babcock Galleries at the National Museum of the Royal Navy. It will open in April 2014 and will tell undiscovered stories from the ordinary men and women who have been part of the Navy’s history over the last 100 years. (http://www.nmrn.org.uk/explore/hms-hear-my-story)

Over the past 3 years, the Sea life Art projects and community Roadshows have run in 5 different areas in Portsmouth, targeting community audiences who do not traditionally engage with NMRN. Each project is aimed at raising awareness of HMS – Hear My Story. It invites communities to bring up to 90 pupils from each area to the museum, to work with professional artists, learn new skills, and create original artwork based on their links to the Heritage of the Royal Navy. Following this, each pupil and their families, along with the wider community will be invited to a Roadshow where the art will be displayed.

On the display I curated, there was a Women’s Royal Naval Service (WRNS) uniform including gloves, shoes, hat, badge and jacket, photos of WRNS recruitment posters, and photos from the WRINS album given to Chief Officer Margaret Cooper in 1946.

There is also a model of a famous cat called Simon. He was found on HMS Amethyst by a Navy officer where he had been badly injured when he was caught in the River Yangtze Incident. However he recovered and was given the role of catching mice to stop the spread of infections. For his services, Simon was later awarded The Dickin Medal for his bravery in 1949. He died in quarantine in the same year.

A highlight from the Roadshow was explaining the history of the WRNS and WRINS with the visitors. They were keen to find out more about the different roles and tasks carried out by individuals in these groups. Through my own research, I have become fascinated by how much the women had contributed to the war efforts and the influence they had on their societies.

Posters showing the campaign to recruit women for the WRNS.

above: Photocopies from WRINS album

Here is a brief background of information on the Women’s Royal Naval Service (WRENS) & Women’s Royal Indian Naval Service (WRINS).

WRENS – The Women’s Royal Naval Service was formed in 1917. By 1919 there were 7,000 WRENS and in 1939 a further 3,000 were recruited and given new roles such as cipher operators, meteorologists, coders and many other roles. By 1944 there were 74,000 women in the WRENS. Post-war, only a small number of women were kept on, and mainly worked in administration and supporting roles at Royal Naval Air Stations in the UK and overseas.

WRINS – The Women’s Royal Indian Naval Service was formed in 1942, and by 1945 approximately two thirds of women employed by them were Indian nationals. WRINS took part in discussions, debates and general knowledge tests which proved invaluable in developing the skills and broadening the future outlook of Indian women.

Fahima Begum is a trainee based at The National Museum of the Royal Navy, part of Cultural Co-operations Strengthening Our Common Life Programme.

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Simon the Able Sea Cat

Simon was found by Ordinary Seaman George Hickinbottom who was a member of the crew of the British frigate HMS Amethyst. Simon had been caught in the River Yangtze Incident and was badly injured.However, he recovered and was given the role of capturing the mice’s on the ship. Simon became famous for his bravery and was later awarded The Dickin Medal of the Allied Forces Mascot Club in 1949. He died in quarantine at Hackbridge, Surrey, on 28 November, 1949.

For more information on Simon please visit:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_(cat)

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Sarah Fok: 'Musical Connections to the British Museum's Collection' with Tanisa Gunesekura

Whilst the SOCL2 programme offers 14 trainees placements within 14 different house institutions, trainees regularly meet both within the programme (through reciprocal visits) and occasionally outside of it too.

For me, the trainee group itself is as valuable as the traineeship itself, and when opportunities to work with my fellow trainees arise, they’re hard to pass up! As someone living locally to the Horniman Museum, I took part in Nicola Scotts’s Community Fieldworkers project, and earlier this year, Tanisa Gunesekura, SOCL trainee based at the British Museum, joined me in the studio at Resonance 104.4FM

As part of my traineeship at Cultural Co-operation, I am responsible for our weekly radio show on Resonance FM, World City Live. The show usually features members of the Artist Network.

As Cultural Co-operation delivers the SOCL programme, our radio show seemed to be an excellent way to share and showcase the trainees, their work and their host institution's collections.

Tanisa was the first to volunteer, brimming with ideas from the start. We initially met in October to discuss her ideas and inspiration, and I talked through the process of planning a radio show – selecting a suitable guest, researching them, deciding on topics of conversation and planning the timings, including the music to be played.

We settled on a rough outline for the show connecting objects from the collection with music, and would include interviews with Tanisa’s British Museum colleagues. The ideas were all Tanisa’s, but I helped her hone them to the shape and structure a radio show.

Over the following months, we were both busy with events at work, but continued to communicate over email. I supported Tanisa where I could, for example, making suggested edits for her call-out for interviewees and signposting to help with audio equipment and editting software.

By December,  we set a date for Tanisa‘s radio debut. We met again the Monday before the show took place to run through final details and I then prepared my part of the radio show as usual.

Sharing my learning with someone else enabled me to reflect on my own development (having presented my first radio show on my own in July 2013), but it was an even better experience collaborating with and supporting a fellow trainee in the planning of their own radio show.

Tanisa put in a lot of time and thought preparation for her show, and brought to the radio not only musical connections to the British Museum’s collections, but personal stories and her own infectious enthusiasm. Listen for yourself!

Sarah Fok is a trainee on the Strengthening Our Common Life (SOCL) programme based at Cultural Co-operation.  SOCL is funded through the nationwide Skills for the Future initiative launched by the Heritage Lottery Fund. All views expressed in this post belong to Sarah.

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Nicola Scott: When the Community Fieldworkers visited the Study Collection Centre

It is unbelievable to think that all the hundreds of objects on display at the Horniman Museum and Gardens only amount to 5% of the collection. The rest is hidden away at a secret location in South East London. To really immerse yourself in the Natural History, Musical Instruments and Anthropology collections you have to visit the museum’s store or, as it’s known, The Study Collection Centre (SCC).

As Co-ordinator of The Community Fieldworkers Project I wanted to give the participants involved the opportunity to experience a part of the museum that is rarely seen by the public. The project itself was based around 18 of the museum’s most important Anthropology objects which included a Roadside figure of the Madonna from Poland and an ornate teapot from India. The 33 Community Fieldworkers who had been selected to take part were sent a series of postcards over 7 weeks, each postcard featuring one of the objects. The Community Fieldworkers were then asked to ‘make, investigate or tell a story’ around the objects.

This project allowed the individuals involved to explore the collection in a more immersive and creative way. The information supplied on the postcard was taken directly from our Collections Management database ‘Mimsy XG’. The ‘Materials’, ‘Size’ and, if known, ‘Date made’ were all detailed on the postcards. A brief description and the location of the object sparked off an adventure into the objects’ histories and purpose.

While the project was tailored for individuals, I organised a Training day and meet –ups at which the Community Fieldworkers could come together to discuss their thoughts and ideas. At the training day, Anthropologist and Goldsmiths Lecturer Charlotte Joy explained her Fieldwork and discussed anthropology within the context of a museum. A few weeks later, when we came together with the first 6 postcards in hand, the most popular amongst the objects were becoming apparent. The Marshall Island Navigation Chart that represented the wind and wave currents and was used as a teaching tool really caught people’s imagination. The dying technique of the Nigerian Shirt with its soft blues and white shapes and charters was also of intrigue.

When organising the trip to the SCC I prepared by choosing a selection of the objects that appeared on the postcards. Collection Access Officer Sarah Mahood and I completed a Risk Assessment, this allowed us to plan the most accessible route for the tour of the building and highlight potential hazards, for example the running rails of the shelving units could be a potential tripping hazard. We laid out all the objects in advance, and talked through the days schedule.

On the day I collected the first group of Community Fieldworkers at the museum and accompanied them on a bus to the SCC. We were given a tour by Sarah and then had the opportunity to look at the objects close up. The handling session allowed the Community Fieldworkers to get a greater understanding of the objects they were focusing their project work on. The scale, colours, textures and weight of the object all added to their knowledge of how the objects may have been made and used. This greater insight into the objects informed the responses they created to them. The tour of the SCC itself, and seeing the way the objects were stored inspired some of the Community Fieldworkers to focus their project on the idea of what an object was in the context of a museum. Its purpose and meaning changing from, for example, a tool to an object of research. The SCC trip was greatly received and was one of the highlights of the entire project. 

What I have learnt from the organisation and facilitating of the Meet-ups and the SCC tour is that a major part of engagement is the relationships formed and social inclusion that occurs when people are involved in a project. The interaction and understanding of the objects in the Anthropology Collection is a fantastic starting point for personal development, and sharing that experience is extremely rewarding for those involved.  It is wonderful for the Museum to see how people relate to the collections and exploring them. Storing the Project and its responses in the ‘Use of Collections’ field on the Collections Management database will inform future generations of how the public engaged with and interpreted these objects. 

Nicola Scott is a trainee on Cultural Co-operation’s Strengthening Our Common Life (SOCL) programme based at the Horniman Museum. SOCL is funded through the nationwide Skills for the Future initiative launched by the Heritage Lottery Fund. All views expressed in this post belong to Nicola.