Museum News
Summer is in full swing here at the Museum of Cornish Life but don’t forget about our Christmas Craft Fayre on 23 November 2019! Please will anyone with application forms post them or drop them into the museum (with cheque enclosed) by the 1st September.
Museum News
This week we are congratulating our Young Curator Harvey on completing his work placement here at the Museum of Cornish Life. Our Museum Assistant Imogen chats to Harvey about what he has achieved.
How did you get involved with the Museum of Cornish Life?
“I came to the museum on an 8-week work placement from Truro College. Over the weeks I found myself learning all sorts of brilliant things and appreciated it more each time I came back. I wanted to stay on for a bit longer and develop the skills I was learning. I really enjoyed the tasks that were given to me, I hadn’t considered the wide range of things that go on inside the museum. I felt like I wanted to bring on my new skills and also I thought the more experience I can get the better! This fitted well with the museum’s Young Curator programme so I kind of grew into being a Young Curator really.”
Has your experience with us here at the museum been useful for you?
“Yes! This experience has been useful in ways I didn’t expect. I’ve built my confidence particularly by talking to the public and taking posters around the town to local businesses. I also learnt that historical objects are affected by the change in temperature and humidity but can also adapt to the conditions in this museum. I had never thought about objects like this before so I found this really fascinating.”
What are some of your highlights?
“One of the things I found most interesting was the constantly changing gallery space with exhibitions and installations ranging from artists showing their work to students showcasing local archaeology. I had the opportunity to put together and show my own exhibition of photographs – “Then and Now”. Each pair of photographs shows different views of my local area, St Keverne. One set of photographs is from the late 19th to the early 20th century and the other set is from the mid to late 20th century. It was great to research the museum’s photographic collection and see how the places that are so familiar to me have changed over the years. There has been a huge change in village particularly in the village square.”
What would you say to other young people thinking about doing work experience?
“Being a young curator is enjoyable and interesting work. There was such a range of jobs to do such as taking reading of the temperature and humidity around the building to helping put together exhibitions. Having a wide range of jobs to do is a constructive way of helping you figure out what areas you wish to work in later in life. You also get lots of skills and experience which are relevant for the museum sector but are also so helpful for any industry. I feel like I can really contribute through teamwork, finishing tasks, and good planning and organisation in any job now.”
Stay up to date with What’s On at the Museum of Cornish Life via our website and Facebook page and follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
Museum News
Year two of Citizen Curators is now beginning and we are looking for a team of volunteers (we have 5 places) to help us develop ideas and content for the museum. We are looking for volunteers who are keen to learn and want to add information to our collection documentation, displays and online. Details are below and to register any interest please email Annette at Director@museumofcornishlife.co.uk.
Free Course October 2019 – April 2020
Citizen Curators is a free work-based training programme in museum awareness and modern curatorial practice aimed at volunteers from our community. The programme is provided by Cornwall Museums Partnership in collaboration with seven museums. It is funded for three years by the Museums Association’s Esmée Fairbairn Collections Fund. The Programme Leader is Dr. Tehmina Goskar, Curator & Director of the Curatorial Research Centre. Successful candidates who complete the programme will receive a certificate endorsing their accomplishment.
Museum News
The Museum of Cornish Life (South Kerrier Heritage Trust) is offering an exciting opportunity to join a friendly and dedicated team as a Customer Service Apprentice. The museum is a fun place to work where something different happens each day.Working with a small staff team (Director and Community Engagement Curator) and over 80 volunteers you will carry out a broad range of roles with a focus on customer service and retail.
Summary:
Daily duties will involve:
Museum News
We are offering an exciting opportunity to join our friendly and dedicated team as an Intern Assistant Museum Curator over the summer. Working with a small staff team (Director, Community Engagement Curator and Assistant Museum Curator) and over 80 volunteers you will get to experience all aspects of the Assistant Museum Curator role. The focus of the role will be caring for the collection, developing exhibitions, events and sharing the collection digitally.
How to Apply
Please send a CV (no more than 2 sides A4) to director@museumofcornishlife.co.uk with a cover email answering the following question (in no more than 300 words), ‘What skills would you like to develop while undertaking this summer internship?’
Summary
Duties
Skills
Museum News
Our collection reflects the everyday experience of Cornish people particularly throughout the 18th – 20th centuries. During May, we are asking our visitors to look at our collection through the lens of mental health.
The new trail ‘Our Collection Re-Viewed’ places nine objects and displays in the spotlight to help reveal the hidden stories connected to the objects, paper and photographic items held within the museum. We are hosting historical exhibits from Kresen Kernow and exploring the present with an exhibition displaying work created by people wishing to improve their mental well-being. Visitors can listen to audio stories reflecting on people’s life experiences and memories, try out mindfulness activities and take a quiet moment in our “well-being cocoon”. To look forward, we are welcoming the EPIC companion robots from Plymouth University and learning how apps and the virtual world can assist and help people maintain good mental health in the future.
Annette MacTavish, Director of Museum of Cornish Life, said:
“Here at the museum we reflect all aspects of Cornish life. Mental health is a key part of everybody’s experience. We are delighted to be working with our partners to launch our first exhibition exploring this subject. We want to get people talking and help reduce the stigma and taboo surrounding mental health.”
The project was initiated by Portheden, a dedicated mental health social enterprise that builds capacity for all on issues concerning mental health.
Other partners for this exhibition are:
Follow this project on our Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and “What’s on” web-page.
Museum News
We are very proud of our trainee curator Imogen Crarer who has successfully achieved her Gold Arts Award during her six-month internship here at the Museum of Cornish Life. It is a big achievement for her and it has been great to share the exhibitions and displays she has produced using our collection.
Imogen says:
“I hadn’t heard of the Arts Award programme until I started at the museum although it is well known in the arts sector. I was encouraged to take part and I’m so glad I did.
Trinity College London in association with Arts Council England explains the Gold Arts Award as ‘a Level 3 qualification on the Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF) designed for young people aged 16-25. To achieve a Gold Arts Award, young people collect evidence in an individual arts portfolio of their experiences of personal arts development and leadership of an arts project.’
For the Gold Arts Award, you have to develop an existing skill and learn a new skill. It helps if you pick something you are really interested in as it’s a lot of work. In my case, these skills were curatorial practice and creative writing – something I have enjoyed all my life. It was quite a challenge but I really wanted to achieve it for myself and for our wonderful museum as completing the award in six months meant we would be the first museum in Cornwall to deliver a Gold Arts Award.
It was such a great learning experience for me and I had so much fun! It gave added structure and targets to my internship which encouraged me beyond my daily role to attend arts events and engage with lots of interesting creative people in a different way. I would encourage anyone who wants to develop their skills and is interested in the arts to look into having a go. You meet cool people and do cool stuff while learning new skills and getting a qualification along the way – what could be better!
A big thank you to the museum staff and volunteers for their endless patience and teaching me so much, and to Cultivator, Cornwall Museums Partnership and Arts Council England. Finally, thanks to the museum’s Community Engagement Curator and my Arts Award supervisor Isobel King for all your support.”
Imogen has an MA in Modern History from King’s College, London. At the moment she is still with us at the Museum of Cornish Life working on some exciting projects. If you want to see her Gold Arts Award exhibition ‘Curating Curious Cornwall’ and some of her other work have a look at her Facebook Live videos. To see what we’ve got coming up, keep an eye on our Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and ‘What’s On’ web-page.
Museum News
Helston officially has “heroes” living amongst it and they’re championing the town’s heritage.
The Helston Makes It! event, celebrating past and present trades in the area, won its organisers the Heritage Heroes award at the Cornish Museums Partnership’s annual ceremony.
Taking place last September, it featured daily talks and workshops on various subjects, with 1,200 getting involved over the two weeks.
They were able to learn about crafts ranging from printing and ceramics to sign-writing, natural dyeing and spinning.
The Museum of Cornish Life Helston was shortlisted for five awards in total and narrowly missed out on also winning Cornish Object of the Year for its Bethlehem Pasty, which was beaten by only a few votes in a public online poll by the Gurney Stove at The Castle Heritage Centre in Bude.
It was also shortlisted in the Innovation award category for its re-branding from Helston Museum, Audience Initiative for its work with RNAS Culdrose and Environmental Responsibility for volunteers’ work on the building’s exterior.
A spokesperson said the awards not only brought a welcome boost to the museum’s finances but also acknowledged the work of its volunteers.
The next Helston Makes It! event will be held from September 14 to 28 this year. For more information email judecarroll66@gmail.com.
Museum News
Museum News
A short stop animation film made by year 5 Nansloe Academy Students with about the effects of plastic pollution on the planet. Made as part of Helston makes it Festival, facilitated by artist/film maker Amanda Lorens.
We will be showcasing this film during our Animate Helston animation festival which is running in the museum 16th-23rd February!
