Sharing skills and expertise to create unique learning experiences
Posted on by Alice Bush.
The learning team at Bristol Museums has been expanding its partnership working with some exciting results! The team develops and delivers learning experiences for children and young people all over Bristol.
Strong, relevant, and inspiring partnerships mean greater access to museum learning. It also builds future audiences and means we can share skills, expertise, experience, collections and equipment.
Together with students from UWE Bristol and the University of Bristol, the team created workshops for Ancient Greek Week and Dinosaur Takeover.
School children were able to speak to experts in the field, using museum objects as a springboard for learning, while students got to develop their teaching skills. Developing and delivering activities with young children in mind, thinking about timings, attention spans and learning outcomes is quite the assignment!
In March, photography students from UWE Bristol delivered a new workshop to primary school children in Bristol. The children enjoyed a private tour of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition followed by learning how to use special camera equipment. We finished the day with a photography treasure hunt by the harbour. The children got to be wildlife photographers for the day, using professional equipment with the guidance of UWE students.
Comments from children attending the photography session:
“I would never do this at school usually.”
“I’ve never done anything like this before.”
“I am going to ask for a camera for Christmas!”
Children and young people who are introduced to university students, artists and people working in creative industries, may then think about future roles in these areas.
‘A Movement not a Moment’ by local artist, Jasmine Thompson is currently on display in the front hall of Bristol Museum & Art Gallery. Jasmine recently delivered a Protest Art workshop to secondary pupils at City Academy. Jasmine and the young people created a large mural using protest art examples from the museum collection. These were collected by Bristol Museums following the Black Lives Matter protests in June 2020.
Primary school children worked alongside playwright and director Toby Hulse, to write three plays. The children listened to recordings of Bristolians talking about their experiences during the Bristol Blitz.
These recordings are part of the Unlocking Our Sound Heritage project which preserved oral history recordings. The Sounds of the Blitz plays were then acted by professional actors.
We are delighted that our partnerships develop into such amazing, bespoke projects. By working closely with supporters, we hope to create meaningful partnerships that have a real impact on our communities, and benefit everyone involved.
With thanks
Wildlife Photographer of the Year is developed and produced by the Natural History Museum, London and is sponsored by UWE Bristol and Precision Resource Group.