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Studies in Partnership: The Greater Fens Museums Partnership Greater Fens A5 Booklet:Layout 1 30/9/10 17:10 Page 2

Acknowledgements

The work described in this booklet is supported by Renaissance, the MLA’s ground-breaking programme which is transforming ’s non-national museums. It strives for excellence, and through targeted investment, and cultivation of local, regional and national partnerships, it is realising the sector’s potential to make a real difference to people’s lives. Central government funding is enabling regional museums across the country to raise their standards and deliver real results in support of education, learning, community development and economic regeneration.

In the East of England, Renaissance is managed by the Renaissance East of England Office, and delivered by the four large museum services which together make up the East of England Museum Hub:

■ Colchester and Ipswich Museum Service ■ The Fitzwilliam Museum, University of ■ Luton Culture ■ Museums & Archaeology Service

You can read more about the impact of the Renaissance programme in the East of England by visiting our website: www.mla.gov.uk/renaissanceeastofengland

Cover Image: Community event for Fenland Stories exhibition

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Contents

4 Greater Fens Museums Partnership: In a nutshell

5 Foreword

6 Introduction

Case Studies

8 The Feast of Fenland exhibition

10 The Fenland Stories exhibition

12 The benefits of working in partnership

14 Future plans

15 Greater Fens Museums Partnership: List of partners

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Greater Fens Museums Partnership: In a nutshell

“We need more events like this so that people can see that 20 we are all the same.”Migrant museum partners in the worker, international food day GFMP across , at Ayscoughee Hall as part of the and Norfolk Feast of Fenland project “Overall the increased opportunities for networking among the area’s museums have been an entirely positive experience.” Chairman, March 14,000 & District Museum participants in the Feast of Fenland project “Being part of the working group that produced the exhibition has also been an important part of my development as a professional and given me access to training that I would not have 2,000 otherwise had.” Elie Hughes, Curator, Ely Museum school children involved in Feast of Fenland events “My father was born on a farm…in 1903 and I realise how hard his parents must have worked.” Visitor to Feast “Normally people associate of Fenland exhibition museums with like… dinosaurs… but I think it’s “It was good for community good to get teenagers and links to invite villagers into children really interested in school.” Teacher from Emneth everything to see what Primary School commenting on their museums can be about.” Young Fenland History Week inspired by participant in the Fenland Stories film The Feast of Fenland exhibition project

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Foreword

In the current economic climate there ■ Growing Communities provides is a greater emphasis than ever on a forum for museums, local working in partnership to deliver communities and planning services more efficiently and more departments in Growth Point areas responsively to local needs. in the region to explore how the past can help shape future development This booklet is one in a series of six ■ Stepping Stones has brought highlighting ongoing projects led by together 24 museums in a East of England museums which have partnership with the Department for partnership working at their heart. Work and Pensions to create 32 jobs Taken together they demonstrate that and apprenticeships for long-term museums have a valuable contribution unemployed young people to make in: ■ The Sustainability Project is ■ Engaging local people in decision- unlocking the potential of rural life making museums to engage the public in ■ Promoting community cohesion debate around environmental and through exploration and celebration social issues, as well as joining of the past forces with other organisations to ■ Providing economic benefits through find ways of reducing the sector’s employment and tourism. carbon footprint.

Communities benefit when museums This work is supported by Renaissance, share resources and expertise with the Museums, Libraries and Archives each other: Council’s ground-breaking programme ■ The Greater Fens Museums that is transforming England’s non- Partnership and Maritime Heritage national museums. The staff leading East are networks which bring these projects are funded by together museums with similar Renaissance East of England which has collections to celebrate and promote also developed the strategic vision and unique aspects of the region’s past. infrastructure to help the sector become Economies of scale are combined more outward-looking and innovative. with a richer offering to the public and more effective promotion of The projects showcased in this series heritage to visitors. show museums have a part to play in ■ Something Borrowed is a making the Big Society a reality – partnership with the British Museum by providing a unique space for which is enabling smaller museums communities to learn about their past in the East of England to borrow and get involved in shaping their future. items from the BM’s collections, creating new opportunities for tourism and learning. Vanessa Trevelyan Head of Norfolk Museums & Museums are also working Archaeology Service increasingly with partners beyond President, Museums Association the cultural sector: October 2010

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Introduction

which celebrate the unique identity and history of and so encourage residents to take pride in their area.

“The Greater Fens Museum The partnership grew out of a Partnership has been conviction that museums have a unique brilliant…The museums have contribution to make in addressing all benefited, not just from a a number of issues that are specific to the Fens including: temporary exhibition and an ■ Rural isolation events budget but, more ■ Low aspirations, economic importantly, the project enabled deprivation and low educational the museums to make contact attainment with new communities in their ■ Issues around community cohesion locality or with new audiences.” particularly regarding attitudes Kate Brown, Museum Development Officer, towards migrant workers and Cambridgeshire Travellers.

The Greater Fens Museums Partnership Museums, through their collections (GFMP) was formed in 2005 to enable and how these are interpreted, can museums in the Fenland area to work reconnect communities to their past, together to improve standards and help orientate people who are new to foster more in-depth engagement with an area and forge links between the local communities. There is an emphasis two. They can also provide learning on developing projects and activities opportunities which engage people

Craft activity, community venue

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Willow ‘stories tree’, Fenland Stories exhibition

who find more formal education routes from small volunteer-run sites at difficult to access. The geography of March and Chatteris to the larger the Fens also poses challenges to the local authority museums in museums located there which are often and King’s Lynn. It is small with only a limited capacity to led by Norfolk Museums & Archaeology tackle problems on their own. Service and managed by a Renaissance-funded Fenland project All these issues helped shape the aims officer. The area covered by the of the partnership which are: partnership crosses the county ■ To facilitate effective joint working boundaries of Norfolk, Cambridgeshire through a sustainable partnership and Lincolnshire and the regional ■ To engage with new audiences, boundaries of East of England and particularly amongst target rural and East Midlands. demographic communities ■ To improve access to museum Since its formation, the GFMP has services and collections for those created the successful joint exhibitions living in isolated rural communities and associated community activities ■ To promote excellence in the which you can read about in this development of partnership projects booklet. The partnership has continued including learning resources for to evolve with a growing amount of audiences of all ages decision-making happening within ■ To develop the skills of staff and the partnership. There’s now a real volunteers, and leadership within sense of ownership by the partner the partner museums. museums and a firm belief that the GFMP is uniquely placed to deliver The partnership currently consists of a comprehensive programme twenty Fenland museums ranging to people living in the Fens.

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Fenland food tasting, community venue

The Feast of Fenland exhibition was the GFMP museums. They were partnership’s first joint project and supplemented by specially toured the Fens in 2007-8. The theme commissioned photographs of of food was chosen because food contemporary farming practice. production has always played such a large part in the life of the Fens. It was An extensive range of outreach and also a subject that would engage with educational activities accompanied local people and, it was hoped, the exhibition including: encourage a sense of identity and ■ 8 community history days including pride in the area. sessions on healthy eating, object handling and Fenland remedies Two different versions of the travelling ■ Cookery demonstrations exhibition were created to enable ■ Reminiscence days venues of different sizes to take it. The ■ An oral history film made by “museum display” version included three young travellers objects, graphic panels, and a popular ■ Craft activities for adults and interactive ‘shopping trolley’ for children children. The “community venue” version was smaller and more flexible. No single museum could have put on The objects and images used in the such an ambitious programme: project were mainly sourced from ■ Over 14,000 people participated

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either through visiting the exhibition, museum, a long-term resource that or taking part in outreach activities enables the delivery of focussed local ■ 38 venues hosted the exhibition, sessions on the Fens. including 16 museum and heritage sites and 22 community sites In addition over 50 volunteers and staff ■ Nearly 2,000 school children aged attended skill-sharing and training days 5-18 participated in Feast of on a number of aspects including using Fenland events reminiscence, marketing, learning, ■ 80 outreach events were run as part display and handling and packing. of the project engaging over 20 community groups For the museums, the project was seen as opening doors, both to new ways The project engaged particularly of working and to new audiences. For effectively with young people. New communities, feedback demonstrated relationships were formed with local it brought different generations groups including teenagers who had together to talk and learn more about their perceptions of museums and the history of the Fens. Many visitors heritage challenged. Schools also commented on the importance of not embraced the opportunities offered by forgetting and of learning from the the project: Emneth Primary School, for recent past. Comments like these show instance, organised a Fenland History that Feast of Fenland offered people Week. Learning resources were an opportunity to discover more about developed including bespoke Fenland their heritage, and that people are Learning Baskets for each partner proud to live in Fenland.

“I cannot remember what happened to me yesterday, but you have helped me remember my childhood.” Participant in a reminiscence day for people with Alzheimer’s, Chatteris

“The children that attended… were completely captivated – the level of excitement was incredible. It was the first time they had ever taken part in such an event and it was superb.” Group leader, Community House After School Club, Migrant workers, photography commission, Feast of Fenland exhibition

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Building on the success of Feast of solution: the tree is made up of self-

Case Study Fenland, the partnership developed contained units, which can be ‘split’ their next touring exhibition around to allow even the smallest museum to the theme of Fenland Stories. The take the exhibition. Accessibility has mysterious bogs and marshes of the been a key factor in the design: the Fens have always inspired tales of tree contains two audio-visual screens strange creatures and ghostly set at different heights for use by happenings, an engaging subject children and adults. External speakers for adults and children alike. hidden in the upper branches provide localised sound while two headphones This time the partnership involved the allow the visitor to listen at a higher community in the actual production of volume. Hearing loops on both half the exhibition through working with sections provide additional accessibility different groups to create 13 films of options. The tree also features small Fenland narratives. These films are the display cases and four feely holes for centrepiece of the exhibition and are children hidden in the roots. displayed via an interactive “story tree” in the form of a realistic replica willow. Community involvement These short stumpy trees, some of Fenland Stories aims to embed a sense which are hundreds of years old, line of community ownership of the many of the dykes in the Fens. exhibition. Most of the old stories, such as Tiddy Mun and The Dead Designed with access in mind Hand, represent a collective This method of showing the films was community narrative which is part chosen as it provides a flexible display of a rich Fenland oral tradition.

Animation workshop for young people, Whittlesey

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Left: ‘Fenland Frighteners’ workshop, summer activities programme

“The majority of the participants achieved their Cambridgeshire Youth Award and some even went on to get three Cambridgeshire Youth Awards, which means they get a locally recognised accreditation. A fantastic outcome.” Julie Gunn, Locality Lead Youth Worker, Whittlesey

“I think it’s good to get teenagers and children really interested in everything to see what museums can be about.” Young person participant

To create the films, local museums helped changed their perceptions worked in partnership with existing of museums, an important step in community groups. The Fenland Project engaging them as audiences in the Officer and a professional filmmaker future. Many of the young people also supported the groups in turning their received recognised qualifications. As initial ideas into finished films. a result, participants felt more positive about themselves, their communities Engaging young people and gained skills which will prove The majority of the community groups valuable in gaining employment. involved young people, some of whom had been diagnosed with ADHD Outreach and Aspergers, others of whom were It is estimated that by the end of the NEET [not in education, employment project over 160 outreach events will or training]. have taken place during the two years of the project with over 14,000 adults, Fenland Stories allowed young people children and young people engaging to take ownership of the project, with partner museums. Outreach encouraging interest in the subject events range from the filmmaking matter. They were given creative and and animation, an ESOL course, to directorial freedom, and developed two extensive summer outreach skills and confidence through the programmes in museums and filmmaking process. The project also community venues.

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The benefits of working in partnership Case Study

The Greater Fens Museums Partnership Website has offered partner museums a new Another joint project has been the and valuable way of working. Initially, creation of the GFMP website: the partnership was driven by Norfolk www.fensmuseums.org.uk. The website Museums & Archaeology Service – as publicises partnership exhibitions and the lead partner – but over time the activities. It also contributes to the partners have taken ownership of the long-term sustainability of individual network. museums by allowing partners to upload information about their museum An example of this development is and events, and access new audiences. demonstrated by the way the second touring exhibition, Fenland Stories, Visitors to the site can also get was managed. A Fenland Stories involved, for example by adding Working Group was set up under the their own stories to the Fenland Stories chairmanship of Ely Museum which section of the site. A number of the enabled the partnership to take the exhibition films have been uploaded lead on the exhibition and encouraged onto the site through YouTube – one a more focussed decision-making film even found itself being displayed process. Regular meetings of the full in a library window in America as an partnership allowed all museums to example of what young people can contribute to the plans. achieve.

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Training and skills development “We have benefited From the start GFMP has been active enormously from the in developing a partner-led training opportunities, expertise programme. For example, a bespoke and support offered by two-part museum governance training the Greater Fens Museum course was organised in response to Partnership. This is an partners’ requests. This was delivered exciting time for us. We through the SHARE scheme, Renaissance officially opened in 2004 East of England’s innovative skills- sharing and training network, and was in one room in Downham very well received. Partners have used Town Hall. The Town Council SHARE to obtain valuable training in has now offered us new other areas including filmmaking, premises suitable for our animation and marketing. museum of social history. The partnership courses New audiences on marketing, packing and The development of the touring display training have been exhibitions and the associated invaluable in helping us to extensive outreach programmes have plan our new premises and enabled partner museums to engage to prepare for the move. more of their local community. They Equally important have been have also reached new groups, such as the meetings attended by teenagers, who are not traditional various members where we museum-goers. This in turn is building have had the chance to meet a more sustainable future for the museums involved. representatives from other museums in the area and By pooling resources, experience and learn from their plans, expertise, GFMP provides an efficient difficulties and solutions. model for the delivery of improved It’s very helpful to talk services to communities. through one’s own problems with people who have already ‘been there and done that’.” Katheleen Wiseman, Downham Market & District Heritage Centre

Far Left: Animation workshop for young people, Fenland Stories project, Whittlesey Left: Photograph of child gleaners, courtesy of Peterborough Museum & Art Gallery

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Future plans

Although we live in uncertain times the Specifically, Fenland Land and Lives GFMP is looking in a positive way to the will aim to: future. The partnership is aiming to ■ Create and develop sustainable reduce its reliance on funding streams relationships with new and existing like Renaissance by actively seeking audiences alternative external funding. ■ Provide exciting training and opportunities for individuals to Meanwhile the next GFMP touring become active volunteers in project is in the planning stages. Titled museums Fenland Land and Lives it will include up ■ Offer opportunities for individuals to five travelling exhibitions exploring to engage with their local heritage the conflict and interdependence while gaining new skills, confidence between people and their landscape and accredited training environment. Following the model ■ Encourage the idea of communities established by Fenland Stories, local becoming stakeholders in their local museums will work with community museum groups and other organisations to ■ Continue to increase the sharing create the exhibitions. of resources and skills between all partner museums. The project will be a true example of co-production, actively bringing local With each new project, GFMP develops communities into the heart of the its ability to offer community Fenland partnership. participation and ownership of local museums. The Fenland area may be made up of smaller communities, but Willow ‘stories tree’ listening post, the reach of the GFMP enables it to Fenland Stories exhibition, Ramsey offer the kinds of opportunities which lie Rural Museum at the heart of the ‘Big Society’ concept.

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Greater Fens Museums Partnership:

Cambridgeshire: Cambridgeshire County Folk Museum Chatteris Museum Ely Museum Farmland Museum and Denny Abbey March and District Museum Ramsey Rural Museum St. Neot’s Museum Whittlesey Museum Wisbech Castle Wisbech and Fenland Museum

Lincolnshire: Ayscoughfee Hall Church Farm

Norfolk: Downham Market & District Heritage Centre King’s Lynn Museums Tilney Fen End Pumping Museum

Peterborough: Flag Fen Bronze Age Centre Peterborough Museum & Art Gallery Thorney Heritage Museum

For further information on the GFMP contact: Stuart Hall, Greater Fens Museum Partnership Project Officer Norfolk Museums & Archaeology Service 01553 773450 [email protected] www.fensmuseums.org.uk

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Renaissance East of England Norfolk Museums & Archaeology Service Shirehall Market Avenue NR1 3JQ

T +44 (0)1603 493665 F +44 (0)1603 493651

[email protected] www.mla.gov.uk/renaissanceeastofengland