Shining a Light on Women and Children in Antiquity
Lead Research Organisation:
Newcastle University
Department Name: Sch of History, Classics and Archaeology
Abstract
Professor Brian Shefton (1919-2012) was a leading Classical archaeologist who established an internationally significant collection of Greek artefacts now located in the Great North Museum (GNM). The GNM is the leading archaeological museum in the North East of England with over 450,000 visitors a year. The Shefton Collection is arguably the most important British collection of Greek and Etruscan archaeology outside London, Oxford and Cambridge yet there has been little research conducted on it and very few objects have been published.
This project aims to bring to light a group of ten objects from the Collection which relate to the lives of women and children in antiquity. Some of the selected objects are not on public display while others are displayed with minimal interpretation. The project will meaningfully engage with the public to generate new knowledge and research about the objects and Collection. The CapCo-funded Newcastle Material Culture Analytical Suite (NeMCAS) will shine new light on the 'lives' of these objects and those who interacted with them by producing new learning about methods of manufacture, decorative techniques, iconography and conservation histories. Close investigation will facilitate a deeper understanding of the objects' materiality enhancing the interpretation of their meaning and cultural significance. NeMCAS will facilitate high-quality documentation and digital models of the objects which will be used for both physical and virtual exhibitions and for schools' education through the GNM and Great North Children's Hospital (GNCH).
Through NeMCAS research the project aims to bring the Shefton Collection into dialogue with science and contemporary art for the first time. The research will inform a programme of nine workshops in the GNM; creative practice will be used for engaging identified audiences with scientific, archaeological and artistic research. Project participants, working with academics, museum professionals and creative practitioners, will generate artistic responses to the Collection to be included as part of the public exhibition, facilitating collaborative research and engagement methods.
The partnership with the GNM will enable the project team to reach targeted audiences (women's groups and Key Stage 2 primary school pupils) and ensure the research outcomes are widely disseminated. The engagement strategy will be embedded in the research from the outset. Key stakeholders (the GNM and targeted audiences) will shape the direction of the research through focus groups and workshops. These will guide the development of the research to generate new knowledge and resources about the Shefton Collection.
Outcomes of the research will include a hybrid exhibition: a gallery intervention in the GNM and digital exhibition alongside public events and the creation of educational resources. Audiences will be actively involved in the decision making to encourage a diverse range of voices on the content of the exhibitions and the public events through which the project findings will be further disseminated.
Formative evaluation points at various stages of the project will ensure that the project is both consultative and collaborative. A dedicated specialist will oversee the evaluation process throughout the project and analyse the resulting data to measure the impact of the project.
This project aims to bring to light a group of ten objects from the Collection which relate to the lives of women and children in antiquity. Some of the selected objects are not on public display while others are displayed with minimal interpretation. The project will meaningfully engage with the public to generate new knowledge and research about the objects and Collection. The CapCo-funded Newcastle Material Culture Analytical Suite (NeMCAS) will shine new light on the 'lives' of these objects and those who interacted with them by producing new learning about methods of manufacture, decorative techniques, iconography and conservation histories. Close investigation will facilitate a deeper understanding of the objects' materiality enhancing the interpretation of their meaning and cultural significance. NeMCAS will facilitate high-quality documentation and digital models of the objects which will be used for both physical and virtual exhibitions and for schools' education through the GNM and Great North Children's Hospital (GNCH).
Through NeMCAS research the project aims to bring the Shefton Collection into dialogue with science and contemporary art for the first time. The research will inform a programme of nine workshops in the GNM; creative practice will be used for engaging identified audiences with scientific, archaeological and artistic research. Project participants, working with academics, museum professionals and creative practitioners, will generate artistic responses to the Collection to be included as part of the public exhibition, facilitating collaborative research and engagement methods.
The partnership with the GNM will enable the project team to reach targeted audiences (women's groups and Key Stage 2 primary school pupils) and ensure the research outcomes are widely disseminated. The engagement strategy will be embedded in the research from the outset. Key stakeholders (the GNM and targeted audiences) will shape the direction of the research through focus groups and workshops. These will guide the development of the research to generate new knowledge and resources about the Shefton Collection.
Outcomes of the research will include a hybrid exhibition: a gallery intervention in the GNM and digital exhibition alongside public events and the creation of educational resources. Audiences will be actively involved in the decision making to encourage a diverse range of voices on the content of the exhibitions and the public events through which the project findings will be further disseminated.
Formative evaluation points at various stages of the project will ensure that the project is both consultative and collaborative. A dedicated specialist will oversee the evaluation process throughout the project and analyse the resulting data to measure the impact of the project.
Organisations
Publications
| Title | 3D models of objects in the Shefton Collection |
| Description | 3D models created for workshops in Great North Museum, in schools, in gallery explorer kits and in a handling box developed for use in the Great North Children's Hospital. |
| Type Of Art | Artefact (including digital) |
| Year Produced | 2022 |
| Impact | The 3D models created for this project have been used extensively. They provide an opportunity for handling artefacts where it is not practical or safe to handle the original object. They facilitate haptic learning and allow for a deeper engagement with the object. Learning materials for the Great North Museum have been updated to link more closely with the collections. |
| URL | https://greatnorthmuseum.org.uk/learning/learn-resources-gallery-explorer-kits |
| Title | Being Human Event, Great North Museum You Echo Through Time Performance |
| Description | The exhibition was launched at a 'Being Human' event hosted by the GNM. The launch included a live vocal performance by the Noize Choir who had been commissioned to respond to the exhibition. They used the structure of the exhibition as a type of visual score to respond through breathwork, voice and lyrics. The smell of fennel filled the exhibition space and led to an interesting sensorial entanglement with the collection through sound, smell, sight and proprioception, forming an embodied and immersive experience for the audience. |
| Type Of Art | Performance (Music, Dance, Drama, etc) |
| Year Produced | 2022 |
| Impact | Feedback cards were provided to the attendees at the launch which reflected that the aims of the project team to create a sensory experience that connected people to the past was successful. Many commented on the emotional feelings that it induced. |
| Title | Exhibition - Shining a Light on Children in Antiquity |
| Description | An online exhibition featuring the objects used in the schools' workshops and detailing the scientific investigations. |
| Type Of Art | Artistic/Creative Exhibition |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| Impact | Google analytics will be assessed at the end of the exhibition. No known impact as yet. |
| URL | https://www.childreninantiquity.co.uk/ |
| Title | Exhibition Voicing Objects |
| Description | Temporary exhibition in the Great North Museum resulting from Voicing Objects project |
| Type Of Art | Artistic/Creative Exhibition |
| Year Produced | 2024 |
| Impact | Temporary exhibition January-April 2024 Creative art installation responding to the Shefton Collection. Impacts still to be evaluated. |
| URL | https://greatnorthmuseum.org.uk/whats-on/voicing-objects |
| Title | Voicing Objects Moving Image Artwork |
| Description | A new moving image artwork by artist Olivia Turner featured in the Voicing Objects exhibition in the Great North Museum |
| Type Of Art | Artwork |
| Year Produced | 2024 |
| Impact | Still to be evaluated |
| Title | You Echo Through Time Exhibition, Great North Museum |
| Description | The workshops in the Great North Museum led to the co-creation of an exhibition 'You Echo through Time' (November 2022-March 2023). This gallery intervention led to a redisplay of a large case and nearby wall cases it included a sound installation from the Voicing Histories workshop, alternative 'labels' for the artefacts written during the Writing Histories workshop and clay votives modelled in the Material Histories workshop. |
| Type Of Art | Artistic/Creative Exhibition |
| Year Produced | 2022 |
| Impact | Exhibition questionnaires were completed by 76 visitors. Of these 83% rated the exhibition as 'excellent' or 'very good'. 74% of visitors stated that the exhibition had improved their understanding of ancient Greek women and 84% stated it had improved their understanding of ancient Greek pottery. Impact on Great North Museum: Innovative approach to display which combined collections (Natural History and Archaeological). First immersive exhibition in the Shefton Gallery. Impact on Visitors (70,689 visited the museum in the period the exhibition was on) - enriched cultural life/shifts in understanding. |
| Description | The award developed the collaborative partnership between the University's Newcastle Material Culture Analytical Suite (NeMCAS) and the Great North Museum: Hancock through the work undertaken on understudied objects relating to the life courses of women and children in antiquity. The project focused on the 'lives' of ten objects, in the Shefton Collection of Greek Archaeology, and those who interacted with them facilitating a greater understanding of the objects' long history, materiality and significance. In particular, the project demonstrated the potential of CT scanning for generating new findings about objects and the applicability of this for public engagement. This research revealed details concerning the methods of manufacture - for example a fingerprint on the interior of a fifth century BC terracotta clay boar showed that it was made by using a mould rather than by hand. This resulted in content for the engagement activities, providing new knowledge and resources (3D prints of artefacts, timelapse videos exposing their internal features and new teaching resources: https://research.ncl.ac.uk/explorethepastwithus/primaryschools/reimaginingancientgreece/o9-childreninancientgreece/). This work is being continued by members of the project team, and a publication is planned to disseminate these new research methods. These findings were shared with target audiences (women and children) through innovative workshops in schools and the museum, and with wider audiences through two exhibitions (analogue and digital: https://www.childreninantiquity.co.uk/). The collaboration with creative practitioners was a particular success - for example the workshop on voicing histories and the performance by the Noize Choir at the exhibition launch demonstrated new ways of working with the collection. This has led to a new project 'Voicing Objects' developed by members of the project team in partnership with a vocal rehabilitation expert resulting in a second analogue exhibition (January - April 2024) and a forthcoming publication focussing on museum pedagogies. This new scientific learning generated new meaning about the 'lives' and 'afterlives' of these objects, and those who interacted with them, by bringing them into dialogue with contemporary art practices and audiences, thereby facilitating a deeper connection with the past. |
| Exploitation Route | Education All teachers (regionally and nationally) will be able to search for and find the robust resources (on children) available on Newcastle University's Explore the Past with Us website and will be able to use this when teaching the statutory Key Stage 2 history topic on ancient Greece. Local teachers will be able to utilise the new Gallery explorer kit for the Shefton Gallery and pupils will benefit from handling 3D artefacts from the Shefton collection related to the lives of children in ancient Greece. Museums New practices of exhibiting and interpreting Greek vases have been disseminated nationally and internationally. The interest expressed in these approaches may lead to the adoption of new ways of working in other contexts. Creative practitioners Creative practitioners were introduced to new subject matter which they can draw upon in their future practice. Academic Further collaboration on developing the methodology and utility of scanning ancient Greek artefacts is being discussed for publication. Outcomes may impact on students through the dissemination of the project in universities. Further collaborations and placement opportunities for PGRs may emerge. |
| Sectors | Creative Economy Education Culture Heritage Museums and Collections |
| Description | Quantitative and qualitative data taken as part of an independent evaluation demonstrated impacts in the following areas: Impacts on understanding, learning and participation The project generated new interpretations of artefacts in the Shefton Collection which were shared with members of the public (including targeted audiences - groups of women and Key Stage 2 children) through workshops and exhibitions. This increased understanding amongst target groups and exhibition attendees. The workshops increased visitor numbers to the Great North Museum reaching people who had not previously engaged in workshops or with the Shefton collection. School outreach linked a new partner school, in an area of significant deprivation, with the Great North Museum. Resources (downloadable materials and 3D prints of artefacts) were created and made available to teachers and the education team at the Great North Museum. These resources, combining history with STEM, detail the new research. Impacts on creativity, culture and society Through workshops and exhibitions, the project impacted on the cultural lives of public audiences as evidenced by qualitative data taken as part of the evaluation which highlighted the positive impact of having the opportunity to handle artefacts and see the collection in a new light. Creativity was central to the project and the work which has emerged from it. For workshop participants the opportunity to participate in creative activities in an inclusive, safe environment impacted on their wellbeing. Creative outputs included a performance in the Shefton Gallery as part of the Being Human festival and a new moving image artwork resulting from an emerging project on Voicing Objects which is taking forward one element of the CapCo grant. Impact on practitioners and professional services The project involved collaboration with creative practitioners and impacted on their practice through the development of a further project exploring voice. This emerged from the results of the evaluation which highlighted the voicing workshop as the most popular of the four. This innovative, interdisciplinary workshop linked object relationships to bodily autonomy, voice, and materiality. The project impacted on the practice of museum curation within the Great North Museum offering new ways of exhibiting (through mixed collections and artistic installations) and representing collections (silenced voices) which were trialled, and demonstrated increased visitor engagement with the Shefton collection. These approaches have been further disseminated through CPD and talks to museum professionals. The project also contributed to museum education through a follow-on project revising the gallery explorer pack used by teachers in the Shefton gallery which now incorporate 3D artefacts related to the lives of children. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2022 |
| Sector | Creative Economy,Education,Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections |
| Impact Types | Cultural Societal |
| Description | Finding Children in Ancient Greece (FIF fund) |
| Amount | £1,828 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Newcastle University |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 03/2022 |
| End | 07/2022 |
| Description | Upskilling Primary School Teachers Using the Shefton Collection |
| Amount | £500 (GBP) |
| Organisation | University of London |
| Department | Institute of Classical Studies |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 03/2023 |
| End | 10/2023 |
| Description | Voicing Objects |
| Amount | £9,242 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Wellcome Trust |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 08/2022 |
| End | 01/2023 |
| Description | Voicing Objects: Interdisciplinary Encounters in the Shefton Collection |
| Amount | £500 (GBP) |
| Organisation | University of London |
| Department | Institute of Classical Studies |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 11/2023 |
| End | 03/2024 |
| Description | Voicing Objects: Interdisciplinary Encounters in the Shefton Collection |
| Amount | £3,730 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Catherine Cookson Foundation |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 07/2023 |
| End | 06/2024 |
| Description | Voicing Objects: Interdisciplinary Encounters in the Shefton Collection (Pioneer Award) |
| Amount | £960 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Newcastle University |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 11/2023 |
| End | 11/2024 |
| Description | Blog Post Institute of Classical Studies |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Blog post on developing materials for self-led primary school visits to the Shefton Collection of Greek Archaeology. To disseminate information on project to improve learning resources for teachers using the Great North Museum. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://ics.sas.ac.uk/blog/developing-materials-self-led-primary-school-visits-shefton-collection-gr... |
| Description | Press release Voicing Objects Exhibtion |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Press release for Voicing Objects to advertise exhibition led to other Listings • Get into Newcastle - https://www.getintonewcastle.co.uk/news/great-north-museum-hancocks-new-exhibit-gives-voice-women-ancient-world • The Crack - https://www.thecrackmagazine.com/view-editorial/9565 and in print • Get into Newcastle - https://www.getintonewcastle.co.uk/whats-on/great-north-museum-hancock/voicing-objects • Living North - https://www.livingnorth.com/article/best-ways-enjoy-your-weekend • Art Rabbit - https://www.artrabbit.com/events/voicing-objects • Art Network Noth East - https://anne.art/event/voicing-objects/ • Newcastle Gateshead - https://newcastlegateshead.com/events/voicing-objects • The Crack - https://www.thecrackmagazine.com/whatson?category=art |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://www.ncl.ac.uk/press/articles/latest/2024/01/voicingobjects/ |
| Description | Press release You Echo Through Time |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Press release for You Echo Through Time to advertise exhibition |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.ncl.ac.uk/press/articles/archive/2022/11/maenads/ |
| Description | Talk - Allard Pierson Museum, Amsterdam Greek Vases in Modern Museum Contexts |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Presented on You Echo Through Time Exhibition at conference on the display of Greek vases in the modern museum. To report on Shining a Light project and to offer insights into exhibition choices and alternative ways of presenting Greek vases to a museum audience. Stimulated questions and discussion. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://allardpierson.nl/en/events/symposium-ancient-vases-in-modern-showcases/ |
| Description | Talk Corporeal Pedagogies: Interdisciplinary perspectives on teaching, engagement and research in medical humanities at Southampton University |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Lunchtime seminar jointly organised by SIAH and the SCMHH on engaging public audiences with concepts of embodiment, the implications of corporeal pedagogical practice in an academic institution and the opportunities it provides for interdisciplinary collaboration. Sharing knowledge provoked questions and discussion. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Talk You Echo Through Time Roehampton University |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Undergraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Online talk for module - Classical Antiquity in Modern Museums sharing experience of Shining a Light on Women in Antiquity and resulting exhibition for a module concerned with employability and applied humanities. Questions and discussion afterwards. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Talk for Classical Collection Networks, Using Classical Creations Creatively |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Led a workshop on creative use of Classical Collections. Introduced recent work with the Great North Museum on Shining a Light on Women in Antiquity. Shared ideas for public engagement with other museum practitioners and academics. Questions and discussion. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://classicalcollectionsnetwork.co.uk/06-10-23/ |
| Description | Workshop Hands on Humanities (Southampton) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Southampton University public engagement day workshop. The Way My Body Feels workshop. Through meditation and votive object handling participants explore the different ways we 'imagine our insides'. The Way My Body Feels demonstrates the transformative role ancient objects can play in learning about the body and in particular, the body in medicine. Impact on knowledge and understanding. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Workshop Voicing Objects Great North Museum |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | The workshop will accompany a new temporary exhibition 'Voicing Objects' in the Great North Museum. Format: 2 hours, • Introduction to exhibition, key objects and workshop leaders • Breathwork and vocal warmup exercises and discussion of women's voice in antiquity • Focus on key objects from the exhibition as prompts for voicing exercises During the workshop replicas were used as cues to consider how objects relate to silence and empowered voice in the past and present. Impacts - Facilitates greater engagement with the exhibition. - Upskills participants in vocal techniques, applicable every time they speak. - Promotes self-care |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/whats-on/tyne-and-wear/great-north-museum-hancock-barras-bridge/voici... |
| Description | Workshop for Sexpression x 2 - The Way My Body Feels, Newcastle University |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Third sector organisations |
| Results and Impact | An interactive workshop to consider the links between objects, art, and medicine. Through meditation, votive object handling, and art making participants explore the different ways we 'imagine our insides'. The Way My Body Feels demonstrates the transformative role ancient objects can play in learning about the body and in particular, the body in medicine. Impact on knowledge and understanding. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Workshops x3 Lifelong Learning Finding Children in Ancient Greece, Great North Museum |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Third sector organisations |
| Results and Impact | Three two hour workshops in collaboration with Joseph Cowen House Lifelong Learning introducing current work investigating objects in the Shefton Collection using scientific analyses, handling artefacts and 3D prints and engaging in art activity. 1.Nourishing Children 2.Entertaining Children 3.Socialising Children Impacts For lifelong learners: • Increased understanding of the Shefton Collection and the lives of children in ancient Greece • Positive effect on the cultural lives of members; increased engagement with the past through hands-on learning, including handling of archaeological materials and participation in creative activities • Trialling a new way of working for the organisation, improving links with the University and Great North Museum Benefits for the GNM: • Increased public engagement with the Shefton Collection and the museum generally • Increased knowledge of collections for the museum's records • Increased knowledge of the needs and interests of older audiences relative to cultural engagement • Testing of new methodologies for delivery of sessions and resources incorporating haptic and inter-disciplinary approaches • Recommendations regarding strategies for engaging older audiences |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | workshops x 3 shining a light on children in antiquity, school visits |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | Workshops with pupils took place in three primary schools - one small rural village school, one city centre school and one suburban school. The aim of the 3 workshops was to explore themes that would be relevant to the children and which focussed on key objects from the Shefton collection in the Great North Museum (GNM). These would act as the starting point. • WS 1: eating and drinking • WS 2: playing • WS 3 growing up The children were provided with the opportunity to see and touch the real objects as well as handle modern replicas made from clay and others that had been 3D printed. The pupils were also introduced to the NeMCAS generated data which included scans of the artefacts with animated footage showing the layers peeling back and exposing the internal features e.g. finger prints in the clay, brush strokes, small holes to stop the clay exploding etc. The final part of the workshop involved the children taking part in activities which were intended to allow them to respond creatively to the objects through their materiality and connection to Greek myth. These activities were different in the three schools and included: School 1: printing (pattern-making) School 2: clay modelling School 3: creating a design for a jug Impacts: Increased knowledge and understanding, increased and longer term retention of knowledge, value of haptic and creative learning. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | workshops x4 shining a light on women in antiquity, Great North Museum |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Four workshops took place in the Great North Museum. Each of these had a specific theme and focussed on particular objects from within the Shefton collection. The workshops were planned and delivered by the project team in collaboration with creative practitioners to share research on the objects including the results of the laboratory work and to create materials for the exhibition. Workshop 1: Material Histories I: Ceramics to understand ancient methods of manufacture and how they can be revealed or concealed through restoration work. Workshop 2: Material Histories II: Textiles: considering the wider implications of textiles and dress in ancient and contemporary women's lives. Workshop 3: Writing Histories: to consider the past and present lives of women. Participants reimagined and rewrote object captions. Workshop 4: Voicing Histories: to give 'voice' back to the objects and histories of women that have been silenced - strengthening participants voices through vocal techniques and collective activities. The workshops were all well attended (total 45 participants), with many attending several. Using the first workshop as a basis to understand the interest in the themes and activities as a driver to attend the museum, 62% of the participants had never attended a workshop at the museum before despite 100% having visited it. This would suggest that the subject matter and types of activities were ones that people connected with. The workshops also inspired people to attend more, with 89% stating they would be likely to attend workshops at the GNM in future. An introduction to the Shefton collection and the opportunity to look at and handle the ancient Greek objects, was a feature of every workshop and provided the inspiration for all of the creative activities. This had a positive impact on interest in the gallery. At the time of the workshops only 36% were aware of the Shefton collection, but after participation in one, 82% started they would be likely to visit it in future. Participants valued the opportunity to speak to other women and share personal stories in an informal safe environment that fostered collaboration, discussion and sharing. Participants were enthusiastic about being given the opportunity to learn about ancient Greece and make connections. Participants enjoyed taking part in varied creative activities given meaning through the object handling and historical information. Participants valued hearing about the historical and scientific research and which added depth and detail to the presentations. Impact on individuals - increased learning and understanding, enriched cultural life. Impact on Great North Museum - increase visitor figures, enhanced visitor experience through collaboration with University and use of NeMCAS facilities. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/whats-on/tyne-and-wear/great-north-museum-hancock-barras-bridge/makin... |