Museum Enlists Pupils' Help
17/11/2009
As part of a national history initiative – Their Past Your Future Scotland – The Gordon Highlanders Museum is launching ‘Post-War: The Soldier’s Perspective’ schools’ exhibition on Monday, 16 November, on public view from Tuesday, 17 November until Saturday, 28 November 2009.
This exhibition is the culmination of ‘Post-War: The Soldier’s Perspective’ project focused on capturing the unique oral history of post World War II conflicts and peacekeeping missions, giving centre stage to Gordon Highlanders veterans and young people involved through interviews, storytelling, art and other creative activities.
Primary school children have been working with the artist, Gabrielle Reith, to visually interpret stories and experiences shared by Gordon Highlanders veterans while visiting their classroom earlier in the year. The exhibition will also showcase poems written by pupils from Robert Gordon’s College in response to their interviews with veterans.
The launch is an opportunity for The Gordon Highlanders Museum to formally thank all partners involved including Aberdeen City Council Arts Development and Arts Education Teams, Aberdeen Museums and Galleries, schools and veterans, for their contribution and involvement with the project. Participants will also be invited to say a few words about what the project has meant to them and the impact on how they feel about modern conflicts.
‘Post-War: The Soldier’s Perspective’ is part of Their Past Your Future Scotland, which aims to establish a legacy of personal memories, which will be used as a learning tool for school pupils in the area and nationally. Their Past Your Future Scotland Phase 2, which is led by Museums Galleries Scotland and sponsored by The Big Lottery, brings young people and older generations in the local community together to capture oral histories that focus on the Second World War and all subsequent conflicts.
Aurelie Bureau, Education & Development Officer for The Gordon Highlanders Museum said: “The Museum is delighted to launch this project which is a great testimony to the legacy of the Gordons. It has been so rewarding working with all the partners who have made a fantastic contribution, especially the veterans and schoolchildren.”
Commenting on the exhibition, Andrew Salmond, Their Past Your Future Scotland Project Manager for Museums Galleries Scotland said: “The launch of the exhibition follows a great deal of fantastic work by the Gordon Highlander Museum and partners. I am sure audiences will be fascinated by the many stories of wartime experiences provided by local veterans”.
Their Past Your Future Scotland will culminate with the launch of a website in 2010 which will feature some 300 online mini-exhibitions or 'vignettes’. For more information about the project and to view a sample exhibition, visit www.RememberingScotlandAtWar.org.uk
The vignettes and related historic objects will be available as a classroom teaching aid via Learning and Teaching Scotland’s new Scottish schools’ intranet, Glow. This ensures that these projects become a rich educational resource for teachers and a global legacy for young people and the wider community.
As reported in:
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The Press And Journal (17/11/09)
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Aberdeen Evening Express (17/11/09)