Page 5 - Barnsley Museums Annual Review 2018-2019

Getting Creative
Across our museums and through innovative programmes spanning our borough, Barnsley Museums are bringing the communities of Barnsley and artists together in new and exciting ways.
Barnsley Museums has developed an innovative and dynamic new programme
of work designed to reach out across the borough, creating arts and heritage activities with people who may never have visited a museum or gallery before. The programme has been boosted this year by the ongoing success of Hear My Voice, Barnsley’s own festival of poetry, spear headed by poet laureate, Ian McMillan and funded by TUC Training Ltd.
As part of our Great Place project based
at Elsecar, we worked with local textile artist, Gemma Nemer, to decorate the village for the Tour de Yorkshire passing through. The artist took inspiration from old photographs of Elsecar when it was dressed for the King’s visit in 1912. Miles of bunting was created with local volunteers, as well
as pom poms, swags, tassels, banners and other historically inspired decorations. During the weeks building up to the race, Elsecar became a hive of activity, cutting, stitching and making! Thanks to the many volunteers the village really was fit for a Royal Visit, or rather the visit of thousands of people to see the bike race as well as the art installation. The whole process and the day led to great community pride.
Other programmes this year have included working with renowned artists the Caravan Gallery to develop a ‘Pride of Place’ photography project in Wombwell, an artist in residence at Age UK Barnsley’s Men in Sheds project and a photographer working with DIAL to establish a photography group at The Community Shop. In partnership with the Snap Tin Café and with additional funding from XPO Logistics, The Forget-Me-Not dementia café runs weekly craft, cake and conversation sessions in Goldthorpe.
Artists Hayley Youell, Andy Seward and James Lockey created ‘Of the River’, an
audio visual response to the River Dearne artist commission as part of our Dearne Valley Landscape Partnership programme. As part of the same programme artist Louise Wright also produced an artwork called ‘Fragments’. The piece takes the form of a large scale printed textile installation and was created with collaboration from local school children from Wombwell Park Street Primary school. The children were awarded an Explore Level Arts Award for completed activities on this project.
I’d tried to take him to
other things but he didn’t want to – because this group is in a café I was able to say we were just going out for a coffee and he was happy
to come. We both enjoy it
so much we come every week now.”
C (whose husband has dementia),
Forget-Me-Not Café