The working life of Museum of London

On Thursday 5th June we held our first Late:Create workshop, an exciting creative session for participants to use our collections as inspiration for mini-masterpieces . Each month we work with a different artist, and this month 15 Londoners worked with artist Tunde Akkiniranye to create ceramic African masks. We looked at the bronze Yoruba busts in Museum in Docklands London Sugar & Slavery exhibition for ideas. You can see the Yoruba busts here. 

A group member tells us more:

‘The theme was to create African tribal clay masks, with help from Tunde a professional ceramicist. He showed us the techniques like how to make the base and to add the nose, eyes, and lips. After that we were free to add our own patterns and designs.’

This link takes you to more photographs from the workshop.

Late: Create is free and takes place 6 – 8pm on the 1st Thursday of every month and is aimed at Londoners who are currently not working. Future workshops include creative writing and photography. The sessions are coordinated by the Museum’s Inclusion Officer, Lucie Fitton. To find out more contact community@museumoflondon.org.uk

On Wednesday night (7th May) myself, Clea Relly, Vicky Lee and Annette Day had the pleasure of drinking champagne and eating yummy food… as well as picking up a prize or two at the Museums and Heritage Awards, part of the Museum and Heritage Show at Earls Court. The Museum of London had been short-listed for three awards - Temporary or Touring Exhibition for Belonging, Education Initiative for HLF Inclusion Programme, and Marketing Campaign for London, Sugar & Slavery.

The HLF Inclusion Programme won the award for best Education Initiative, which was fantastic recognition for all the hard work of many museum colleagues, dedicated freelancers and the participants from the new audiences we have reached with these projects over the last three years.

The Inclusion Programme involved 13 three month projects over three years which worked intensively with small groups of adults at risk of exclusion to engage them with their heritage. The projects involved getting creative - art and poetry exhibitions, oral history and photography websites, films, performances, and many more. Importantly the projects provided the participants the opportunity to gain skills they could take into their futures , but they also helped us learn more about real Londoners lives.

We also received a highly commended certificate for London, Sugar & Slavery press and marketing campaign - so it was a successful night all round for the Museum!

Find out more at ‘Museums & Heritage Awards for Excellence 2008 Winners Announced‘.

Lucie Fitton, Inclusion Officer, Community & Audience Development