Culture Syndicates CIC

   First Posted: 21st December 2016  In  Collections Prior to my role as a Collections and Interpretation Intern at Rutland County Museum, I did not know much about Rutland. Admittedly, I presumed it was part of Leicestershire. Now understanding it’s the smallest county in England and given its rich history, I thought it would be great to share what I’m learning through a blog. My interests lie heavily with the Old Stone Age and so I will begin here with the Palaeolithic. This is the earliest prehistoric period — think before iron, before bronze, before farming and permanent settlements. Importantly, this was a time when people lived off the land, utilising natural resources from their environment – making stone tools much like The Flintstones! It’s worth bearing in mind that compared to other counties, little is known about Rutland’s Palaeolithic: Rutland has no caves which make ideal preservation areas for archaeology to last the centuries. Ancient humans occupied ...

   First Posted: 21st December 2016  In  Health And Wellbeing ​As a nation we are living longer. The goal posts of retirement are forever moving and effects of old age begin to impact on our lives. In 2015, over 850,000 people in the UK were living with dementia, with this forecasted to rise to 1 million by 2025.* Dementia covers a variety of symptoms from memory loss and confusion, to communication difficulties, for which Alzheimer’s is the most common cause. The traditional role of a museum is to conserve and preserve objects, so that they can be enjoyed and engaged with, fostering a connection with the past. As their role and purpose has evolved, a community focus on health and wellbeing has developed. They now play a key part in reconnecting the lost memories of their visitors, running sessions to aid reminiscence through different activities and sensory stimulation. Triggers, whether objects, photos, sights and smells, are tangible resources that can generate re...

   First Posted: 21st December 2016  In  Industry Trends And Critical Analysis I was lucky enough to go on training about fundraising from trusts and foundations at the Galleries of Justice Museum on Wednesday 30th November. This was a great overview of one of the most important aspects of museum fundraising and a really nice opportunity to meet other museum staff from all around Nottinghamshire. At the beginning of the day we were given an introduction to different methods of fundraising for museums, such as applying for public funding from councils, Quangos and the EU, and private funding, including trusts and foundations, as well as company sponsorship and donations. I learnt that there are around 10,000 trusts and foundations in the UK and they can be found through free and paid search engines. You can apply for capital funding, which is used for building maintenance, equipment etc, or project grants, which are used for activities and programmes. When applying fo...

   First posted: 21st December 2016  In  Exploring History During a visit to Sparkling Sherwood on the weekend (10/12), I saw a ‘dressed’ tree. A small board underneath explained that Tree Dressing Day was initiated by Common Ground in 1990. According to Charter for Trees, Woods and People it takes place the first week in December and has its origins in many different customs from all over the world. In Scotland, for example, they are known as ‘clootie’ trees as they are dressed with rags and are a symbol of long life. In West Africa, silk cotton trees are dressed with a ring of palm leaves and are protected at all costs as they are highly respected. In the Buddist faith, the Bodhi tree is believed to be Buddha’s place of enlightenment and to honour this, after dark lights are placed around the tree. These varied customs most likely influenced our modern day tradition of a Christmas Tree. In the UK, it is commonly accepted that Prince Albert brought one of the first ...

   First posted: 20th December 2016  In  Reviews Ayscoughfee’s display of Christmas items are now on display in the hall. Among these is a box of 1950’s Christmas crackers. Gaining popularity in the Victorian period and a firm favourite in the UK today, crackers were originally invented around 1845 by (most people agree) a man called Tom Smith – a London sweet maker. On a trip to Paris, Tom was inspired by the French bon-bons he saw, and the French custom of wrapping their sweets in coloured papers. He called his first crackers ‘kiss mottos’, placing a romantic message inside each one along with a sweet – much like fortune cookies – but these only enjoyed a limited success. Tom found further inspiration by the fireside – hearing the crackle of a log on the fire, he thought to add a bang to his creation. This was an almost overnight success, and Tom’s business went from strength to strength. When he died he left the company to his three sons, who continued to develop ...

   First Posted: 12th December 2016  In  Collections In November, shortly after starting at Bassetlaw Museum, it was agreed that I would be able to put together weekly temporary displays featuring one or a collection of interesting objects from the museum’s collections not previously displayed in the museum. These are intended to provide a constantly changing feature in the museum for both regular visitors and to attract new visitors too. Between November and Christmas there have been 4 temporary displays, featuring fossilised coral, 1930s hats, an ordnance survey map and vintage Christmas decorations. ​ For 2017, there are many more interesting displays planned, including a few relating to the Victorian period in the run up to the Steampunk event being held at the museum on 11th February. So if you would like to discover some of the interesting objects held at Bassetlaw Museum, new displays are installed every Thursday and can be viewed in the foyer display cabinet....

   First Posted: 7th December 2016  In  Training And Employability As part of the Resilience Syndicate project, our interns will spend half of their time within a museum setting. Ellie has begun her role as a Collections and Interpretation Intern with Rutland County Museum and this is what she will be up to: “Having completed a MSc in Palaeoanthropology and Palaeolithic Archaeology, I am enthused by prehistory and cannot wait to get involved with Rutland’s vast archaeology. During my time here, I will help to complete a collections review which will ensure that all items held in the museum are relevant to the museum and users. This will include: •Confirming the location of each item within museum (behind the scenes) •Ensuring each item has an up-to-date description •Compiling a list of priorities for conservation I will also be contributing to the design and content of new exhibition banners in the Old Riding School which will explore specific Rutland history (e.g. T...

   First Posted 7th December 2016  In  Training And Employability Hello everyone, I’ll start by introducing myself, I’m Annabelle and I am one of the new Resilience Syndicate Interns at Culture Syndicates, Nottingham. As part of my internship, I shall be working with Bassetlaw Museum to try and increase visitor interactions with the museum’s collections. Bassetlaw Museum is located in East Retford, North Nottinghamshire. The museum has a diverse range of collections, such as Roman and Anglo-Saxon archaeology, Victorian ledgers and education materials, county maps, photography, children’s toys and fashion and domestic items spanning over a century. During my first month at the museum, I have spent my time familiarising myself with the museum’s collections and stores. For a relatively small museum, it is surprising how many objects they hold in their collections and this is partly due to the generosity of local community donations over the years. I have begun a couple ...

   First posted: 6th December 2016  In  Reviews I’ve recently started my Resilience Syndicate internship with Culture Syndicates and for nine months I will be undertaking a placement with Kettering Museum. On my walk around the museum I saw some really quirky and interesting objects. ​Mummified cat: Said to ward away evil spirits, mummified cats were kept in between walls of houses! Potentially, not something that is common practice today but fascinating to look at. Boots that conquered Everest: during the quest of Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay in 1953 to conquer the mountain, these special high altitude boots were invented by The British Boot, Shoe & Allied Trade Research Association of Kettering. Perhaps the boots were the reason behind the success of the expedition? Wooly rhinoceros: Sadly, this animal has been extinct for 10,000 years but you can see the remains of one right here at the museum. You can also compare it to the modern day rhinoceros, ele...

   First posted: 6th December 2016  In  Enivironmental Heritage ‘If Every Household in England were provided with good access to quality green space it would save an estimated £2.1 billion in healthcare costs’ – Dr William Bird ‘Green Therapy’ (also known as eco therapy) is on the rise, having been found to significantly enhance both mental and physical health, as well as boosting energy levels and ensuring you get your vitamin D quota! This is one of the reasons heritage sites such as Ayscoughfee Hall Museum and Gardens are so important – providing accessible, quality outdoor spaces for people. As environmental psychologist Judith Heerwagon says, ‘just looking at a garden or trees or going for a walk, even if it’s in your own neighbourhood, reduces stress’. One theory behind this effect is that we naturally respond positively to what we instinctively know is good for us – trees for example can offer both shade and food, providing protection and nourishment. The ment...