What a year it has been! It’s December 2016, you’ve just landed your DREAM job, you’re excited and also a bit nervous, oh and just to tell you, the museum is 150 years old next year so get your party hat on.
The Creative Learning Team kicked off this year with The People’s Story, an ambitious, year-long Learning & engagement Program celebrating the 150th Anniversary of The McManus: Dundee’s Art Gallery & Museum. The program was delivered through a series of creative collaborations with learning partners, cultural agencies, community groups and networks across the city.
As a lead-in to this project, the museum worked with Blackness Primary School on ‘A View Re-imagined’ and pupils explored the work of Dundee artist MacIntosh Patrick, before creating their own animated reflections on their city.
Over this year, we’ve worked with over 9000 visitors, from little babies right through to our eldest participant, aged 104. We have explored the museum’s collections through talks and tours, craft making, visual arts, print making, textile work, storytelling, oral history, creative writing and reminiscence sessions. Our participants learned many new skills through this project and all our participants added to our 150th Birthday Banner, part of our legacy and contribution to our anniversary year.
We’ve learned about personal memories and connections that the museum has for many participants, and this has given us insight into the importance of the museum and the special place it has in the hearts of Dundonians.
I felt included. I feel more confident walking around the galleries. I felt able to take part…
As a direct result of attending lots of new friendships have been made…Some of the people who attended now have access to culture as their new meeting place is in the McManus.
Once the doors closed on the 31st of December 2017 and we managed to grab a piece of birthday cake, we started to reflect on the year and on the impact that this project has had for our visitors. It has made young people feel welcome, engaged older groups and helped them to learn new skills and it has made new visitors feel part of an important and historical moment for our city. Many visitors have expressed that after taking part in The People’s Story, they now feel that they will return and that the museum is for them – a TRUE people’s museum!
McManus Creative Learning 