Each year, the Young Producers can attend a residential, which is a chance to connect with one another, have fun, and learn more about English Heritage and the sector.
This year we were based in Sussex, thinking about how heritage organisations share stories with more people in different ways.
On Saturday we went to Battle Abbey , the site of the Battle of Hastings in 1066. With so much interest in the Bayeux Tapestry this year, we were excited to visit the new exhibition space, which creates fresh links and explores history in new and accessible ways.
Interpretation Curator Jess answered questions in advance about creating ‘interpretation’: we learnt how a project like this brings together colleagues from across the organisation, including design, audience insight, learning, curatorial and historians.
We experienced a ‘Discovery Visit’ with Maria, the Learning and Participation Officer – something normally experienced by schools or youth groups. Maria showed us how learning teams distil histories into bitesize chunks for school groups, and what works (hint: children love the gory facts). It came complete with wigs, role play and our own mini re-enactment on the battlefield!
Touring the site, we discussed how the Battle of 1066 is understood through sources, archaeology and the landscape itself and how to include different time periods for visitors. Volunteer Scott shared the logistics of running a battle re-enactment for several thousand people. Volunteer Caroline’s Women Warriors talk shone a light on the women of the Norman Conquest and the makers of the Bayeux Tapestry.
We also piloted an activity that we had previously developed with the learning team, which may become a future resource for ESOL students visiting Battle.
Back at our accommodation, we ended the day with food, temporary tattoos, Uno and plenty of chatting about life outside the programme!
“Everything I learned this weekend was new information to me.”
“I learnt so much! I especially appreciated the mix of intake (tours and exploration of sites) and then input (ESOL pilot task at Battle, feedback on the Battle exhibition)”
William the Conqueror (otherwise known as Amy) flying the standard in our Battle of Hastings re-enactment!
Piloting the new potential learning resource
On Sunday we headed to Brighton for a tour of the Royal Pavilion, which explored the challenges of presenting an idealised Georgian vision of Chinese culture.
At Brighton & Hove Museum, Young Producer Elis told us about Leeds City Museum’s Preservative Party, a collective of young curators who often spotlight overlooked histories. Elis led a workshop on ethical curatorial decision-making, previously presented at the Museums Association Conference, which sparked thoughtful discussion about whose stories get told in museums and how to tell them with care.
Creative Practitioner Sam Hobbs introduced us to the Passion, Power & Protest exhibition, which grew out of a schools’ workshop Power to the People. Inspired by Brighton & Hove’s history of protest and activism, we made our own banners and zines on causes that matter to us. One banner, reading ‘Let Us Join In’, reflected something we’d talked about together all weekend: the youth unemployment crisis and how hard it can feel to find work.
We ended with a debrief and reflection time before heading home. It was a packed weekend but we think the feedback speaks for itself!
“I 100% feel both a bigger part of English Heritage as a whole, as we were able to meet staff and sites as YPs, and also feel part of the YP program more than before, I’m now able to sit in the virtual meetings and not only know who everyone is, but be friends with them!”
“Meeting everyone [was my favourite part]! Everyone was so lovely, and I loved visiting both Battle Abbey and Brighton as I probably wouldn’t have gotten the opportunity to visit in any other instance.”
“It was incredible! It was a lovely weekend that was both simultaneously fun and educational!”
