Student volunteers lend a helping hand
Posted on 1 July 2011
For the past month, 28 Humanities students have been working with York’s key heritage and cultural institutions on a series of high-profile projects.
These include a creative writing project at the Yorkshire Museum, where students have produced ‘day-in-the-life-of’ stories about children living in Roman York, incorporating artefacts from the Roman exhibition at the museum. The resulting book will be displayed alongside artefacts, allowing children to role-play the stories, helping to bring history to life.
Student volunteers have also produced a Yorkshire’s insects wall display plus material for an insect trail which takes visitors out of the Yorkshire Museum into the Museum Gardens.
Another team of students has worked on a York Theatre Royal Mystery Plays research project, investigating the fascinating history of the York Mystery Plays. The students will present their findings to staff involved in the 2012 production, with some of the information being incorporated into the official website and programme.
Dr Kate Harper, from the University’s Community and Volunteering Unit (Careers Service), said: “The projects have provided excellent experience for the students as many of the volunteers are hoping to follow careers in the heritage and cultural industries. York’s cultural institutions created the project briefs and were very pleased to have an extra resource available to them to carry them out. All of the projects will enhance the visitor experience to York.”
The projects have provided excellent experience for the students as many of the volunteers are hoping to follow careers in the heritage and cultural industries
Dr Kate Harper
Rebecca Storey, from York Theatre Royal’s Communications Team, said: “The research the students did for this project was fantastic, bringing new ideas, facts and anecdotes to York Theatre Royal staff.
“The York Mystery Plays 2012 will be a huge project for the city involving a new cultural partnership between York Theatre Royal, Riding Lights Theatre Company and York Museums Trust. Staged in the Museum Gardens with the backdrop of St. Mary’s Abbey, the purpose built 1400 seat theatre will bring thousands of visitors to the city as York celebrates the cities 800 year charter and the Olympic year. The work carried out by the students will not only inform our staff, but play a part in the project’s website and literature.”
The students taking part in the projects from the Departments of English, History, History of Art and Education were provided with a bespoke training package. This included project management, team-building, an introduction to outreach work and CV writing. The students also took part in a Dragons’ Den style event, with Martin Watts, Director of Learning at the York Museums Trust, Dr Sethina Watson, from the University’s Department of History, and Kate Copland from the University’s Careers Service acting as ‘dragons’.
Daniel Appleby, 20, a student in the Department of Education who worked on the Yorkshire Museum Creative Writing Project, said: “The Yorkshire Museum Creative Writing Project is probably one of the most enjoyable and rewarding things I have carried out at university this year. I've made good friends, improved on countless skills such as my organisation and time keeping and best of all, I've created something that I can feel proud of, something that can be used by children to enhance their museum experience and learning.
“I think carrying out a project like this, or any type of project within the community is a great way to push yourself, to develop skills that you'll definitely carry through to your future career.”
In another project with the National Centre for Early Music, student volunteers worked with six primary schools helping to teach the children traditional print-making techniques and producing a book to be displayed at the York Early Music Festival in July. The project ‘Parallel Stories: Parables for our Time’ explored the history, art and culture within the King James Bible, as part of its 400th anniversary, which takes place this year. The workshops were also part of the first York Festival of Ideas which runs until Sunday, 10 July and brings together the themes of Beckett, the Body and the Bible.
Notes to editors:
- More information on volunteering at the University of York visit www.york.ac.uk/careers/cavu
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