Community Projects

Soothing Sea and Whispering Water

An exciting project helping to interpret the Natural History collections in partnership with local community groups

How it all began...

In November 2004 the Grosvenor Museum successfully applied for a grant from the Museum Development Fund for the 'Soothing Sea and Whispering Water' Project.  Its main aim was to interpret the natural history collections related to sea and water, through art work and creative writing, working with groups of young and older people from our local community.

Who is involved?

The Museum Service has been working with the Young Carers Group for Chester and Ellesmere Port and the Stroke Association.  The workshops have been facilitated by a number of professional writers and artists.

What does it involve?

The groups first of all visited the Blue Planet Aquarium to discover sea and water life for real.  Joined by writers they jotted down ideas for their creative writing pieces.  The groups then met at the Museum to explore the collections and write their own poems.

They then began to think of how they could visually represent all the information they had gathered by working with a felt artist to create their own pieces.  The process is both tactile and produces quick results, which was an ideal introduction to art for beginners and those who are less physically able.

Another trip was then called for; this time to Thurstaton Beach, where the groups had a tour of the visitor centre and collected material from the beach to use in their art work and as inspiration.  Working with an environmental artist they produced mixed media pieces to display at the Museum.

What are the outcomes?

The Museum has a fantastic body of work to help interpret the natural history collections, from art and written work, to a selection of object boxes for groups to loan out to learn more about the natural and social history of the seaside and water and to experiment with water related activities.  It has formed relationships with the groups, and their participants, that can be sustained and built on into the future.

The project is currently being evaluated, but we hope that the participants have had fun and have enjoyed the opportunity of working with professional artists and writers.  The project has built their confidence, taught them new skills and given them the opportunity to meet and interact with new people and people across generations.

What now?

The felt work and poems produced by the group will be on display in the reception area of the Museum from 5 March 2005.  The environmental art piece will be displayed in the Natural History Gallery from mid April 2005.  From May there will be 3 resource boxes available for school and community groups to loan.  One box will contain objects and information related to the natural history of the seaside, one to the social history and one with activities and experiments related to sea and water.  There will also be an information pack about the project, with advice on how to develop partnership and reminiscence projects of your own.

For further details about the project contact:

Sue Hughes, Museum and Education Manager on 01244 402012 or
Hannah Crowdy, Keeper of Social and Local History on 01244 402014 or
Kate Riddington, Assistant Keeper of Natural History on 01244 402015 or email: grosvenormuseum@chester.gov.uk.