Miniature Scarborough created by schoolchildren, to go on show in Woodend exhibition later this month

A unique exhibition featuring a miniature version of Scarborough created by local schoolchildren opens at Woodend, on the town’s historic Crescent, later this month.
Jack Cliffe and Adeline James Year 5 pupils at St Martin's School with their model of The Rotunda Museum.
©Tony BartholomewJack Cliffe and Adeline James Year 5 pupils at St Martin's School with their model of The Rotunda Museum.
©Tony Bartholomew
Jack Cliffe and Adeline James Year 5 pupils at St Martin's School with their model of The Rotunda Museum. ©Tony Bartholomew

My Place Now (July 20 to August 31) was created by Key Stage 2 pupils from five local schools as part of Historic England’s Heritage Schools programme, an award-winning national programme funded by the Department for Education to support schools in making greater use of their local heritage in the curriculum with free training, support and bespoke resources.

With Scarborough Museums Trust, local artists Jean Harlow and Vivien Steiner, and writers Ian Clayton, Louise Fazackerley, Russ Litten, Christina Lewis and Joe Hakim, worked with pupils from Brompton and Sawdon, St Martin’s, Wykeham, Northstead and Overdale Primary Schools to explore their home town and their sense of place in the world, while Scarborough Central Library’s Angela Kale guided them on archive and research projects.

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The children also attended workshops exploring Scarborough Museums Trust’s collections and worked with Collections Manager (maternity cover) Jim Middleton to learn how to put an exhibition together.

St.Martins School model of the Spa Bridge.
©Tony BartholomewSt.Martins School model of the Spa Bridge.
©Tony Bartholomew
St.Martins School model of the Spa Bridge. ©Tony Bartholomew

The result is My Place Now, an exhibition of models in cardboard and papier-mâché of representing places important to the children, including local landmarks and listed buildings, and buildings close to their homes and schools.

The exhibition will be interactive with opportunities for visitors to build their own building, produce sketches and explore a collection of Historic England’s OS maps to discover how Scarborough has changed over the years.

Julie Edwards, Historic England’s Heritage Education Manager, said: “By learning about where they live, young people gain a greater sense of place and identity as well as developing a pride, interest and involvement in caring for their local environment.

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“It has been wonderful working with Scarborough Museums Trust and other partners and enthusiastic local schools to help children learn about their built environment through a broad range of exciting activities.”

Scarborough Museums Trust Learning Manager Ruth Yoxon says: “The children have worked so hard to put this exhibition together and we’re delighted to be able to display their work here at Woodend.

“The programme aims to help children understand their local heritage and gain a sense of pride in where they live – we think it’s certainly done that in Scarborough.”

There are three free family events at Woodend throughout the school summer holidays based around My Place Now:

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• These Four Walls… (August 2) – help to make a giant model of The Crescent from paper, plus your own paper building to take home

• Our Town (August 16) – make your own stop-frame animation using simple technology (both in partnership with local theatre company Animated Objects)

• and Tiny Towns (August 23) – make your own 3D mini cardboard town to take home.

Woodend is open to the public from 9am to 5pm every day; Yay! Coffee is open for refreshments 9am to 5pm Tuesdays to Saturdays.

For more information on exhibitions and events at Scarborough Art Gallery, the Rotunda Museum and Woodend, click here or call 01723 384503.