SHAPE 2017 TateExchange Book FINAL Draft - Flipbook - Page 27
I’m most proud of the work I have done with Lewes Castle. My relationship
began several years ago when I was a storyteller in residence. I worked with
four local schools and group of adults with learning difficulties and visual
impairments. Amongst other material I used the story of the ‘Blacksmith
and the Tailor’, with artefact handling. We created our own stories,
imagining what it was like to have one of the jobs in the story. This moved
on to a bit of forum-style work, imagining what the characters might say and
feel, using drama improvisations.
Each school produced a promenade performance. The children made
incredible models of the castle and took the work back to their own sites.
On introducing them to our site I had incorporated an element of verbal
imaging and touch. The group worked together to describe their journey
around the site from their own experience. I then worked with castle staff to
create some ‘story boxes’.
A few years on, we are now in the middle of a major RNIB project “Sensing
Culture”, developing character-driven descriptive tours in which historical
figures from the past will guide our visitors around the site. Sound artist
Joseph Young will create a soundscape to bring the castle to life through
story, song, sound re-enactment and interviews. A dedicated group of
volunteers have made beautiful objects to go with the stories I selected.
Alongside this we have developed access hours and multi-sensory activities.
Through focus groups, blind and partially sighted people are an active voice
in this project and I’m quite certain that the education team will find ways to
encourage all visitors to contribute their own creative response.
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