GATEWAY TO OUR PAST

The environment

GTOP used recyclable materials and sustainable materials for the QR boards. They used digital technology to create artworks that enhance the environment without a negative impact on the spaces they are displayed. One artist specifically uses recyclable and found materials in her practice and used this when working with the students and the work is now displayed in the museum, promoting the use of sustainable materials for artmaking. Sustainability was also discussed in some workshops when looking at history. For example, children went to the fishing museum and learned about more sustainable fishing methods used in the past compared to the mass-produced methods in use today.

The local economy

Gateway to Our Past invested in the local economy by providing an income for four Kent-based artists and an evaluator. Cybersaur Arts said that paying fair fees to artists was important to them, especially as many freelance artists have struggled during the pandemic, but mainly because they value the work that artists do. Artists appreciated that their work was valued and that they were paid appropriately, which enabled them to create quality workshops to run in the schools. Artists said they had struggled to maintain freelance work during the pandemic and one artist said this project was timely and was their first freelance education work since the pandemic. They are now using social media to promote the project and will be promoting the local businesses that supported the project. Promoting the 360° videos will also encourage visitors to Folkestone who will then potentially also spend money in cafes and shops in the town. One of the businesses that supported the project was keen to point out that they ‘didn't support this project to get any payback for the business although we have always benefited from great local arts projects and the thriving cultural life of the town around us’.

Volunteering, jobs & education

We provided freelance opportunities for four Kent-based artists and an evaluator. The project specifically focussed on education. Gateway to Our Past initially aimed to work with 120 children. In the end, it was delivered by four artists in four primary schools to 180 children. Children engaged with local culture and heritage through arts based workshops led by arts specialists and made educational visits to museums and focus areas of Folkestone. Students’ art education was increased as they used a variety of different art forms including dance, visual art, digital art, animation and music, pupils worked with the artists to create virtual spaces that explore Folkestone's culture and history. In addition, the project explored STEM (Science, Technology, English and Maths) in many ways including: exploring music, animation and digital technology, writing songs and stories, recording songs and voiceovers using digital technology, using a green screen, constructing sculptures using mathematical shapes and measuring. One school learned about Roman engineering and how the Roman Fort was built in Folkestone. Museum visits looked at artefacts, fossils and shipping technology such as the Plimsoll line and shipping radar. The outcomes were four 360° videos which are accessed on location via QR codes. This will give viewers opportunities to learn more about Folkestone.

Arts, culture & heritage

The project used arts to explore culture and heritage. The project supported the arts by employing artists to work with children in schools. Children explored a range of arts techniques and the work they created in workshops was used to produce a 360° video which is accessed by a QR code in the four sites that inspired the project. Schools valued the opportunity for students to engage with local culture and heritage. The project linked in with one school project ‘Our Local Area', another explored the heritage of The Leas including WW2 history which was their topic for the term. Students visited either the Folkestone Museum or the Fishing Museum which enriched their understanding of culture and heritage in the local area. Folkestone Museum saw how creative arts can be used as a way to explore culture and heritage. The QR codes are sited in four locations in Folkestone and allow members of the public to see the 360° videos which give them insight into the heritage and culture of the location through the creative eyes of the young people. Social media sharing about the project also helps promote the culture and heritage of the area. One of the crowdfunders wrote: ‘I was pleased to see that this is very much a local project using local people to achieve the end result. It was very much a multicultural activity, as the children involved all worked together with the artists to produce some very good work, enriching the children's view of historical events from a new perspective, and providing an asset for the local community to enhance their understanding of the same events.’

Activity, health and leisure

Children actively participated in workshops through drama, movement, singing and artmaking. They went on walks in the local area and visited a local museum. Local museums had seen their visitor numbers reduced dramatically during the pandemic so having projects like this helps promote the museums. Children engaged in activities that had the potential to improve health and wellbeing. Working together in small groups helped ensure all children had a voice and could contribute to the project. It helped with team building and collaboration and teachers said that many children grew in confidence. By the end of the project on average students said that they felt happier, more excited and less nervous than at the start of the project. The promotion of the QR codes will encourage people to get out of their homes to explore the local area which will be a healthy leisure activity. One crowdfunder said that the project should show an ‘increase in tourism, increase in activities which involve walking around and interacting with the local environment and it helps encourage more local people to get involved in art and cultural community projects.’