Join one of our training workshops this autumn and find out how to involve more people in our work. They are being organised as part of GT Lottery-funded audience development project, Sharing Repton: Historic Landscapes for All, which has been going from strength to strength this spring.
In the West Midlands we worked at Warley Woods over six months to recruit a small group of local people keen to find out more about historic landscapes. Over several workshops we trained them to ‘read’ a landscape on the ground, research using archives, write a Statement of Significance to help with Warley Woods’ ongoing conservation, and work with a designer and interpretation consultant to produce a family-friendly leaflet. For their final challenge we asked them to share their research in a public presentation. However, by then this intrepid team was so fired up that they organised a whole open day!
In London we partnered with London Parks & Gardens Trust to run an entry-level conservation workshop for guests from local refugee groups and the Bangladeshi Women’s Association. The first part was held at Kenwood, thanks to English Heritage. Then, in April we invited the same groups to Russell Square, where they heard about Repton’s involvement in the square, and got to be part of its history by planting roses in one of the beds. Watch the video
We are now gathering all the materials used for these projects to make them available online so that others can have a go at similar initiatives.
Training events
As part of the project, we are offering some sharing historic landscape training:
3rd October: Social Media
Social media is an unparalleled platform for raising awareness of your work and attracting new people to support you. We will be holding a workshop in London to get you started on social media, or improve your confidence.
28th November: Birmingham case studies
The volunteers responsible for organising our fabulous pilot activities will be presenting their experiences at a case study day in Birmingham. If you are interested in reaching new people, this will be a great opportunity to seek inspiration, ask questions, gather some tips, and gain confidence for your own plans.
5th December: Making the most of publications and displays
Volunteer researchers, from County Gardens Trusts and beyond, make a massive contribution to our understanding of historic parks and gardens. They produce a treasure trove of leaflets, displays and books. Interpretation Consultant Steve Slack will be showing how we can make sure that these have the maximum impact. The aim is to make them as accessible as possible to a wide audience without ‘dumbing down’. This event will be held at the Brighton Pavilion in East Sussex.
All these workshops are free of charge. For further details or to register your place, please email sharinglandscapes@thegardenstrust.org
