Museum Community Projects

Oxford's Sporting Heritage

Over the next 12 months community groups will be working on this exciting project inspired by the Olympic Games and Oxford's sporting heritage.

The project consists of several 'mini' projects. The first one has just been completed in partnership with Oxford Preservation Trust. A group of six volunteers and several secondary school pupils decided to research the following topics to create an introduction to the exhibition: Roger Bannister and the 4 minute mile, the Boat Race, Real Tennis, Disability sport, Oxford Olympians, Boxing, Oxford United, University Sport, sport on Port Meadow and sport in the Oxfordshire Yeomanry. The work will preview during Oxford Open Doors on 10 and 11 September 2011 at the Bodleian Library and Oxford Town Hall.

The second 'mini' project starts in September 2011. A group of 12 adults with learning disabilities will create sculptures of humans in sporting poses.

Several other 'mini' projects will be delivered throughout the autumn and into spring. There will be a final exhibition of this work in June to September 2012. Keep checking this space for further updates.

One participant said; "I have really enjoyed this project and I have been invited to do more which is brilliant."

Another added; "I'm looking forward to being involved in choosing the objects and learning how to display them."

Sporting Shorts!

Preparations have started on an exciting project working with the animation club from Hanwell Fields Community School.

The children are planning 3 short films based on sporting themes. They have decided to create the films using some of their favourite toys.

We're not going to spoil the surprise completely, but this photo gives you a glimpse of what’s in store!

We've heard that there will be a 'Sport's Personality' film, a film on show jumping, and one of a 400m race!

The project forms part of the 'On Your Marks, Set…..Go! Oxford's Sporting History' exhibition coming in June 2012.  Can't wait to see the final films!

Sporting Sculptures

Art Days

Working in partnership with Oxford Searchers and Changing Directions, the museum runs regular art days.

Using the museum's collections as inspiration, participants take part in art & craft activities, poetry workshops and drama. The group spend time in the galleries getting inspiration for their work. They may be inspired by a particular historic period, an object, or colour and form.

Comments from participants include:

• "Another action packed day on a museum project - please keep doing them!"
• "I really enjoyed this day and had lots of laughs and learnt a lot too!"

Canal Project

The Soldiers of Oxfordshire Museum and Museum of Oxford Youth Art Project

The Soldiers of Oxfordshire Museum and The Museum of Oxford worked in partnership on this 4 week project alongside artist Dionne Barber and 7 pupils from Wood Green School, Witney.

The aim of the project was to work with the young people to produce an artwork which was inspired by the Soldiers of Oxfordshire exhibition "Children and War".

There were four half day sessions during which the young people explored the exhibition and its themes, handled objects relating to the exhibition, learnt various artistic techniques and worked together as a team to produce the finished artwork.

At the end of the final session the young people were all presented with a certificate to mark their achievement and the finished artwork is currently on display at The Oxfordshire Museum, adjacent to the "Children and War" exhibition. The final piece far exceeded everyone’s expectations.

Overall the project was a fine example of partnership working with excellent feedback from both the young people and the support workers who attended the session. Dionne Barber did an excellent job of inspiring the young people and helping them to achieve their artistic goals.

Head Over Heels Intergenerational Dance Project

The aim of the project was to create a dance piece inspired by the Memory Lane group sessions which were linked to the Head Over Heels exhibition. The project was designed to include all ages and was supported by the Dancin' Oxford Festival.

A series of 5 rehearsals took place in Oxford Town Hall and members of the Memory Lane group, parents and pupils from Windmill School, Headington and other community members worked alongside each other to perfect dance routines choreographed by dance tutor Angela Conlan. During the rehearsals time was taken to listen to recordings of the Memory Lane sessions and to consider the historical aspect of hats and shoes and their connection to Oxford and its people.

The finished piece was performed to a rapturous reception in the presence The Lord Mayor, Elise Benjamin and an audience of over 100 people at the launch of the Head Over Heels exhibition at Oxford Town Hall.

Head Over Heels Portraits

In celebration of the Head Over Heels project we have been photographing local residents wearing their favourite hats. A series of photographs will go on display in Oxford Town Hall during March to June. The photographs will also include people wearing hats to carry out their work. Head Over Heels is project in partnership between the Museum of Oxford, Oxfordshire Museum Service, and the University of Oxford Museum Service. Linked to these photographs will also be a series of images of people wearing hats in their work.

"I had such an enjoyable afternoon being photographed in my hat. It was a chance to wear my father's hat from World War II. My son used to wear this every year for the Armistice service. It’s nice to think that this personal piece of family history is being brought to a wider audience through this exhibition."

Shoe Gazing Animation

The Museum of Oxford Community Art Group recently worked with Oxford based StopMoGo to create a short animation based on the fictional 'Oxford Shoe Company'. Over two creative and fun days the group produced the animation. The animation forms part of the Head Over Heels exhibition.

"Knowing that we were part of the workshop that helped create this animation is a fantastic feeling of achievement. It was lots of fun and at the same time I learnt how animation comes together. Fascinating seeing our work onscreen and many thanks for producing such a fun shoe animation."

Museum of Oxford Winter School

The museum organised a very successful Winter School during December 2011. An audience of 85 people enjoyed over 24 short presentations given by local people on aspects of their life stories. Topics included growing up in Uganda, family history, the history of the Cowley Road, Oxford shops, mental health, travelling the 1970s hippy trail and nursing. A varied programme!

We also launched a new Museum of Oxford publication at the event - 'Write Your Life! Speeches from the Museum of Oxford Summer School'. A publication based on the Winter School will be produced in early 2012.

Another Summer School will be arranged for July 2012. Dates will be published soon.

Archaeological Research Group

The museum is working with a local community group to research a collection of Medieval shoes discovered in 1970 during the construction of the Westgate shopping centre.

The group are researching the leather shoes and will produce information panels for the Head Over Heels exhibition which will be launched at Oxford Town Hall in March 2012.

The group will interpret the shoes for the public. This will include highlighting the different stages an archaeological object goes through from its initial discovery in the ground, to its preservation and conservation in a museum to its final display in an exhibition. The group are currently researching the significance of the shoes and what they can tell us about life and society in Oxford during the later medieval period.

The group recently attended a workshop with a medieval shoe specialist to watch a pair of replica shoes being made.

Head Over Heels - hats and shoes

The Museum is currently working with a small group of learners from the Oxford Complex Needs service. This is an organisation that supports adults with emotional or mental health difficulties.

Together we are working on several exciting projects linked to the theme 'Hats & Shoes'. The group are currently creating a piece of art work looking at hats and shoes that represent different stages of life. We also hope to deliver a short animation on the same theme.

The work will go on display as part of the Head Over Heels exhibition at Oxford Town Hall in March 2012. For more information on Head Over Heels please visit the Ashmolean Museum website.

Museum of Oxford Summer School

The first Museum Summer School took place on 19 and 20 July 2011 in partnership with Oxford Searchers. Over 85 people attended and contributed to a very lively, informative and fun event.

Over 20 speakers entertained the audience with funny, moving and insightful glimpses into their life stories. Themes included a wartime romance, working in the Oxford car industry, growing up in the Foreign Office, gardening in Bosnia, the joys of reading, archaeology, John Ruskin and childhood holidays.

The event was a huge success.

One participant said; "I was totally entertained and at times enchanted by the so human stories in people's lives."

Another added; "It was sad, funny and informative. I loved it all."

Simon House Film Project

In a project funded by Strategic Commissioning, residents of Simon House night shelter in Oxford created a short film about their local community and their place within it. This was a partnership project with the Pitt Rivers Museum and the Museum of Oxford, using the medium of film to teach vocational skills and interpret the collections.

This was a fresh experience for the Simon House group in many ways.

Matty said: "I've never been to a museum before. I don't really know a lot about museums, but I'm here today just to have a look around and see what's what... I found it really enjoyable."

They used their new skills to devise, film and edit a short documentary. The film was screened as part of a community exhibition at the Museum of Oxford in early 2011.

The Big Car Project

Searchers Exhibition Project

Archaeology Group

Since January 2011 a group of people have been meeting weekly to take part in workshops and practical sessions linked to archaeology.

The group have taken part in resistivity training, field walks, survey, digging test pits and have had visits to lots of archaeological sites.

These have included visits to the medieval site at Bartlemas and the County Museum Resource Centre at Standlake to view and handle Roman artefacts. 

The group works closely with the East Oxford Archaeology group and have lots of exciting opportunities coming up for the rest of the year.

The group is open to everybody and you do not need to have any previous archaeological experience.

One participant said; "This is a field I've always wanted to get into. This has been a chance in my lifetime to get involved."

Another added; "Fantastic teaching of subjects from Neil and Jane. Thanks to both. I have really taken the subject to heart and it is fascinating."

Page last reviewed 15 May 2012