Kids in Museums Takeover Day

Kids in Museums Takeover Day

For our Kids in Museums Takeover Day two undergraduate students from Exeter University, studying Public History, took over our engagement team and delivered a climate themed workshop for year 6 pupils from King Charles School in Falmouth.

The workshop focused on Gutta Percha which was used to insulate cables. The telegraph industry owned its own plantations of trees belonging to the Sapotaceae family (a Southeast Asian tree) from which Gutta Percha is extracted. The workers at these plantations were treated unethically and the growing and extraction of Gutta Percha had environmental impacts. The print workshop focused on the importance of trees linking to the our environmental programme Planet PK.

Discovering Gutta Percha

Michael and Amber from Exeter University delivered an amazing workshop and talked to the school children about trees, explaining how Gutta Percha was used in the cable industry through a playful interactive game. The group used leaves from the Porthcurno Valley, engaging with the surroundings of the museum. The leaves were then used to create mono prints inspired by the shape of the trees from which Gutta Percha is extracted. The children also went on a tour of the museum led by Paul Tyreman, where they saw the museums Lights out for Dark Skies at Night Exhibition accompanied by a trail about the effects of light pollution.

The printing workshop in full flow
Michael from Exeter University helping the students

The children had a brilliant day

We received this fantastic feedback from the school council:

We would like to thank you for letting us visit your Museum and for paying for us to get there! 

All of the adults who worked with us were really friendly, helpful and knowledgeable.  We all learnt a lot; it was a trip full of information.  It will really help us with our learning about the Victorians and World War II.  

Amber: I liked doing the art, especially as I have never done printing before. 

Milo: I really enjoyed all the practical activities in the Museum. 

We would recommend this trip to other schools. 

From Milo (IT MP) and Amber (Community MP)

Thank you to everyone who took part, we look forward to our next Kids in Museums takeover Day!  

Kay Dalton, Engagement Curator, PK Porthcurno

Header Photo: Josh Deacon

Images: Josh Deacon

Kids in Museums Takeover Day
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