The idea of inviting excitable three and four-year-olds to an exhibition of delicate handmade dresses, paper shoes and jewellery seems unwise. However, Joan Parr, the new education officer for Falkirk Council’s lifelong learning and cultural services department, did just that.
Nursery children come into her remit and she says Princess Su Su, which closed last weekend, seemed ideal for them. “Children of that age are usually familiar with fairy tales so they know what the parameters are.”
Although described as a “contemporary craft exhibition”, touring from the Gracefield Arts Centre in Dumfries, it would be more accurate to say that the 11 artists involved have created an enchanting environment for Princess Su Su to live in, with a fairy tale wardrobe and jewellery seemingly spun by spiders (actually it is finely crocheted nylon thread).
“The education officer is part of the exhibition team,” says Ms Parr, “so I know what shows are coming up and we can discuss what educational opportunities they might present.”
The nursery visit lasted 90 minutes and started by looking at and talking about the things on show. Then Ms Parr told them the story of Princess Su Su, an unconventional heroine who does her own sewing, wears wellingtons when she goes out but hides when visitors come, leaving her clothes lying around. The outing finished with an art activity.
Ms Parr, who once trained in Dundee as a primary school teacher, previously worked as an education officer at the National Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh and at Edinburgh Castle. She is delighted with her job at Falkirk, where the much wider remit gives her even more scope for projects and collaborations, she says. “Cultural services takes in not only heritage but the visual and performing arts.
“One of the advantages of working for a local authority is that I have access to all the education resources, including advisers and community education people,” she says. Communication with schools is easier and she does not have to sell the services to them.
Ms Parr is based at Callendar House museum, where the very popular Georgian and Jacobite experiences for schools will continue, as will the Roman activities at Kinneil Museum in Bo’ness. These will now be available throughout the year.
The Second World War loan boxes that P6 and P7 classes used to borrow now form part of a 90-minute activities lesson that Ms Parr delivers at individual schools. “It includes observational drawing, drama and imaginative writing,” she explains, “and when each activity ends I blow an air raid warden’s whistle and the children dive under their tables.”
In partnership with Falkirk’s science support teacher for primary schools, Ms Parr is planning an education trail based on the considerable science and industry collections at Callendar House. This could be linked with a simple experiment forming part of a school visit.
“I’m also keen to get more secondary schools to use our resources,” Ms Parr says. She would, for example, like them to take advantage of the historic research centre at Callendar House, where a project based on maps, documents and other archive material could help to sharpen pupils’
information gathering skills.
In the past, Falkirk’s education officer kept in touch with schools with a biannual newsletter. Now that all the authority’s primaries have an information technology suite and teachers will soon have individual e-mail addresses, Ms Parr says: “E-mail may be a more efficient way to communicate.”
Joan Parr, tel 01324 503781www.falkirkmuseums.demon.co.ukPrincess Su Su will be going to the An Tuirean Arts Centre, Portree, Skye, from March 15-April 28.
