Earlier this week Year 9 enjoyed a workshop run by the Imperial War Museum. The session was designed to go ‘off curriculum’ and gave the opportunity for students to learn skills in touching and handling a wide range of original and replica artefacts.

The session was entitled ‘Beyond Borders’ and is part of an exhibition that Miss Gordon has been assisting with at the IWM. The substantive conceptual focus was on identity and belonging, exploring the migration experience during WWII. It was the intention to diversify and broaden student understanding of the vital role played by all members of the armed forces across the British Empire, as well as the problems associated with discrimination.

The students handled a range of artefacts and inferred from these during a whole-class carousel activity.

Initial parts of the workshop encouraged students to consider the opportunities and challenges of curating exhibitions and ‘which stories’ are voiced. They reflected on emotional reactions to handling certain objects pertaining to war, as well as ways in which members of the armed forces (both then and today) try to celebrate their identity and shared sense of belonging during difficult times of conflict.