Barnsley Museums are inviting all to a celebration event for the end of the Elsecar Building Bridges Project at Elsecar Heritage Centre.
On Wednesday, 30 October, the event will shine a light on the project’s achievement in sharing and promoting the memories and stories of local people, as well as reflect the hard work of the volunteers.
To highlight the community outreach programme, there will be a light projection of the La Reunion Bridge by artist Wayne Sables.
Thanks to £90,000 funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund and support from the Barnsley Museums and Heritage Trust, the project has gone from strength to strength in celebrating the history and heritage of Elsecar through the development of a new community and volunteering programme.
The project has been running for 12 months and has seen collaborative engagement with communities, families, local schools, partners and volunteers across Barnsley and South Yorkshire.
Communities, families, and schools marked the 200th anniversary of two bridges built at the Milton Ironworks and installed on La Reunion, an island in the Indian Ocean.
Following research into Elsecar’s global links, family-friendly activities were delivered, and spectacular pieces of community art were created.
Further into the project, Barnsley Museums worked with young people from Next Big Thing and artists Becky Newbould and Gemma Whelan from WE Great Ladies to develop an innovative and interactive trail.
Echoes Through Time: An Elsecar Story explored key moments in Elsecar’s fascinating history, using augmented reality and QR code technology. This trail can still be viewed until Sunday, 3 November.
Following training from the Oral History Society, local volunteers and groups took part in Making History Days, which captured many different archives, memories, objects, and photographs to create a People’s Collection for Elsecar.
Throughout the project, a volunteer programme was developed to allow volunteers to gain useful skills and experience.
Whether it was assisting with maintenance tasks, building new habitats along the Trans Pennine Trail, or helping to enhance the visitor experience, volunteers’ hard work and commitment have been reflected in the programme.
Councillor Robin Franklin, Cabinet Spokesperson for Regeneration and Culture, said: “It is great to conclude an exciting end to a thrilling project. Not only were precious stories and memories of our borough’s past captured, but the collaborative work with families, local schools, communities, partners, and volunteers has been exceptional. This celebration event recognises the hard work of all, which has resulted in the delivery of a successful project.”
Artist, Wayne Sables, said: “It has been an absolute joy to bring this project to life in the form of a film projection. Elsecar is a very special place to me. To be able to work with a team there to explore its rich history and links to Marc Brunel has been phenomenal.”
To find out more about the Elsecar Building Bridges Project, please visit www.elsecar-heritage.com/elsecar-building-bridges-project.
