Rounding up a busy week
During the winter months, our team at Shetland Museum and Archives dedicates a lot of time to community engagement connecting with people of all ages and interests. We host workshops, tours and informal talks in the building as well as heading out into the community visiting schools and local groups to share heritage skills and our love for Shetland’s culture.
Here is a quick round up of what we got up to last week. From geology to Vikings and Johnnie Notions inoculations to Skekler dancing - there is always a lot going on!
- Ability Shetland enjoyed a private viewing of our current exhibitions and we had a chat about our gallery redevelopment plans – it was great to hear their ideas on how to make exhibits more accessible, and what would they like to see in the future.
- Eric Gray also joined us for a private viewing of the exhibition.
- S1 pupils from Aith Junior High also enjoyed a private tour of the Allover exhibition - with two pupils pointing out their great grandads. They also had a session on geology, examining fossils and rocks from our handling collection.
- We visited Baltasound Junior High in Unst as part of an exciting new Marseum project designed to boost youth confidence, employability, and knowledge of museums and galleries.
- Local film-makers JJ Jamieson and Liz Musser joined us in Da Gadderie to capture the iconic Allover exhibition - we are delighted to have recorded it in this way.
- Sound Primary School came along for an activity-based Viking morning, taking a closer look at our handling collection and Viking artefacts.
- Mari has been continuing her visits to schools all over Shetland to run classes and extended learning sessions on Johnnie Notions - and share our film which tells the story of the amazing and unrecognised work of Shetlander John Williamson in developing inoculation specially for smallpox.
- Our pre-school sessions always make for a lightsome Friday morning – this week's theme was on da croft.
- We had a lovely afternoon with the Shetland Library’s Shetland Memories Friday Gang - providing a background to the Allover exhibition, looking at the images and knitwear and reminiscing about 1970s Shetland.
- Described as ‘a hoot’ we had a fun Friday night at our Skekler Social with music, yarns, stories, making and dancing. A fantastic way to keep our traditions alive!
- Our Winter Straw Club held its 6th Saturday workshop – as they near the end of the block the techniques of knotted, stitched or kishie making have been well established.
- The week ended with our Museum Shop Sunday event – supporting local craft producers and showcasing local heritage inspired gifts. A lovely festive shopping afternoon with seasonal drinks, mince pies and fairy lights – the perfect way to round off a very busy week!
