YCC with St Alban's School

This page is for teachers to understand what can happen in a Young Cultural Creators project. Other archives/museums might find it useful too. You can see the way we changed things from 2005 to 2006, and again into 2007, working with St Alban's School. 

Getting started - first library visit

2005
The pupils learned about library services, and were read a story by the librarian. Some pupils signed up for library cards.

To fit in with studying Victorian childhood, we created a simple resource pack about Post Office Boy Messengers for the teacher to use in school before coming to the BPMA.

2006
A more structured session. It was also based on Victorian history - this time social reform. The pupils were in four groups, each with a different Victorian reformer to research, they used the internet and books. We gave them question sheets to fill out.

The reformers were: Charles Dickens (also studied in school as an author), Lord Shaftesbury, Millicent Fawcett, Rowland Hill.

2007
This session followed a very similar format to last year's session.  All the children became members of the library and were excited to be able to borrow books and DVDs.

Archive workshop - Meeting Chris Wormell and getting creative

In both projects, this visit took place about a week after the visit to the library. with artist Chris Wormell.

2005
We started with a Q&A - 'what is an archive?' We showed off some of the original documents from the Boy Messengers pack, telegrams about the Titanic, and some real stamps designed by children.

We had lots more facsimile stamp artwork to see, plus documents about Boy Messengers. The pupils did some drawing games with artist Chris Wormell, then got to work designing their own stamps on a template we provided.

We did not restrict the pupils' in what they could draw - animals, Messenger Boys, etc - and Chris helped the class in turn.

2006
We asked pupils what they had learnt about their Victorian reformer at the library. Then we talked more about Rowland Hill, father of the Penny Post. Pupils got to see original examples of Victorian envelopes, which was very exciting. Direct access to historic material is an important part of YCC.

Chris Wormell talked about messages in images, with modern and historic poster designs. He even did some caricatures of the pupils as Victorians!

We provided an envelope template, and Chris helped pupils with their drawing.

2007
The 2007 session learnt lessons from the feedback provided by the children after the previous year's session. We made sure that children were not sitting on the floor too long. For some of the session the whole group sat on the carpet and discussed what archives are and how they worked. At other points the children were in smaller groups looking at specific archive documents and discussing how certain collections put across a message through an image.

The success of the project can be summed up in one child's feedback:

It was fun in here, can we come again?

Second library visit 

A week later, the children had finished their artwork at school, and went back to the library for a final session.

2005
We showed off each stamp design in turn, and Chris explained why he liked it. He did some more drawing showing how a single image can sum up a story. Some of the stamp designs we had used at the BPMA were 'Just So Stories', so we read out the tale of How The Camel Got His Hump.

Then the pupils had to write a letter describing their new stamp and the story it told. Finally, pupils got to take out books or DVDs.

2006
Each pupil talked to the class about their design, and which reforming campaign it was for. We had copied the designs, so it was possible to cut out the templates and stick the envelopes together.

The session finished with a librarian telling the pupils about all the great library services they can access online. This year, we did not try to borrow books.

For both projects, Chris (reluctantly) chose his favourite designs, and we gave a prize at the school. Every child got something to keep from the project. A celebration event is a good way to give the project a clear finish.

2007
The children had a lot to say about their envelope designs this year. It was really impressive to hear how they had used their images to promote the cause of the Victorian reformer they were researching.

What did we learn?

Although the 2005 project was fun and successful, we now think we tried to do too much. There were several themes overlapping: Victorian childhood, postal history, stamps, letter-writing, stories.

In 2006, it was easier to link our collections to social reform than Victorian childhood. Using the library for research was a big improvement, and the question sheets helped focus the pupils. In 2006 we did not let the children borrow books as this had been a bit hectic in 2005! We just reminded them that they can do that any time.

In 2007 the small adjustments that were made to last year's plan paid off. Children were very engaged throughout the project. The work they produced at the end bears witness to the success of the project.

Feedback in all three years was overwhelmingly positive, from both the pupils and the teacher. You can see all the artwork in the Kids Gallery.

Thanks to MLA London for supporting both projects. We also did YCC projects with secondary schools - and an author - in 2007.

Find out more

Please email clare.stephens@postalheritage.org.uk or call 020 7239 2114 to find out more about YCC at the BPMA.