The Mary Rose Trust Is Shortlisted For The 2nd Year Running For A Major International Award
The Mary Rose Trust has been short listed for the 2nd year running for a major international award in recognition of its Outreach work. This learning year ‘The Great Harry’ project was recognised for its outstanding achievement with young people in the community.
Celebrating best practice within museums, galleries and heritage and cultural visitor attractions, the Museums and Heritage Awards for Excellence 2009 saw a short-list of six battling it out to win the prestigious award in the ‘Educational Initiative’ category. Over a hundred entrants were considered and the Mary Rose Trust, having worked in the local community and with Portsea Venture Playground, made the short-list, narrowly missing out on the prize to the Natural History Museum’s ‘Darwin Learning Programme’.
Ken Abbott, Portsea Venture Playground, said he was “thrilled to be involved with the Mary Rose Trust and to be shortlisted for such a highly regarded award”.
‘The Great Harry’ project facilitated by Trevor Sapey, Community Engagement Officer at the Mary Rose Trust, identified an area of Portsea where the children were generally unaware and unlikely to engage with their heritage in traditional ways. The Mary Rose Trust and Portsea Venture Playground formed a close working partnership at the heart of the community and arranged initial visits to inspire the children; including artefact handling and dressing up as Tudors. It was then decided, with the playground staff, to build a replica Tudor warship within a designated space for development.
The giant playship came to be known as ‘The Great Harry’, highlighting the celebrations of Portsmouth FC having just won the FA Cup, linked to the then Manager, Harry Redknapp. It also promoted a further partnership within the community of the playground, the Mary Rose Trust and Portsmouth Football Club. The Great Harry was also a flagship of Henry VIII in 1545.
The children played an active role in building the Tudor warship. With the help of a former Master Rigger (a volunteer at the Mary Rose Trust) they made rigging and anti-boarding netting which was then used to gain access to the playship. A mural showing Portsmouth in 1545 was also painted along a wall adjacent to the ship and a long term partnership supported by other programmes is to follow.
Trevor Sapey, Community Engagement Officer, commented:
“The theme of the ship and what has been achieved through the project has now transformed part of the playground into a learning environment and one which the children out of this context would possibly have avoided. On completion of the Mural, the area will depict a very famous naval battle and piece of local history to be remembered.”
‘The Great Harry’ will continue to inspire and work with children and engage them with their heritage for years to come.
Notes to Editors
Last year’s award nomination, in the same category, was entitled Every Visitor Is Special, based on work for visitors with moderate to severe learning difficulties and other special needs. As with The Great Harry, it included outreach and community work as well as learning in the Museum
