After many, many months of hard work recording, editing, planning, building and layering, the evening finally arrived when we could unveil the exhibition and screen the film that honoured all the stories collected on Carn Grey rock.
On Friday 9th September Wheal Martyn Museum in St Austell played host to well over 60 very excited visitors from the Clay Country and beyond. They all eagerly explored the entrance space which held our exhibition, entitled ‘A landscape layered with Stories.’ Our stunning panoramic installation, with its intricately layered images of the 360 degree view from Carn Grey rock, proved very popular and was punctuated with shrieks and laughter as people read the very personal stories depicted there. It was surprising how many people fitted in the circular room!
The film we had produced to accompany the exhibition held the audience in rapt silence with its footage of the many local people involved overlaid with fragments of collage and photos. During breaks in the film the audience shared their own stories triggered by those they had heard, with the youngest member, only 7 years old, recounting her recent trip up Carn Grey rock where she witnessed a pyjama party in full swing. Surely another story to be passed down through the generations and layered into the landscape.
Also on show was artwork produced by both artists (many of them students) and children from local primary schools, and some of the suitcases of resources we have been taking around to schools in Cornwall.
Do take this opportunity to come and visit our exhibition which runs until October 13th 2016. We feel sure the personal memories on display will provide you with a valuable insight into a close knit community from a bygone era and leave you feeling heart warmed and charmed. As Malcolm said, “Stories are good for your soul!” Well said!
Thank you again to everyone who was involved, it’s been a total pleasure putting this together.
The ‘Landmark Travels’ Project is a partnership between Storylines, the Institute of Cornish Studies and the Cornwall Heritage Trust. It is kindly funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and Cornwall Heritage Trust.
I have a amateur dvd of the south coats barges trading along the cornwall and devon coast together with other material which might be of interest to you