Participants are being sought from across the Ards and North Down Borough Council area to take part in an exciting new digital programme exploring the unique Sir John Newell Jordan collection held at North Down Museum.
The project is being delivered by the Nerve Centre in partnership with North Down Museum as part of A Celebration of our Minority Communities Programme. This is part of a €3.9 million project supported by the European Union’s PEACE IV Programme, managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB).
Over the course of the creative programme, participants will go behind the scenes at the museum, use cutting edge technologies such as 3D scanning and 3D printing and help to develop a new exhibition along with a multi-cultural festival at the museum.
Participants will get hands-on with the Sir John Newell Jordan collection, which includes significant and never before seen Chinese, Korean and Japanese artefacts such as intricate objects and scrolls.
Throughout the creative process, workshops will provide skills in using 3D printers, laser and vinyl cutters, digital embroidery and traditional Chinese art practice. Site visits will also allow participants to view collections at the National Museum of Ireland in Dublin.
The programme will culminate with a new exhibition at North Down Museum, the development of a new interactive touchscreen that further explores the collection and a cultural festival at the museum exploring the rich diversity of the borough.
The Chair of Ards and North Down Borough Council PEACE IV Partnership, Councillor Eddie Thompson, said “We are delighted that the Nerve Centre are delivering this project on behalf of Ards and North Down Borough Council PEACE IV. This specific project aims to build positive relations with our minority communities. It will collectively research and interpret the history, heritage and local cultural significance of Chinese, Korean and Japanese artefacts, which have been bequeathed to the Council’s North Down Museum. This will take place through exhibitions, mobile exhibitions and interactive displays. The programme will culminate with a multi-cultural festival. We look forward to the programme and especially the celebration of the cultures in our communities.”
David Lewis, Director Communications & Digital Content with the Nerve Centre, said: “This is a unique programme that will allow participants exclusive access to a visually stunning collection at North Down Museum and to explore and reimagine it through some of the most modern technologies. We’re excited to work with the museum to bring this project to life and to bring a creative approach to exploring our past.”
Heather McGuicken, Curator with North Down Museum, said: “This programme is a wonderful opportunity for the museum to use our collections to reach out to our local communities and to allow them to explore a range of fascinating artefacts in a fun and unique way.”
Match-funding for this project has been provided by the Executive Office in Northern Ireland and the Department for Rural and Community Development in Ireland.
No experience of local history or using technology is required! We are looking for enthusiastic people aged 18+ to commit to a programme from September 2018 to June 2019.
For more information on the programme and to register a place, contact Helena Hamilton on h.hamilton@nervecentre.org or tel 028 9064 4333 (ext 222).
(from left to right):
Heather McGuicken (Manager, North Down Museum)
Helena Hamilton (A Celebration of our Minority Communities Programme Co-ordinator, Nerve Centre)
Rong-Gen Yin (Artist)
Anna Lo (former MLA)
Councillor Eddie Thompson (Chair of the PEACE IV Partnership)
Photographer: Colin Maxwell