The county council-run museum opened its doors to the group of local 16-25 year olds to help engage young people with their local heritage, as part of a county wide initiative called the Hidden Project.

The group have written and designed The Secret Life of a Gloveress, an interactive trail displaying handmade gloves and chatelaines which decorate an exhibit of fictitious stories from women who lived and worked in Fletcher’s House – a historical building which now forms part of the museum.

The exhibition, which is free to enter, runs from Saturday 18 February to Sunday 25 March.

Engaging with local heritage

Cherry Gray, Curator of The Oxfordshire Museum, said: “The Hidden Project is an imaginative new way of engaging young people with heritage. Working with professional artists Lizzy McBain and Helen Jacobs, the group were invited in to the museum to explore Fletcher’s House, which holds secrets and treasures from the county.

“This inspired them to create the trail through their own interpretations of the town’s heritage and portray these by inventing imaginary characters and their possessions.”

Inspiring creativity

The Hidden Project is a partnership between OYAP Trust (Oxfordshire Youth Arts Partnership) and The Oxfordshire Museum aimed at encouraging young people to reconnect with their county’s heritage.

The project is funded by a Heritage Lottery Fund grant which was awarded to OYAP Trust to help young people in Witney, Woodstock and Wantage to explore the history of their local towns.

Rebecca Ritchie-Timms, producer of the Hidden Project, explains: “The dynamic trail exhibits imagined stories about gloveresses, written by the group of young authors. The pieces of writing reflect their interpretation of modern day issues within this older and local context, bringing to light the local heritage in a different and creative way.

“As the group delve into our county’s hidden stories they are relating this to their own lives and creating inspiring stories of their own. I am looking forward to seeing the trail that they have created, open to the public.”

Councillor Judith Heathcoat, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Safer and Stronger Communities, added: “This is a truly unique project for 16-25 year olds to get involved with in Oxfordshire. The project uses the past to inspire creativity and to learn new skills and helps to debunk the ‘history is boring’ myth. I am looking forward to seeing the exhibition which will attract people of all ages.”

The Oxfordshire Museum is open from 10am - 5pm Tuesday to Saturdays, and 2pm – 5pm on Sundays. Last admission is 4.45pm.