Gallery 37 is back in the museum for the fourth year running!
This Impact Arts programme runs for four weeks during summer and is open to young people aged 14 to 19 who would like to develop and learn new skills within the creative arts. This year, the participants are taking inspiration from the museum’s new Art, Design and Fashion galleries, plus their new Science and Technology galleries.
Caitlyn McFarlane is our Peer Mentor this year, and I asked her a few questions about the programme.
How did you get involved in Gallery 37?
I have attended Gallery 37 for the last four years and I enjoyed participating in the project so much, that I have returned this year as a peer mentor. Three workshops are running this summer as part of the programme: visual arts, animation and performance. In previous years I have participated in visual arts, but this year I am working with the performance team as Gallery 37 is all about learning new things.
How did the workshops start this year?
So far this week, the tutors and assistants have taken the groups round the new galleries in the museum in order to collect inspiration for our final showcase. There are three actors placed in these galleries during July. From a Suffragette who tells a tale about the cause, a department store worker in the 1960’s who dreams of always wearing the newest fashion, to a weaver in 1816 who is just getting to grips with the newest technology. The actors’ stories informed the young people about life during a specific era and their stories were very relevant to the galleries and exhibits where they were placed.
What has been the highlight for you so far?
The suffragette’s story was really empowering, and the group really enjoyed getting an insight into daily life for women when they didn’t have the vote. The department store worker grabbed our attention in her bright, eye-catching designer outfit and she had an interesting collection of magazines on show which let us see which styles were fashionable then. The fashion exhibition also allowed us to compare previous fashion trends, to the trends we have today. If you see any of these characters, don’t be shy! Chat to them and learn their story, you never know what you’ll find in the National Museum of Scotland!
Join a showcase event celebrating the work created during the Impact Arts workshops at the National Museum of Scotland event on Thursday 4 August.
+ Impact Arts: Gallery 37 at the National Museums of Scotland