Access to Heritage

access heritage pic

Current projects

“Our Multisensory lives”

Photo by Leila Romaya

Using our sense of smell, listening to sounds or music, exploring objects with our hands, watching films and looking at pictures.

“Our multisensory lives” is about exploring ways to share experiences of growing up in Liverpool through the senses.

In November and December 2012 we ran four workshops with people with learning disabilities as consultants to help us create a resource about growing up in Liverpool.

Now we are using what we found out in the workshops to make a multisensory resource, in February we will meet our consultants again and find out what they think!

In March we will exhibit the final product before it is available to borrow for reminiscence and handling sessions for any group interested.

Especially valuable for people with profound disabilities and sensory impairments.

See blog for more about the workshops

Sensory Objects

http://www.sensoryobjects.com/

“Hands-on exhibits bring a space to life, giving a greater understanding and meaning to cultural heritage. This is especially important for people with learning disabilities” (Lord Rix, 2005, President of Mencap).

The Access to Heritage forum have been taking part in experimental and exploratory workshops with a team of academic researchers at Speke Hall.

They have been exploring the hall with all of the senses and looking at ways that new technology can be used to enhance the sensory experience of a visit.

Have a look at the website to find out whats been happening in the workshops http://www.sensoryobjects.com/

The project work will be showcased at Speke Hall on the 21^st of March if you’d like to find out more and meet the research team.

Our History and Past Projects

Since 2005 Access to Heritage has worked in partnership with Liverpool’s museums, galleries and other heritage venues and with a dedicated group of Access consultants who are adults with learning disabilities and support staff from day centres in Merseyside and teenagers from the royal school for the Blind in Liverpool.

Our aim is to improve staff awareness of learning disability and access to collections that are often behind glass or text based.

Led by project coordinator Ticky Lowe access to heritage has produced a report and guidance for museums and galleries that has been circulated internationally.

We have also worked with venues and artists in consultation with our forum to create new interactive – multisensory interpretation to showcase best practice.

In 2007 we made “Banquet” for St George’s Hall in Liverpool.

Photo by Andrew Brooks

In 2008 we worked with National Trust property Speke Hall to make sensory interventions for the ground floor rooms.

In 2008 Access to Heritage won Dada Award for best community Arts Project.

http://accesstoheritageproject.blogspot.com/

In 2009 we worked with the National Wildflower Centre to make a Bluebell Arch for the woodland Garden

We worked as consultants on way finding and access for Museum of Liverpool which opened in 2011. http://accesstoheritageproject.blogspot.com/

Also in 2011 we completed “Touch Pods” for the National Wildflower Centre http://getclosertowildflowerseeds.blogspot.com/

Touch Pods won a Jodi Award – for best practice in using digital technology in interpretation to improve access for people with disabilities in December 2011.

“Hands On” is a project in partnership with Resource centres in Knowsley to bring new skills, enthusiasm, and inspiration to staff and service users through workshops with artists. The first project took place in 2010 -11

And was so successful that we did it again in 2012!

If you are interested in finding out more about this project and the learning and staff training that has grown and developed alongside it reports are available.

http://handsonaccesstoheritage.blogspot.co.uk/

Photo by Leila Romaya

Funding and support for our projects has come from Arts Council of England, RTR foundation, Awards For All, Liverpool City Council, Capital of Culture, Knowsley MBC, The NHS, The National Trust, National Museums Liverpool and The National Wildflower Centre.

The access to heritage project was founded by Alan Griffiths in 2004.

The Future

Access to heritage hopes to continue its partnerships with Liverpool’s museums and galleries in 2012 working with and developing our team of access consultants so that we can deliver tailor made training for front of house staff as well as showing support staff how to get the most out of visits.

We also hope to start new projects with artists resulting in more accessible interpretation for some of Liverpool’s many heritage venues.

photo by Leila Romaya