Me, Myself and Manet

Every time I work with different groups, as well as focusing on diversifying the Ashmolean’s audience, I also start with “How can the museum support our partners’ priorities?” and “What will they gain from working with the Museum?”,

It is obviously right that museums want to ensure they welcome everyone into their buildings, their collections and make these as accessible as possible. However, it’s so important to approach our work from the individuals’, partners’ and organisations’ perspectives: what benefits do they gain? Indeed, in a time when cuts are squeezing services, the Ashmolean (and other museums) can support community organisations in achieving real benefits, supporting positive changes at a local (and national) level.

Here’s the thoughts of Louise, the Roundabout Children Centre Worker who runs the Young Parents Group.

‘The Roundabout Centre was extremely lucky to be able to offer this opportunity to our Young Parents Group BOP( Budding Oxford Parents).

The parents that attended, really enjoyed the whole experience and said that it didn’t feel like they were learning at all!

The sessions helped gel the group together and it was great to see them all work together and praise each other on their designs. Not having the children with them gave them some precious “Me Time” and the parents discussed a wide range of topics from problems facing in housing or in their relationships or their children, they were all keen to offer advice to one another in each field.

The children loved the trip [to the Ashmolean] from start to finish, taxi journey and looking round the museum they have all said that they would take their children again.

All this was happening while they were designing and making beautiful jewellery and gaining an Art Qualification.

The parents really enjoyed the whole learning experience and have asked is it possible they can have more!

I would like to say a massive thank you to Nicola and Kate for giving these girls such a positive learning experience that they are asking for more & who knows what this can lead too for these young parents.’

 

Laura (mum)
“I loved the course I was sad when it finished”.

 

 

Jess (mum)
“The Art course was great, I’d love to do more!”

 

How could Manet’s Portrait of Mademoiselle Claus inspire young parents to explore art and work with artists and be part of the Ashmolean’s audience?

The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) was a major contributor to the funds raised to acquire the painting in 2012. Part of this funding was to focus on a series of projects to widen access to the painting, the Ashmolean, and art in general.

The first group to be inspired by Manet’s Portrait of Fanny Claus was BOP mums. The mums are young parents who access a young parents group at the Roundabout Children’s Centre in Barton. 4 mums joined the project: Emma, Jess, Laura and Stephanie.

We first met in July, before the summer holidays. I took the portrait (well, a fantastic copy) and after we talked about the painting, Manet and 19th Century Paris asked them what artistic skills they would like to work on. Unanimously, they chose jewellery and what an inspired choice it was!

Over 6 weeks (September / October 2014) we used the portrait to think about 19th Century society, Paris, styles, fashion, women and used the portrait’s era and Ashmolean to inspire their design for original pieces of jewellery. The mums embraced Manet and Mlle Claus, dressing up as Mlle Claus and all deciding on and designing their own jewellery pieces in their first session!

We had Kate Coker help us. She is a gifted jewellery artist that has a special talent in supporting people to find their style and designs and was so supportive through the whole process. Here is Kate, looking stunning, wearing a headpiece like Mlle Claus.

Fundamental to this project was how the HLF funding allowed us to provide a crèche for the young children. The mums had the space ro focus on developing their own artistic skills. It was also delightful to share the museum visit with all the children. For most of the group, it was their first time in the Ashmolean and the children loved going around taking photos of everything they liked. I think we got a couple of photos in focus!

The space to be artistic and focused on creating individual pieces of work created a special atmosphere. We chatted throughout this project and the mums supported each other through the difficulties of having young children, coping with daily pressures and choices. At the end of the 6 weeks, the mums had all made unique, beautiful pieces of jewellery.

The space to be artistic and focused on creating individual pieces of work created a special atmosphere. We chatted throughout this project and the mums supported each other through the difficulties of having young children, coping with daily pressures and choices. At the end of the 6 weeks, the mums had all made unique, beautiful pieces of jewellery. Interestingly, they viewed these in a variety of ways: some as works of art to be framed, others to be worn immediately. However, all of them talked about how proud they were to finish their work with Kate and how they would be visiting the museum with their families. Their work will be exhibited in the Manet Community exhibition, the Education Studio Gallery, Ashmolean (13 Dec to 7 January 2015).

Hello and welcome to the Me, Myself and Manet blog! I am Nicola Bird and leading on this outreach work for the Ashmolean Museum.

After the successful funding raising in 2012 and saving Manet’s Portrait of Mlle Claus, the Ashmolean has started a series of community projects specifically focused around the portrait. The aim of these projects is to ensure as many people as possible can access and be inspired by the portrait and the museum, and also for the museum to have a positive role within its local community: inspire creativity, support local groups, support equal access to art, learning and maintain the strong local partnerships.

Projects started a couple of months ago and we are currently working with young parents based at the Roundabout Childrens Centre in Barton, Meadowbrook College (a pupil referral unit in Oxford) and Oxfordshire Hospital School, based at the JR hospital in Oxford. The young people and adults we have been working with have developed some inspired work, soon to be exhibited in the Ashmolean (watch this space!).

This blog is to capture the journey and narrative of everyone involved in the community projects over the next year. It’s going to be fun, I look forward to you joining us.