MPs and guests rubbed shoulders with Roman legionaries, World War Two bus conductors, giant fish and stag beetles! And children from a Hackney school explored the plight of an impoverished Georgian family with museum staff and a theatre company. Guests saw a variety of Renaissance funded educational resources from museums across London, brought together at one of our youngest and most exciting museums.
Guest speaker was Culture Minister, David Lammy MP. Ahead of the event, David Lammy MP said of the important contribution which Renaissance is making for schools in London: "Renaissance demonstrates that museums can and do enrich the teaching of the National Curriculum in London's schools."Â
The Foundling Museum tells the story of the Foundling Hospital, London's first home for abandoned children and of three major figures in British history: its campaigning founder, the philanthropist Thomas Coram; the artist William Hogarth and the composer George Frideric Handel.
Courtesy of London's Transport Museum, a London Routemaster bus made a special journey taking guests from The Foundling Museum to Westminster at the end of the event.
Jack Lohman, Director of the Museum of London, lead partner in the London Museums Hub, which drives the Renaissance London programme, said: "We are delighted to have this opportunity to showcase the transformation that Renaissance funding has brought about in relation to our services for schools. Thanks to this unique opportunity more schools than ever before are enjoying access to stimulating and inspiring encounters with fascinating and historic collections."Â
Graham Fisher, Chief Executive of Museums, Libraries and Archives (MLA) London, the strategic regional agency for museums, libraries and archives, which also delivers part of the Renaissance programme, said: "Beyond the national museums based in London, the capital has over 250 museums including cutting-edge local authority services, speciality university collections and a wide range of independent museums. This rich picture enables museum collections and staff to reach schools and communities in every part of London. Renaissance has already enabled huge strides to be made in bringing London's regional museums up to the standard of the best. We need Renaissance funding to continue to support London's museums to preserve our heritage, provide inspirational programmes and contribute to an unforgettable cultural Olympiad for the 2012 Games."Â -- www.mla.gov.uk
Posted March 16th, 2007 by ruzik_tuzik
