The Age of Revolution (1775 – 1848) was a time of seismic change and upheaval, of extraordinary ideas and innovation and of radical new ways of thinking, living and working. It saw the transformation of whole nations through the French, American and Haitian revolutions; violent wars around the globe; the industrial and printing revolutions, the birth of the railways and major advances in medicine and science; as well as Chartism, the abolition of slavery, the beginnings of feminism, communism and the suffrage movements – and much more. All of which impact on our lives today.
As Learning Lead for the Age of Revolution educational legacy project, I worked with Waterloo200, Culture24, the University of Kent and the Historical Association to create the project’s learning strategy. The strategy foregrounds cultural collections, combining approaches to producing high quality, digitised collections and associated formal learning provision. Running alongside exciting partnership programmes with museums and galleries across the UK, the strategy aims to bring to life the extraordinary people, ideas and events of the Age of Revolution, and connect them with the lives of children and young people today.
Ageofrevolution.org – a new, free online resource for teachers, launched in June 2018, bringing together a unique collection of digitised objects, artworks, archive materials – even songs! – from museums and galleries across the UK (and beyond). As the site’s content overseer and writer, I worked closely with partners to create our Revolutionary Collection of over 100 objects, and to write and produce a suite of easily accessible information and curriculum linked guides, activities, enquiries and creative challenges.
The Maker Revolution: look out for our series of digitally-rich creative projects with museums, galleries and schools, over the coming months, including breathing life into our ‘Revolutionary collection’ through a series of animated films.
In the meantime, we’re still adding to our Revolutionary collection of objects from around the UK. Why not join the revolution and suggest a revolutionary object or artwork to include?
Blog: The Maker Revolution – simple models and tools for digital making
Anna Husband 