HAP was delighted to work with Torbay Council and Torbay Culture to prepare the new Heritage Interpretation Framework. It was a pleasure to work with local partners to help develop the themes and stories for the framework. We hope it will help heritage organisations bring Torbay’s rich history and culture alive for residents and tourists alike.
The Interpretation Framework, ‘A Haven Through Time’, was produced by HAP’s heritage interpretation specialist Katherine Findlay, as part of the Torbay Heritage Strategy. It uses the eight themes of the heritage strategy as a framework for organisations and individuals to interpret and present the fascinating stories of the bay. The themes are those which the public highlighted as their priorities through the extensive consultation during 2020.
The framework is for anyone who works or volunteers in the heritage sector, and is designed to help heritage settings and organisations bring the history of Torbay and its people and places alive for audiences. You can read the Interpretation Framework here.
Stuart McLeod, Director, England, London & South, for the National Lottery Heritage Fund, said –
‘I am very pleased to support this new framework for heritage interpretation in Torbay. It will help organisations, staff, and volunteers make the most of the fascinating stories that the English Riviera has to share. It is a positive example of how the Culture Recovery Fund for Heritage has supported strategic development and recovery, in a very practical way.’
We’re delighted that HAP will be working on implementation of the Torbay Heritage Strategy 2021-2026this year, led by Katherine Findlay, HAP consultant. The new strategy was formally adopted by Torbay Council’s Cabinet in November 2020 and the implementation work has been made possible with Culture Recovery Fund support.
“It’s really exciting to start putting the new Torbay Heritage Strategy into action. I’m delighted that HAP has this opportunity to continue working with Torbay Council, Torbay Culture and organisations across the Bay to make a real difference to how heritage is cared for and celebrated in years to come.” Katherine Findlay, Heritage Arts and People
The work will involve action planning, relationship building and developing a framework for telling key stories about Torbay’s past that will help local organisations provide coherent heritage experiences. HAP will also be working with the English Riviera Business Improvement District (ERBIDCo) to promote Torbay as a heritage destination through these key stories
For more information about the implementation work visit Torbay Culture. You can also email HAP’s lead consultant Katherine Findlay at katherine@heritageartspeople.uk.
We’re delighted that the Torbay Council’s Cabinet has formally adopted their new Torbay Heritage Strategy. At the beginning of 2020, Torbay Council in partnership with Torbay Culture and TDA commissioned HAP to update the local area’s heritage strategy. The new strategy is the result of our review of heritage across the locality.
HAP carried out consultations with over 800 people and numerous organisations and partnerships – including local museums, heritage organisations, National Trust and the English Riviera UNESCO Global Geopark. We also worked closely with Historic England and the National Lottery Heritage Fund
‘Torbay Council is committed to culture and heritage being part of our future ambitions. These things matter to people in Brixham, Paignton and Torquay, and the adoption of this new strategy and the forthcoming action planning – supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Torbay Culture – will play a valuable role in taking this forwards’
Councillor Swithin Long, Cabinet Member, Economic Regeneration, Tourism & Housing, and Councillor Mike Morey, Cabinet Member, Infrastructure, Environment & Culture
The Torbay Heritage Strategy can be viewed and downloaded here.
We’ve had lots of fun recently creating a series of Explore and Create videos for the Blackdown Hills AONB, aimed at families with children under 12. The videos showcase beautiful places to visit in the Blackdown Hills AONB and inspiring activities to help families engage with the landscape. All of the places explored in the video series are in the visitors section of the Blackdown Hills website.
The activities are easy to reproduce and involve everyday, or low-cost materials. Discover how to make simple frames to take on walks, a mini nature raft, a colour spotting chart, a nature loom, an Iron Age pot, nature-inspired patterns and how to use clay to collect bark and leaf pattern keepsakes.
Framing the Landscape at Culmstock Beacon
There are beautiful views at Culmstock Beacon – try framing the view to look at the landscape differently. Learn how to make some simple frames to take on walks using natural objects you find like twigs and feathers, or try your own personalised card frame using fun shapes and photos.
Crayfish in the River Culm
Explore the River Culm and meet the white clawed cray fish in this video. Learn how to make a nature raft using natural materials found on the ground – will it float?
Patterns in Nature at Castle Neroche
In this video Catherine explores Castle Neroche, a site occupied in the Iron Age and then later in the 11th century, looking at things close up with a magnifying glass. Families can discover how to use the shapes they spot on their walk to make colourful patterns at home.
Wildlife and weaving at Otterhead Lakes
This video explores Otterhead Lakes Nature Reserve and demonstrates how to make a nature loom using different items in nature. Moss, feathers, pine cones, seed pods and leaves woven into an easy-to-make loom create a beautiful memory of the walk.
Impressions of Nature at Staple Hill
In this video Catherine explores Staple Hill and explains how families can use a ball of clay to collect some of the patterns and textures they might find on a walk like this one. Once the clay has dried, painting the pressed clay creates some unique keepsakes from the walk.
Reveal the Iron Age at Hembury Hillfort
Hembury Hillfort has a long and fascinating history, dating back about 5000 years. It’s a great place to visit to explore the impressive Iron Age ramparts (banks and ditches) and you can see for miles! In this video discover how to make a Hembury-inspired pot using air dried clay. Some of the beautiful pots found at Hembury Hillfort on display at the Royal Albert Memorial Museum.
Beautiful Bark at Combe Wood
In this video Catherine explores Coombe Wood, a 10 acre area of woodland north of Honiton. There’s lots of beautiful bark and leaves at Coombe Wood and Cat shows how families can make a record of their walk by taking rubbings and then creating their own unique concertina book to hold their artwork in.
Colour Spotting in Hedgerows
In this video Catherine walks from Hemyock towards Owleycombe, exploring some of the many footpaths crossing the Blackdown Hills. Families can discover how to make a colour spotting chart to see how many colours they can spot in nature. Details of this walk can be found here.
HAP has just completed some learning resources for the North Devon AONB, helping bring the Iron Age to life for primary school aged children.
The interactive educational resources are an online, downloadable pack, exploring the hillforts of the North Devon Coast AONB and enabling teachers to inspire pupils about the Iron Age through enquiry based and creative activities. The resources invite pupils to use archaeological techniques to investigate this period in history and reveal what we know about the people who built the hillforts.
The PDF download contains five lesson ideas and resources that can be used in-class or adapted for outdoor use. Examples include a mirror and shield template, instructions to build an iron-age roundhouse and archaeologist’s toolkit information cards. A set of tactile, reproduction iron-age items and archaeologist’s toolbox are available for schools to loan, free-of-charge from the North Devon Coast AONB.
We hope the pack enjoys wide usage within local primary schools, ignites a sense of curiosity about the past and inspires more children to explore the rich North Devon landscape. We were delighted to get this feedback:
“Heritage Arts People were commissioned by the North Devon Coast AONB to develop a heritage-themed learning resource, offered on loan to schools for Key Stage 1 & 2 children. We are so pleased with the result – HAP produced a wonderfully creative and engaging package of learning, including lesson plans, visual aids, media links and ideas for outdoor learning. The resource will undoubtedly help us to work more closely with schools in our area, and will inspire both teachers and children to discover and learn about our iron-age landscape.” Joe Penfold, Heritage Officer, North Devon Coast Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty
