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Drummond
Community High School |
March 2005 |
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Exhibition:
'The Festival of Learning'
& end of Jeanette's Drummond 'Threads' residency. Jeanette assembles
memories and creations, little pieces of fabric & whole garments,
old & new along with accessories used in days gone by. |
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| This dress, the
focal point of the exhibition was a tapestry of memories, given
to Jeanette from the adults of Drummond's community evening
program. |
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| Textile
Memories |
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"Over
50 students from the Adult education evening program have
taken part in our textile memory dress. Each participant was
asked to contribute a piece of textile connected to a personal
memory. I received around 50 fragments. The biggest was a
worn and much loved morning gown and the smallest a button!
The oldest was a Victorian pin cushion cover made by someone’s
Granny and there were many in between. I drew my inspiration
from the pieces that were handed in and created miniature
figures alongside a life sized dress.....
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.....this creates an installation of memories contrasting
young and old, past and present and the process of growing
up."
Jeanette
Sendler |
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| Dress
details... |
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fabrics...
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photos...
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....stories... |
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"The
exhibition of aprons and their memories was a great surprise and
highly evocative of the past. It was amazing. The exhibition in
such a small space was almost overpowering and I saw some older
ladies - in their 70s - being completely entranced and taken back
to that time in the same way I returned to the school orchestra
era. They were amazed at what was happening to them and how they
were feeling.
It appeared they
had no connection with Drummond themselves so were presumably grandparents
or something who had strayed into the room. It was all very impressive."
Agnes
Johnstone |
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Open doors!
Parents & pupils enjoying the exhibition. The collection of
aprons is hung on opposite walls. |
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| .. &
the film... with the children explaining their work. |
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Film by 'glass
eye'. Filmed & produced by Evelyn Nicolette.
Old class photos
on the wall behind |
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| Jeanette
explains the significance of some of the exhibits & of details
in her 'memory dress'
......here a wedding photograph |
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Here Jeanette explains
the significance of the hand written log books from 1926
from the log book:
August 1939
'School closed this afternoon
in consequence of evacuation – order. F.W.D. Stewart took
over the Headmastership on the 29th August. Evacuation to safer
areas is to take place on Sat. morning 2nd Sept. On the 3rd Sept.
a state of war developed between Britain and Germany. About a quarter
of our pupils were evacuated to country districts under the Government
scheme, and others made private evacuation arrangements.' |
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Many
subsequently returned however, and a census made by the staff
at the beginning of Oct showed that 800 pupils were at home and
the number was increasing. Arrangements were therefore made to
instruct these pupils in small number. Various houses and halls
were kindly lent to the purpose, and about 500 pupils received
some instructions under the scheme.
August 1944:
'About 25 pupils evacuated from the London area were admitted'
Nov. 18th 1943:'Pupils
from three classes – all of them reading ‘The Merchant
of venice’ – were allowed to attend the King’s
Theatre this afternoon to witness a performance of the play.'
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Present
Community – ‘Textile Memories’
"Textiles are part of our daily lives. We wear them as garments,
use them in the home as table cloths, etc., for decoration in shops,
or they carry our messages for example on banners. There are few
places where fabrics do not impact on our everyday lives.
Traditionally
textiles are part of our local culture. During the days when people
could not read or write, colours, patterns, symbols and emblems
were used as a way of communication. Today we still collect fabrics
for nostalgic reasons and to pass on to others within the family."
Jeanette Sendler
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And in the main hall........
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Work by the children...
This wonderful piece
(left) was by Aaron Carr. Displayed behind class & opposite
the banners above, you can see the reflections of other felt hangings
to the top of the piece. |
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