The Ongoing Outreach

The Partnership Project has been running now for two years to raise the profiles of Torfaen Museum Trust and Llantarnam Grange Arts Centre as the main providers for the local and National culture and the arts within Torfaen.

To further this cause, the major project this past year, has been to establish a web site presence for the Grange, which will be fully operational in the near future, along with this very site for the Partnership itself.

A community project, initiated by the Education Outreach Officer through the auspices of the Grange, has been the promotion of a residential site improvement project to further enhance the grounds with the creation of artistic decoration for the benefit of the disabled residents, which will take place in the near future.

2005 will also see a major promotional push of workshops aimed directly to schools, colleges and community groups. Both venues wish to encourage the use of their fully adaptable workshops for older school children (Key Stage 3 & 4), and youth clubs, as well as for adults. The EOO is therefore endevouring to visit every school, college, and youth club in Torfaen.

He will also continue his outreach to as many community groups as possible. With this initial local community outreach established, he will endeavour to reach out to schools, colleges and groups outside Torfaen the following year.

Distributing advertising materials, as well as setting up relevant displays, has also been part of this work. He was also invited to champion the cause on local radio, both in Blaenavon on ‘Wham Radio’ and in Cwmbran on ‘Crow fm’ during 2004. Consequently, the Partnership has been broadcast to the public far and wide.

Events for the Future

The EOO this year is targeting Special Needs groups, encouraging their participation in relevant workshops at the Museum, and art and craft sessions at the Grange, personally visiting them to invite them along.

Museums and Galleries Month has once again taken place at both venues, providing a wide range of activities for the community. It is hoped that the encouragement of the disadvantaged of the community to come along again in the future, will bear fruit.

The 'Big Draw' nationwide drawing event, will once again be held in Torfaen through the auspices of the museum and hopefully, the Grange. Ideas are already being considered to make 2005 the most exciting Big Draw yet.

The ‘Down Memory Lane’ reminiscence workshops through the Museum, along with the art and craft sessions through the Grange, will hopefuly soon be established for the long term benefit of the disabled and disadvantaged. This is currently under discussion and it is hoped that the project will begin this year.

New workshops are always being considered. Research is currently under way into the possibility of establishing new sessions covering both World War I and II. More details will be available in the near future.