Past community engagement projects

Over six two-hour long workshops Year 6 pupils from St Andrews and ladies from Age UK and Bath Soptometrists explored the theme of suffrage and the story of the Suffragette’s Wood at Batheaston. They watched a live performance of Temples of Minerva and visited the Building Memory exhibition at the Museum of Bath Architecture. Making rosettes, sashes and banners gave the group the opportunity to reflect on the themes of equality and remembrance and to share their ideas with each other.

Inspired by the planting of the suffragette’s wood the group designed commemorative gardens and planters, thinking about the meanings assigned to different flowers and plants. The group visited Southcot Burial Ground to plant up their planters and these are currently on display at No.1 Royal Crescent. Tissue paper bouquets were also made and delivered to Age UK’s St Michael’s Day Centre where the group spent time discussing their project with Age UK members.

At the finale the whole group performed a set piece drawing on suffragette history and song, marching along the Royal Crescent drumming and chanting, with rosettes and sashes on and banners held high. The Mayor, parents and friends were in attendance and there was a celebratory tea party afterwards with displays of the group’s work.

Find out more about our 2018 theme of Women and Protest in Bath.

Throughout 2017, hundreds of visitors including families, community groups and schoolchildren joined in our celebration of the 250th Anniversary of the Royal Crescent. The ‘New Views’ exhibition showcased of all their imaginative responses, including photography, creative writing, drama and mixed media artwork.

The exhibition included work by St Andrew’s C of E Primary School, Age UK (Bath & North East Somerset) and Pathways to Wellbeing project in collaboration with the Holburne Museum.

Find out more about our 2017 theme Royal Crescent 250.

In 2015 children at St. Andrew’s Primary School in Bath took part in a three-month intergenerational project exploring dolls houses with older Bath residents. Inspired by Bath Preservation Trust’s 2015 Small Worlds exhibition, which showcased 18th and 19th century dolls’ houses from the private collection of Liza Antrim, project participants created a beautifully detailed Georgian dolls house of their own.

Working with a variety of dolls house and miniature specialists the participants designed rooms complete with period decorations and learnt to create tiny furniture and food to fill those rooms. There was great attention to detail and after being exhibited at No.1 Royal Crescent the dolls house was given to St Andrew’s Primary School where it is still on view in the reception area.

In partnership with 5x5x5 = Creativity all year groups at St Andrew’s Primary School were then part of an extended project with every child given the opportunity to work on a dolls house and create miniature furniture, decorations and people.

Highlights of the Small Worlds exhibition included ‘The Fry House’, a dolls’ house made in Bristol for the children of local chocolate maker Francis Fry, and the Georgian ‘Bellamy’s House’, displayed with its original furnishings. In total ten toy houses were loaned by collector, conservator and historian Liza Antrim. The exhibition was kindly supported by The Heritage Lottery Fund, The Jeremy and John Sacher Charitable Trust, Cosmo and Francis Fry, The Royal Crescent Hotel, The Pavey Group, and Henry Wray & Geoffrey Nesbitt.