Curious Things on Kelham Island

Curious Things, aka Squad7 grad Lenni Sanders and her collaborator Harry Jelley, have spent three days in Kelham Island Museum working with young people of Say It Sheffield’s Fruitbowl group. Using the industrial museum’s displays and artefacts, they have been making a strand of an App which museum visitors will be able to access at fixed points around the site. Look out for a murder ballad inspired by the knife collection, an industrial metal song inspired by the River Don engine, stories, visual art and a 1916 IKEA catalogue.

Rebecca Walton, Kelham Island’s Community and Learning Programmes Manager said, “It’s been wonderful working with the Writing Squad, from the initial meetings the workshops were well planned and thoughtfully produced with the museum and the young people’s needs at the centre. Harry and Lenni’s delivery style was perfect for the group, unassuming yet entirely supportive and present. The young people warmed to Harry and Lenni from the first day and the work they produced has far exceeded our expectations. I am really looking forward to seeing it come together as a finished piece within our museum App and I’m excited about the possibilities for future projects.”

This project is part of Ignite a Heritage Lottery Fund project created by IVE and the Canal and River Trust, with the aim of revolutionising the way young people and future generations understand and appreciate Yorkshire’s industrial heritage.