A hidden histories project exploring the Wernher Collection, exhibited at Ranger’s House

Revealing Significance During 2006 English Heritage’s London Outreach & Curatorial departments started looking at ways of using MLA London’s ‘Revisiting Collections, Revealing Significance’ pilot research; as a basis to explore the hidden histories of  collections  in our care, through facilitated engagement with local communities. 

The richness and diversity of the Wernher Collection at Rangers House, in Blackheath made it an exciting choice for a pilot project, to broaden current personal & cultural interpretation.  Within this project the term ‘hidden histories’, references the wider cultural histories & personal responses to the collection, which has previously had limited visibility
 
During the first half of 2007, two local community groups, The Her Centre & Greenwich Community College and The John Roan School participated in workshops facilitated by artist Matthew Krishanu to identify objects they found of particular interest & significance in the collection. Responses were collected through: discussion, writing and the creation of art work back in community settings. 

Revealing Significance Exhibition The diverse range of artworks produced included: textiles, sculpture, paintings, drawings and a film. As a culmination of the workshops the participants work was exhibited at the Citizens Gallery in Woolwich for a three week period in May 2007.  Other outcomes to the project will include the long term aim of producing onsite documentation of the group’s responses.

‘A truly inspirational experience for Her Centre and local women to have been involved in this innovative community based work. This project gives value to community engagement, has positively involved new people in local art/ history and generated great interest following the viewing of the Wernher Collection at Rangers House in Blackheath.  We look forward to further collaborative partnership work that positively engages our community, meets needs and raises awareness of fundamental services and sites in Greenwich’

Daljeet Lall, Services Development, HER Centre

‘It felt like walking in history itself, but not just British the entire world’ Student