The Fitzwilliam Museum - University of Cambridge

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Education & Public Programmes
Fitz Kits take families on an adventure tour of the galleries
investment of time and energy which is sometimes
hard to reconcile with targets set for public
institutions. ‘I’m a great believer in quality rather than
quantity,’ Sword insists. ‘There’s an understanding here
that we’d rather see fewer people having a meaningful
time than floods of people churned through a sausage
machine – and that’s important.’ With the support of a
talented team – the department’s second post is
shared by Rachel Sinfield and Sarah Burles – Sword
nevertheless spearheads an astonishing amount of
work. Because building the necessary relationships is a
long-term process, the importance of steady funding
from backers like DCMS and MLA, and all the many
and valued funders who support the education work
at the Museum, can’t be overestimated.
Education at the Museum began with schools and
they’ve certainly not been forgotten in the expansion
of its activities. Along with Colchester, Luton and
Norfolk Museums Service, the Fitzwilliam is a major
partner in the East of England Hub, working under
the Renaissance in the Regions initiative to improve
museum provision for children aged five to sixteen.
‘Working within the Hub has pushed us a great deal
and it’s been very exciting,’ Sword says. ‘Our work
with schools isn’t just on obvious topics; it’s
important that we continue to provide unexpected
experiences.’ No project exists in isolation: ideas that
occur in adult sessions can become work for schools
and vice versa, and one of the most exciting Hub
projects is Wordscapes, an intense day in which
pupils spend time looking at paintings, then create a
written piece to encapsulate their reactions and a
visual expression of their writing. ‘I hope teachers
and children will feel it couldn’t happen anywhere
else,’ says Sword. ‘There’s no point in doing work that
could be carried out in the classroom: it’s got to be a
unique experience based on the collections.’
Just as art transforms space, connecting with the
Fitzwilliam’s treasures certainly transforms the viewer.
Everything established in two decades of inspirational
education work has happened because of the
Museum and its very special atmosphere – and, above
all, because of its incredible collections. ‘So much of
today’s teaching – for adults and children – is based
around subjects,’ says Sword, ‘but learning’s really
about ideas – and that’s what this place is full of.’
Nicola Upson is a freelance writer and critic
Stephen Bond