Stormont House Centenary

Using the dramatic pedagogical approach ‘Mantle of Expert’ the pupils from Stormont House School were able to learn more about the Hospital’s past. The story box was used as a starting point to delve deeper into stories of those who spent time in the hospital either as nurses, staff or as patients. Each session looked at a different aspect of life there, with the pupils ‘becoming’ soldiers writing home from the front or ‘practicing’ to become Volunteer Red Cross Nurses.

After having learnt about the history the young people then went to Hackney Museum to hear about making the exhibitions and the different ways you can tell a story by using objects. They also went to Hackney Archives, where they looked at the different types of historical records that you can use to discover stories from the past, including old newspapers, maps and oral histories.

With all this information the Year 7 pupils prepared an exhibition to present to Hackney Museum. This was officially accepted by the museum staff and set up as the young people had envisaged. The exhibition was launched with a showing of the documentary film of the whole project.

This experience enabled Year 7 pupils to become curators and create an exhibition that will tour Hackney Museum, Hackney Downs Park Pavilion, Hackney Archives and local schools. A series of public talks were also delivered in conjunction with the exhibition.