20s Streets Project

National Archives in partnership with Lancashire Archives and Hyndburn Park Primary School.

In celebration of the release of the 1921 Census, the National Archives delivered the Twenties Streets Project working with four schools, four archive services and four artists across the UK. I was delighted to be invited to be partnered with Lancashire Archives and Hyndburn Park Primary School in Accrington. In early June 2022 the National Archives and Lancashire Archives staff and I delivered a creative workshop with three classes of Year 6 focusing on 12 stories from Park Road, the road the school is located on. These sessions were also filmed as part of a case study.

Using a vintage door as a platform and imagery from both the National Archives and Lancashire Archives collections, the children contributed to make a collective artwork that will be installed in the school’s garden to be used as inspiration for educational multi-disciplinary creative sessions including history, art and literacy.

A 20s Streets film was produced by Postcode films using Hyndburn Park Primary as the case study. Do take a look.

Photo Credits: Hannah Carter, Farzana Patel, KEW

Kate, dressed with a stylist flat cap, was creative, thorough and organised throughout the project. Staff and children marvelled at the door she brought into school which was collaged in Accrington ordinance survey maps and a large historical imagine of the school – that she had designed for the project.

Kate’s empathy with the project and students, generosity and enthusiasm inspired the student’s creative juices.