Asking Andover will provide an opportunity for residents to explore their shared experiences of local heritage.
Andover Museum has been successful in securing £10k of National Lottery Heritage funding to begin a new community-led social history project. The museum, which is operated by Hampshire Cultural Trust (HCT), has partnered with Chapel Arts Studios (CAS) and Test Valley Arts Foundation to create Asking Andover, which will celebrate the town’s distinct heritage.
Asking Andover will enable residents to share and celebrate the rich and diverse personal histories of the town’s people. In May 2019, associate artist James Aldridge from CAS will transform the gallery area into an interactive community space. Here, the local community will be able to participate in heritage related activities such as training in oral history and object handling, enabling them to learn new skills, tell their stories and be creative.
The project will engage with new residents from recent housing developments, including Augusta Park and Pickett Twenty, as well as existing residents and volunteers from Andover Museum.
A community exhibition will run in July and August 2019 to showcase Andover’s ‘remembered past’ which is not currently represented in the museum. Local people will bring their personal collections to life and co-curate the exhibition, which will capture, record and showcase the history of the town. It will also encourage the whole Andover community to create a diverse showcase of people’s living history and be a reflection of different ages and backgrounds.
“We are delighted that we’ve received this support thanks to National Lottery players,” commented Deborah Neubauer, Head of Community at HCT. “The project is a unique opportunity for the community to share past memories/experiences and look together to the future of Andover.”