Literature in Context is a national initiative that provides teacher CPD and student education programmes all over the country. Using a combination of British Library and local heritage collections and expertise we have developed workshops, resources and CPD activities for English teachers and students that will better meet the needs of visiting English Literature groups. Between now and the end of the March visit your local heritage collection, museum or archive to participate in a CPD event or workshop that will explore 19th century literary themes and suggest ways of critically engaging with challenging material. Some CPD events will also include a creative writing element being run in conjunction with the National Association for Writers in Education (NAWE) and generously funded by the British Library and the MLA.
Literature in Context is part of the Strategic Commissioning programme and is funded through DCMS/DfE.
CPD Events
19 October 2010 - Jane Austen’s House Museum
17.00-19.00
Mad Men: a comparison of select male characters from Austen and Brontë novels
Contact: Catherine Coleman: Catherine.coleman@jane-austens-house-museum.org.uk 01420 83262
24 November 2010 - Shandy Hall
16.30-19.00
Cock and Bull Stories: non-linear narratives
Contact: Patrick Wildgust: shandyhall@dsl.pipex.com 01347 868 465
25 November 2010 - Shandy Hall
16.30-19.00
Cock and Bull Stories: non-linear narratives
Contact: Patrick Wildgust: shandyhall@dsl.pipex.com 01347 868 465
29 November 2010 - West Lane Baptist Chapel (Brontë Parsonage Museum)
17.30-19.00
‘Heaven did not seem to be my home’: hearth and home in two Brontë novels, contrasted with Jane Austen
Contact: Sue Newby: susan.newby@bronte.org.uk 01535 640 185
02 December 2010 - Charles Dickens Museum
17.30-20.00
The Gothic: exploring the uncanny with the Brontës and Dickens
In partnership with the Brontë Parsonage Museum
Contact: Sue Walker: sue.walker@dickensmuseum.com 020 7405 2127
02 December 2010 - Dove Cottage
16.30-18.30
Wordsworth and sense of place
Contact: Catherine Kay: c.kay@wordsworth.org.uk 01539 435 544
26 January 2011 - Dove Cottage
16.30-18.30
Wordsworth and sense of place
Contact: Catherine Kay: c.kay@wordsworth.org.uk 01539 435 544
27 January 2011 - Charles Dickens Museum
17.30-20.00
Changing Landscapes: An Uncertain World
Contact Sue Walker: sue.walker@dickensmuseum.com 020 7405 2127
27 January 2011 - The John Rylands Library
17.00-19.00
Elizabeth Gaskell: A Connected Life
Contact: Jacqui Fortnum: Jacqui.fortnum@manchester.ac.uk 0161 275 8742
01 February 2011 - DH Lawrence Heritage
17.00-19.00
You think it’s you but it isn’t: Lawrence’s use of people and places in his fiction
Contact: Emma Herrity: culture@broxtowe.gov.uk 01773 717 353
03 February 2011 - The John Rylands Library
17.00-19.00
Elizabeth Gaskell: A Connected Life
Contact: Jacqui Fortnum: Jacqui.fortnum@manchester.ac.uk 0161 275 8742
05 February 2011 - Dorset County Museum
17.00-19.00
Decisions and Destiny: exploration of ‘choice’ in Hardy and Austen novels
In partnership with Jane Austen’s House Museum
Contact: Pippa Brindley: learning@dorsetcountymuseum.org 01305 262 735
09 February 2011 - DH Lawrence Heritage
17.00-19.00
You think it’s you but it isn’t: Lawrence’s use of people and places in his fiction
Contact: Emma Herrity: culture@broxtowe.gov.uk 01773 717 353
09 February 2011 - Clare Cottage
16.30-19.00
Poetry in Context
Contact: Lynn Jackson: executiveofficer@clarecottage.org 07795 035 152
16 February 2011 - Jane Austen’s House Museum
17.00-19.00
Decisions and Destiny: exploration of ‘choice’ in Hardy and Austen novels
In partnership with Dorset County Museum
Contact: Catherine Coleman: Catherine.coleman@jane-austens-house-museum.org.uk 01420 83262
17 February 2011 - West Lane Baptist Chapel (Brontë Parsonage Museum)
17.30-19.00
The Gothic: exploring the uncanny with the Brontës and Dickens
In partnership with Charles Dickens Museum
Contact: Sue Newby: susan.newby@bronte.org.uk 01535 640 185
17 February 2011 - Knebworth House
09.30-15.30
Bulwer Lytton, the occult and unexplained incidents at Knebworth
Contact: Charlotte Nichol: cnichol@knebworthhouse.com 01438 812 661
21 February 2011 - West Lane Baptist Chapel (Brontë Parsonage Museum)
17.30-19.00
NAWE creative writing workshop
Contact: Sue Newby: susan.newby@bronte.org.uk 01535 640 185
22 February 2011 - West Lane Baptist Chapel (Brontë Parsonage Museum)
17.30-19.00
NAWE creative writing workshop
Contact: Sue Newby: susan.newby@bronte.org.uk 01535 640 185
09 March 2011 - Clare Cottage
16.30-19.00
Poetry and Environment
Contact: Lynn Jackson: executiveofficer@clarecottage.org 07795 035 152
12 March 2011 - Dorset County Museum
17.30-19.00
NAWE creative writing workshop
Contact: Pippa Brindley: learning@dorsetcountymuseum.org 01305 262 735
Partner Museums
Clare Cottage
The John Clare Trust has restored and transformed John Clare’s cottage to its original 18th century state, giving children the opportunity to travel back in time to this exciting era. During their visit the children will be able to move through various rooms, interact with the artefacts and see and hear the village of Helpston through John Clare’s eyes. For more information on the programmes visit the Clare Cottage website.
DH Lawrence Heritage
D.H. Lawrence Heritage offers tailor made packages for outreach to schools and community groups as well as a unique opportunity to experience what life would have been like for a local Victorian family first-hand. For more information on the programmes visit the DH Lawrence Heritage website.
Dove Cottage
Students are offered a guided tour of Dove Cottage that encourages them to think creatively about life in the past. The Wordsworth Museum and Art Gallery displays the poet’s original manuscripts and possessions and activities encourage close analysis and creative thinking skills. For more information on the programmes visit the Dove Cottage website.
Knebworth House
Knebworth House offers educational programmes for students at KS1-5, ranging from Tudor treasure trails to gothic horror and the supernatural, to sessions supporting modules in Leisure and Tourism. For more information on the programmes visit the Knebworth House website.
Shandy Hall
Workshops are available for students of all ages. These are led by the curator or by artists/writers in residence and are devised to cover a wide range of approaches to fiction, illustration and book-making. For more information on the programmes please visit the Laurence Sterne Trust website.
The John Rylands Library
The John Rylands Library holds over 4,000,000 printed books and manuscripts and is committed to widening participation by working with schools and the local community. For more information, please contact Education and Learning Officer Katie Donlon.
Charles Dickens Museum
The Charles Dickens Museum has developed three workshops, currently available to all KS3 to KS5 students. These are called Haunts and Hangouts, Balancing Books and Seeing Things and will contextualise Dickens’ work by looking at themes of crime, punishment, money, purchasing power and the nature of realism. The Museum is interested in consulting with teachers about these workshops. In partnership with the British Library, the museum is holding a conference for teachers this year. For more information and to book visit the Charles Dickens Museum website.
Jane Austen’s House Museum
Jane Austen’s House Museum is holding teacher and student consultations in order to develop their education programme and create new resource packs. For more information and to book visit the Jane Austen's House Museum website. In partnership with the British Library, the museum held a student conference in June 2010. This provided the opportunity to hear English Literature experts explore Jane Austen’s work from a new perspective.
Dorset County Museum
Dorset County Museum is delivering taught drama sessions onsite for local schools. These will be filmed and included in a teacher CPD pack, to be used nationally in order to increase access to the collection. Several schools have already visited the museum for pilot sessions and teacher events are planned to take place from May this year. For more information and to book visit the Dorset County Museum website.
Brontë Parsonage Museum
In consultation with teachers and a local school, the Brontë Parsonage Museum is developing a series of pilot educational sessions to take place both in the museum and in schools. The outcomes of these sessions will be developed into a teacher resource pack, which will be formally launched this autumn. For more information and to book visit the Brontë Parsonage Museum website.
