Crannog’s Iron Age pottery project boost
£80k will help create display and get community involved
A popular Perthshire tourist attraction will leave no stone unturned as it embarks on an exciting new project.
The Scottish Crannog Centre has been awarded just over £80,000 to engage communities and support local organisations with its collection of 2500 year old pottery.
A project to research and make accessible a large collection of Iron Age pottery will take place over the next 18 months, with a new display being launched in 2023.
Museum staff will work alongside specialist organisations which support vulnerable families in Perthshire to catalogue and select items for the new display.
Participants will also take part in creative pottery-making sessions, engage with online workshops and many more activities.
Other community groups, local organisations and schools will also be encouraged to take part in the project through community crock washes and lots of hands-on demonstrations delivered at other events throughout 2022 and 2023.
The prehistoric pottery project has been made possible through generous funding received from the Art Fund Headley Fellowships and the Museums Association Esmée Fairbairn Collections Fund.
Museum curator Frances Houston is looking forward to getting started.
“The Crannog pottery collection is incredibly important to us for our understanding of the peoples that lived in this land and on its waters 2500 years ago,” explained Frances.
“In recent years we have been working hard to develop our collections as part of a wider, inclusive and welcoming approach to delivering the Crannog experience.
“I am delighted to be given the opportunity to research these collections more fully and collaborate with some fantastic local support organisations to share these special objects and their stories in new ways and with deeper impact.”
As part of the Prehistoric Pottery Project this Easter holiday, from April 1-18, there will be extra hands-on activities every day at the Crannog Centre.
And there will be opportunities to get up close to never before seen ancient pottery as part of the BBC Art That Made Us Festival 2022.
There will be pottery-making opportunities with every tour, making thumb pots and experimenting with the art, decoration and skills of our Iron Age Ancestors.