An inside look at a special Richard Burton exhibition created by National Museum Wales
THERE’S ALSO A CHANCE TO TAKE PART IN A BURTON MASTERCLASS
IT has been more than four years in the making, and now fans of Richard Burton have got the opportunity to take on his persona, thanks to a novel initiative by National Museum Wales.
The Becoming Richard Burton exhibition at National Museum Cardiff is currently a digital-only showcase of his life story, but will be able to welcome visitors in person when restrictions on attending venues are lifted.
The distinctive voice of Welsh acting royalty made an impact the world over, its rich tones hitting the mark in a distinguished career.
And, appropriately, the exhibition offers the chance to take part in a digital masterclass, with the invitation to ‘Do your best Burton’.
It follows the remarkable story of how Richard Jenkins, the boy from Pontrhydyfen and Taibach, Port Talbot, became Richard Burton, the international star of stage and screen.
Enormous talent, charisma, good looks and that captivating voice, is the summation of Sioned Williams, one of the exhibition’s curators.
And there is a personal insight from his widow Sally Burton, who talked of the massive journey he made from Wales to the world stage.
“There was something quite extraordinary about him which was apparent from an early age,” she said. “I think everyone who met him felt it. People were drawn to him. It was a magical quality which he also knew he had but he didn’t quite know what it was.
“One thing he did know was that he had to pursue it, knocking down barriers as he went. Sometimes he would say, “what is it about me?” I believe this exhibition will enable us to explore some of those intriguing answers.”
YOUR CHANCE TO BE BURTON ADVERTISER CONTENT FROM NATIONAL MUSEUM WALES
You can visit the Becoming Richard Burton digital platform on the museum’s website and have a go at being Burton after watching the ‘Do your best Burton’ masterclass by
Guy Masterson.
The platform also includes other fun and interactive content not featured in the physical exhibition, including a game to ‘Find Burton’ from his childhood photos and Spotify playlists of performances by the man himself, and more to come in the coming weeks.
“We’d encourage everyone to give everything a try and use the hashtag #BecomingBurton on social media,” said Sioned.
To ‘Do your best Burton’ visit the https:// becomingrichardburton. museum.wales/ stage-life
HOW THE EXHIBITION CAME ABOUT
It is a partnership between the museum and Swansea University, which was gifted Richard Burton’s diaries and personal papers by Sally Burton in 2005, forming the Richard Burton Archives.
It was too good an opportunity to miss, not to put the material on public display and to create the first major exhibition about the life of this great Welsh icon.
HOW LONG HAS IT BEEN IN THE MAKING?
“At least four years of planning,” said Sioned. “Exhibitions are complicated projects that draw teams of staff from across the organisation such as curators, designers, conservators and technicians.
“We also worked with our partners in Swansea University and made new contacts including members of Burton’s family and friends and within the community of Port Talbot.”
ON DISPLAY RICHARD BURTON AND ELIZABETH TAYLOR’S COSTUMES IN CLEOPATRA
Museum staff were thrilled to be able to include the stars’ costumes from that 1963 cinematic blockbuster.
“They were loaned to us by Costumi d’Arti - Peruzzi collection in Rome which following a few nervous weeks of frantic logistics, arrived at the museum just as Europe began to lockdown in early March 2020,” said Sioned.
Getting such items was far from easy as most of Burtonrelated memorabilia had been bought at auction over the years, and were dispersed in private and public collections all over the world.
“However, through research and contacts, we managed to secure a selection of targeted supporting loans to display alongside the Richard Burton Archives material,” she said.
They included the school photograph album and log book from West Glamorgan Archives in Swansea and theatre costumes from the Royal Shakespeare Company, dating to the early 1950s where Burton first made his name as a Shakespearean actor.
Among some of the highlights is a diary written in 1939-40 by the 14 year-old Richie Jenkins, of Taibach; a large collection of Burton’s movie posters; some of the books from his personal library and his book bag revealing his life-long love of reading and his ambitions to be a writer.
A PHYSICAL AND DIGITAL EXHIBITION
The plan is to welcome visitors to the physical exhibition when lockdown restrictions change.
In the meantime, the digital exhibition gives an overview of the story told in the physical exhibition and is accessible to everyone. This means that those who are unlikely to be able to get to the museum for whatever reason - shielding, avoiding travel during this time, or because of changing restrictions - can still view some of the key items from the exhibition, learn about Burton’s fascinating life story and interact with some fun elements.
New interactive elements will be regularly added to the online exhibitions.
Becoming Richard Burton visit the https://becomingrichardburton. museum.wales/
WHAT WAS IT ABOUT BURTON THAT GAVE HIM THAT STAR QUALITY?
THERE is rightly much talk about health and care workers on the frontline of the Covid-19 pandemic.
But also on the frontline are teachers and other school staff working to ensure children don’t fall through gaps while schools are shut.
No child can learn if they are scared, at risk, unhappy or hungry.
Families and carers can’t support them if they don’t have the help, food and equipment they need.
One headteacher of a school in Swansea has described the work she and her staff have done to help their community in the latest lockdown.
That work has now been recognised with an Investors in Families Lockdown Award.
Trallwn Primary headteacher Rebecca Barker hopes the efforts will make it easier for everyone when the school welcomes back the youngest pupils after half-term.
She is all too aware of the work ahead and the fallout from lockdown for children and their families as well as school staff.
After weeks of not going in to school, bringing children back will be hard, but everyone is ready and looking forward to it, said Rebecca as she described what staff have done during the latest closure.
The school’s 35 staff are in charge of 250 three to 11-year-olds.
Some come from economically disadvantaged areas, some have English as a second language, others need extra support after adverse experiences and a number are looked-after children.
All are affected by lockdown in different ways.
Throughout the pandemic the school, which covers a less affluent part of Swansea, has delivered food, clothes, books, schoolwork and devices to children who needed them.
Staff knock on pupils’ doors for socially distanced check-ins, organise increasingly needed counselling as well as translation and even IT sessions for parents.
Domestic abuse and safeguarding referrals have also risen, said Rebecca.
Dealing with this must all be done at the same time as providing remote teaching and contacting every pupil directly, every school day since Christmas. With everyone under pressure, the school has tried to support the whole community as well as each other so that no child goes unnoticed or without help while the building is shut to most, said Rebecca.
Only 65 of the 250 pupils are classed as vulnerable or as keyworkers’ children and of those only 25 can come in to school on any one day during lockdown.
That’s not to say others do not need help and support beyond education.
Rebecca thinks there are “misconceptions”
about work in schools while they are shut to most pupils.
She admitted she is concerned about what they will face when children return, but said staff are excited and ready to welcome them back when they can.
Those staff have also needed support at times and the school has run a mental health week for them during the pandemic.
“Children are so used to not getting dressed in the morning or not being in a routine,” she said.
“It’s going to be really hard getting them back but we are ready and looking forward to it.
“We are all worried about what we are going to be presented with in terms of how the children will cope when they come back, but we have every faith they will.
“They are so ready to come back and we hope parents feel they can send them back.
“We feel school is safe, absolutely. Generally, the feeling we get is they want to come back.
“But they will all be at different points.
“Some may have regressed and some not and when they return we will assess where they are at. It’s their wellbeing that’s important.”
Part of her confidence about the return is down to the work of staff members which has won the school its award.
With Foundation Phase children in Swansea due to start returning from February 24, Rebecca said they have made the school as safe as it can be.
None of her staff have said they don’t feel able to come in and feedback is that children want to come back too.
“It’s been a challenge for all headteachers but we have tried to do what we have always done in different ways.
“I can’t think of any aspect of school life we don’t still do in lockdown. I still do whole school assemblies every week online, we still run counselling sessions and speak to parents.
“Staff are working harder than ever. The line between home and work no longer exists.
“We get messages from parents at all hours.
“We have had lots of families reach out for mental health support and have sent people on to adult services – it’s not just children who have needed support.”
Lynsey Woodhouse, from Investors in Families, said: “When I saw what Trallwn does, it was clear it understands its community and went above and beyond.
“They have evaluated what works and what doesn’t and their personal visits have boosted morale and motivation.”
For now, Rebecca hopes her staff can recharge their batteries over half-term before the three to seven year-olds return.
After that, she hopes it won’t be too long before the older children are back.