Land of Iron Research Visit – Skinningrove

It was a brilliant research visit to the Land of Iron Museum last week for myself and Mike. Everyone was welcoming and keen to share their museum stories and personal ones too. We have only just scratched the surface of mining heritage information in the area. Future visits are planned to supply more content for our short film, one of our art deliverables for the project.

A huge thank you to everyone who gave us access to the entire museum when it was closed. We used the quiet time to film and make sound recordings. The ambient sounds in the North Drift, a disused mine shaft, and the whoosh when the ‘bag’ fan was switched on were extraordinary.

A view of the North Drift at Land of Iron Museum. Photo Credit. M.Stubbs

Angela, the museum curator spent the day with us. She was extremely patient, especially with  our multiple requests to activate ‘the rapper’, or clanger as she called it. Yes, I have the film footage too of both ends!

Diana and Angela at the Land of Iron museum, looking around  Photo Credit. M.Stubbs

David, one of the museum guides, gave me a personal 1-1 tool tour. I am now familiar with specific mining tools terms such as sprag, jump drill and the copper picker. Unfamiliar terms to me, despite my traineeship working at a dockyard. Fascinating names!

Oh… and a thank-you to Nathan who turned the Sirocco fan on and off for me as a last minute artist request. This fan brought fresh air into the mine or could be switched to push stale air out. A lifesaver, literally, when the mine was in use.

….and finally, a big thank you for the excellent close-out chat with Marie Woods, (Chief Executive Officer). As one of our key museum partners, she is fully supportive of our desire to find ways to activate her museum collection through multi-sensory storytelling. She was also undaunted by my wish list that included a desire to’ feel the heat’ and access film footage that shows molten forms emerge from a working steel mill. Watch this space!

Ironstone in the Raw

Borrowed from the Land of Iron Museum for research purposes. How magnetic is it, I wonder!

Blog by Diana Scarborough