Special memories of Hartlepool
Older people in Hartlepool have teamed up with the local museum and art gallery to show what they value most about the history of their town.
Over the past month, four residents of Laurel Gardens - the recently-opened extra care housing development owned by Housing Hartlepool - have been working with staff from Hartlepool Borough Council's Cultural Services section to choose items from the town's collection of paintings and artefacts which have special meaning for them.
Those items are now featured in a special exhibition called ‘The Historians of Laurel Gardens - Personal Stories of Hartlepool' at Hartlepool Art Gallery in Church Square.
Also on display are personal items on loan from the residents, all accompanied by an explanation as to why each has special resonance for its owner.
The artefacts on show range from photographs and tools from a career in Hartlepool shipbuilding to a ladies' slip - the first adult item of clothing bought for 16-year-old girl, marking her transition from childhood.
The exhibition has been organised by the Cultural Services section's Outreach Team. It's part of the ‘Ageing, Health and Vitality' project - an ongoing research project by the North-East Regional Museums Hub and Newcastle University's Institute for Ageing and Health. The project aims to find out whether museums can influence the health and wellbeing of older people.
Sandra Brauer, outreach officer at Hartlepool Borough Council, said: "We all know that a visit to your local museum or art gallery can be a fascinating and stimulating experience but this project is keen to establish whether museums can actually influence the wellbeing of older people.
"It's also a way for us to find out how museums can better serve older people.
"Certainly, the older people we have worked with have thoroughly enjoyed the experience and have taken great care in choosing the items for our exhibition - everything on show has very special meaning for them."
The exhibition runs until Friday 7 January. The Gallery is open Tuesdays to Saturdays from 10am to 5pm, and entry is free.
Address
Hartlepool Art Gallery
Church Square,
Hartlepool,
TS24 7EQ
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