Small Victories Story at Swindon Museum and Art Gallery

A brand new storytelling show, Small Victories Story, is at the Swindon Museum and Art Gallery this February half-term on the afternoons of Saturday and Sunday, 10th and 11th February 2018.

Swindon long service — From left, Cécile Raffy, Sukhjit Kaur and Robert John-Lewis

Tickets available here (Adults £5, Children £3). Enjoy a story set just after World War One when Garrard Engineering Works, previously the crown jewellers, opened their record player factory in Swindon!

The Small Victories Story is the outcome of a partnership between Swindon-raised artists Emma Powell and Becca Lewis and Swindon Museum and Art Gallery which has been funded by Arts Council England and Swindon Does Arts. This is the first project that Emma and Becca have produced together. Emma has designed for a variety of theatre, museum and television productions, notably Channel 4’s How to Build a Robot, The Imperial War Museum’s M2 Hospital and Open Attic Company’s Much Ado About Puffin. Becca brings a background of arts administration, experience in event coordination and is currently studying for an MA in Heritage at Bath Spa University.

The show will be performed by award winning storyteller Michelle O’Brien. An audience member at her show about Mary and Percy Shelley exclaimed “Amazing experience. Like being taken back in time and being there for real”. She’s made shows commemorating World War One, and Suffragettes, and now women’s contribution to engineering!

When Emma and Becca asked Sophie Cummings, the museum’s Curator, for stories in the collections and archives relating to women’s work, Sophie immediately suggested they learn more about the Garrards record player factory. With the help of enthusiastic volunteers and the Local Studies Collection in Swindon Library they delved into the archive to research. In October half-term the Small Victories Project worked with families at Swindon Museum to develop characters and ideas, which have evolved and grown over winter. Emma has led the design of the show with help from students from Royal Welsh College of Speech and Drama and the University of West of England.

Small Victories Story is an adventure for families that brings together the thrill of recorded music and ingenious mechanical problem-solving. It celebrates some lesser known aspects of Swindon’s history and imagines a backstory to the record players at Swindon Museum and Art Gallery.

From Wednesday 31st January there will also be an exhibit of the story in the large gallery at Swindon Museum and Art Gallery, which will be free to visit during museum opening hours (Tuesday to Saturday 10am – 5pm). The exhibit will show archive materials, props and children’s artwork from the October half-term workshops.

ACCESS INFORMATION: The performances and exhibit are in Swindon Museum’s large gallery, up a flight of stairs. All performances will have sign language interpretation.