Bath’s Herschel Museum of Astronomy hs been putting a generous public engagement grant from the Institute of Physics to very good use.
It has created new opportunities for under-represented communities in Bath to learn about astronomy.
The £5,000 grant, awarded last summer, has funded an eight-month-long collaboration between the Herschel Museum of Astronomy, Bath Astronomers and the University of Bath Observatory.
The project, named “Starseekers: Beyond the Museum Walls”, has resulted in a series of planetarium sessions, stargazing evenings, observatory workshops and other low and no-cost events and activities for families from disadvantaged backgrounds and the Black Families Education Support Group based at the Percy Community Centre.
Activities and events so far have included:
- Seven planetarium sessions held at the Percy Centre in Bath
- Two planetarium sessions in Bath Central Library specially for local community groups
- Consultation session with playscheme and BFESG
- Four “Space Detectives” sessions
- A Cyanotype activity held with BFESG
- Summer solstice stargazing session at the Herschel Museum
- Summer Sunday learning event to engage with the public
- Four astronomy evenings
Ellie Giles, Learning and Engagement Officer for Bath Preservation Trust says: “It has been wonderful to work with people from all over Bath, engaging them with Astronomy and Science through our planetarium shows and workshops. Thanks to the Institute of Physics we have been able to run these low and no-cost events with our partners at the University of Bath and Bath Astronomers, which anyone could join. The events have helped us to engage with new audiences, particularly young people, and remove the financial barrier that can stop people from accessing these experiences.”
Patrizia Ribul, Director of Museums, says: “Our overarching aim with this project was to introduce new audiences to astronomy and specifically to the contemporary relevance of the work of William, Caroline and John Herschel, a key exhibition theme at the Herschel Museum of Astronomy. The Institute of Physics grant enabled us to expand and improve access to our astronomy and planetarium experiences through local partnerships. We hope now to sustain this programme beyond the scope of this initial project and to engage hundreds more people in and around the city with astronomy – and beyond.”
Louise Swan, Head of Public Engagement & Dialogue at the Institute of Physics says: “It’s wonderful to see how the ‘Starseekers’ project has been supporting the aims of the IOP’s Limit Less Campaign. The project has a focus on inclusion, taking place in community spaces and engaging with families from diverse and underserved communities”.
The Herschel Museum of Astronomy is located in 19 New King Street, the very place where William Herschel discovered the planet Uranus in March 1781. In doing so, he doubled the size of the known universe. What makes his achievement even more remarkable is that Herschel was a self-taught amateur astronomer, who built his own telescopes at home.
Number 19 forms part of a terrace built around 1764. When the Herschels moved here for the first time in 1777, the modest townhouse (laid out over five floors) was typical of the houses of ‘the middling sort’ – i.e. artisans and tradesmen. It stands in contrast to the grand Georgian houses rented by visitors for the Bath season – such as No.1 The Royal Crescent (another historic house museum which, like the Herschel Museum of Astronomy, is run by the Bath Preservation Trust). Today, 19 New King Street is a Grade II* listed building and was purchased with the help of Doctors Leslie and Elizabeth Hilliard in 1981. The house has subsequently been fully restored, in the authentic style of the period. Dr Brian May (a member of the world-famous band Queen) is the Museum’s patron, who like William Herschel before him, is both a musician and an astronomer.
Bath Preservation Trust campaigns for and promotes the conservation, sustainable enhancement and celebration of the unique historic built environment and amenity, green setting and global contributions of the City of Bath. Bath is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the only entire city in the UK afforded World Heritage Status. The core principles of BPT are: informed advocacy, learning for all, and the provision of authentic heritage experiences at its four museums (No. 1 Royal Crescent, the Museum of Bath Architecture (currently closed), the Herschel Museum of Astronomy, and Beckford’s Tower (currently closed)), which focus on the architectural and historic importance of the city. BPT receives no statutory funding and is supported by visitor income, grants, legacies, donations and members who share a passion for the city and its environs. For more information visit www.bath-preservation-trust.org.uk / Twitter @BathPresTrust / Facebook /@bathprestrust / Instagram @bath_preservation_trust.
The Institute of Physics (IOP) is the professional body and learned society for physics in the UK and Ireland, with an active role in promoting co-operation in physics around the world. We strive to make physics accessible to people from all backgrounds.
