Week 4 – Partner Placements!

A summary of the partner placements and our final ‘full’ ITP Week from Shambo and our participants!

‘Arriving back in Lincoln, not much has changed except a new underpass construction at the railway crossing!  From railway station we drove to Doddington Hall designed by Robert Smythson one of England’s foremost Elizabethan Architect in 1595. The building was completed in 1600 and never been sold or cleared still a lived-in house for the family. It has been a ‘Lovely House’ for the family from last 415 years which has resulted in fascination collections of furniture, weaponry, paintings, ceramics, textiles, household objects, porcelain. We wondered on the orchard and farm adjacent to the building followed by a delightful lunch – ingredients were collected from fresh from the farm!

Our stay was at St Hilda’s cottage on top of the hill. From the door of the house you will be able to see down the entire city even the far distant undulating landscape. It was quite exciting to wondering in the in the ‘Millennium Park’ in early evening. This natural green patch is been preserved by the city council for maintaining the natural habitation of flora and fauna of Lincolnshire. It has been raining there most of the time in so the park was full with various unknown flowers and leaves. This was new experience for me this time in Lincoln!’ Shambwaditya Ghosh, India

‘The trip from London to Newcastle was smooth. We were a group of three in Newcastle but Sylwia joined to accompany us on our way. Then, in Newcastle Jackie met us. Wonderful weather greeted us in Newcastle. We were lucky. So we had the opportunity to visit the Baltic Center for Modern Art -one of the cultural landmarks of the northeast England- in our first day. The city was right beneath us from the the fifth floor of the Baltic. As the weather was splendid; we had our late lunch out and met the noisy kittiwakes of Newcastle. They are slightly smaller than but as noisy as seagulls. Flying and nesting all around the old city centre, they nested next to the Baltic terrace as well.We were very welcomed by the city which will host us next 10 days.’  Ebru Esra Satici, Turkey

‘I began to know why all the people love Lincoln. It’s really a small but lovely city. The big castle and cathedral is just fantastic! I feel so lucky to be here. There’s a nice garden in our house and we have a beautiful tea-time together. I think we will have a good time in Lincoln! I love Lincoln!’  Liu Shuzheng, China 

‘At first, I was hesitant about the experience of the partner museum, not knowing what to expect. My experience in Manchester however, has been invaluable. Rarely have I found myself so impressed by a space than the newly redeveloped Whitworth Art Gallery. It is not simply the extremely well thought out exhibitions and collection of objects and art on view, it is the building itself. With its long vistas and connection to nature, with the turn of every corridor and glimpse through every door, one cannot help but envy those who have the privilege to work in such a beautiful space.’ Zarmeene Shah, Pakistan  

‘Just as the slogan says “People make Glasgow”, museums in Glasgow are for the people. The storeroom can be booked by people to visit, the specially designed ‘case stories’ are free for Glasgow people. Everyone can have access to museums in Glasgow.’ Dai Xuejing, China

‘It is Sunday today. It has been exactly one week since I left London for my ITP partner placement – the Birmingham Museums Trust, accompanied by other three participants. Adam Jaffer, Curator of World Cultures at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, is responsible for our schedule here. He is very friendly, easy to approach and knowledgeable. We visited Birmingham Museums’ extraordinary venues that provide a fascinating glimpse into Birmingham’s rich and vibrant past. We were introduced to the workings of Birmingham Museums. Seeing how other institutions approach and solve similar museum problems is extremely stimulating. Actually, they are going through interesting changes in structure and role. We had a perfect short break at this free Weekend. On Saturday, we visited Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of William Shakespeare, steeping in culture and history. On Sunday, we explored Warwick Castle, where we were surrounded by jaw-dropping history and myth!’   Zhang Huan, China

‘After spending 4 days at The Collection Art and Archeology Museum of Lincolnshire, we finally have some time to go shopping at Lincolnshire Waterside Shopping Centre. Such a lovely and beautiful place, Lincolnshire has been a very pleasant journey for us. Thank you to Andrea Martin, Antony Lee and Dawn Heywood of The Collection Art and Archeology Museum of Lincolnshire for being such a wonderful host and have been very helpful and kind to us. The Castle of Lincoln was very majestic and The Cathedral is such a beautiful heritage building. Not forgetting the Barons statues and hope they will remain forever in Lincoln as heritage monument.’ Dayang Morzanah Awang Haddy, Malaysia

‘A free weekend! A quick trip to Glasgow to see heritage sites and friends soon after a lovely week in Manchester and its museums. Looking forward to visiting the acclaimed Whitworth Gallery in Manchester, Museum of the Year 2015, in a wonderful park and a cleverly designed building.’  Esther Solomon, Greece  

‘Today is my last day in Manchester. I enjoyed the stay in this lively city; people here are very friendly and willing to help anytime. Manchester Museum, Manchester Art Gallery and Withworth Gallery and the other places I visited with my colleagues deserve to be visited again. Difference between each place gave this kind of variety for Manchester.’ Mohamed Mokhtar, Egypt

I also visited Manchester for two days and discovered ‘Bombay Street’. Now Mumbai explains the legacy of the industrial revolution!  People from Indian subcontinent came to Manchester for work and settled there. Very interestingly I photographs of Indian marriage receptions at Manchester Art Gallery.

Until next week!

Shambo