WE DID IT

WE DID IT!

Stories from the past

From concepts to costumes, Heather Redmond, former head of on-site visitor experience, talks about our storytelling projects.

The idea for the storytelling projects originally came from previous projects we had completed at

Pendennis Castle, where it was clear that recruiting volunteers and allowing them to dress in costume and engage with our visitors gave a huge increase on the visitor experience scores at site. This time, though, we had to move ahead with the two projects during the middle of Covid.

But with a lot of hard work and thinking around every issue that cropped up – from cleaning the costumes to how we trained our volunteers when they weren’t even able to come onto site – we were able to make them a success. The concepts We knew the Boscobel project had to fi t with the Capital Investment Project underway, so stayed with the two key eras – one was the Victorian farm and the other the Civil War aspect inside the house. At

Bolsover, with no such project underway, the team set about thinking how we could unlock the stories of our sites for our visitors in completely new ways. We struck upon the idea of printing the stories on the actual costumes and

introducing props which the volunteers could use to depict the stories of the sites and the characters. We had three roles: William Cavendish; the storyteller (who told the stories of the eccentric ceiling murals in the castle); and, my personal favourite, Margaret Cavendish. We knew that Margaret hadn’t really had a voice at site before, depicted really as just the wife of I’m in constant William, but she was such awe of the a fascinating character in her own right, so it was dedication of really important to us our volunteers we pulled that out and created the costume you at all of our can see here. costumed Dedication interpretation I’m in constant awe of sites the dedication of our volunteers at all of our costumed interpretation sites and hope they enjoy playing the roles as much as we enjoy creating them. I can’t wait for our new projects to start at Kenilworth and Audley – we are currently working up the designs for them but what I can tell you is that they will be just as magical (and unusual) as the costumes we already have in place as we continue to push the boundaries of storytelling further. ►

FIND OUT MORE To fi nd out more about volunteering at Bolsover Castle or Boscobel House please visit www.english-heritage.org.uk/support-us/volunteer

Above Heather Redmond Below Sketched concepts for the William and Margaret Cavendish storytelling costumes at Bolsover Castle Opposite page Storytelling volunteer, Karl Bloch, dressed in the fi nal William Cavendish costume

Being a storytelling volunteer

Roger Chamberlain, a storytelling volunteer at Boscobel House, describes a typical day for fi rst time volunteers.

After completing the necessary interviews, documentation and required reading I was called in for my ‘fi tting’ of my Stuart period costume. This is my personal attire being now offi cially a Boscobel volunteer.

A typical day My shift starts with the ‘Findmyshift’ website where I request a date and select a morning or afternoon shift (or both). This is acknowledged with a helpful email. An email is also sent a day prior to remind you of your selection.

Personally I put my costume on at home but there is ample secure facility to change at the site if I wanted to, but I use this just as a safe place for my bag etc. This car journey has some interesting reactions if I stop to buy something on the way. On arrival I sign in and then help staff get the facilities ready to receive visitors and take instructions as to my location and function. You’re also issued with a radio. A little fl amboyancy pays dividends As a volunteer there is a certain anticipation greeting the day’s fi rst visitors whose expectations are varied but, generally, they want a connection to the surroundings they are visiting. This is aided greatly by the costume and is achieved simply with a greeting tailored to the person, couple or family group. Because of your obvious historical connection, you are also part of their experience with all the expectation that could generate. A little fl amboyancy pays dividends, together with an enquiry into what made them visit the site and what they want to know, but usually they enjoy the story, tweaked or applied to the type of visitor – for example, shortened or changed for a family with lively children or if the footfall is heavy. The aim is to be part of the experience that will hopefully be remembered and promulgated in a positive way to others. Be adaptable It’s important to be in contact with staff for safety and security, but just as important is to call for relief for a predetermined break. This keeps your role fresh and equitable to the visitor stream. Be ready to be requested to change position to a different part of the site Roger Chamberlain (for example, from building to grounds) to facilitate staff requirements. Whatever your role entails it is important to enjoy it and give it your personal stamp, perhaps with a prop. I personally have a skillset that involves ropework, knots and splices, and carry a length of rope as part of my costume. At the end of your shift you’ll

We all be relieved via radio confi rmation, or by the person taking over your have our duties. Spending the handover own ways together for a time can be fun and much can be learned by watching of relating your relief telling the story their historical way and vice versa, as we all have our own ways of relating events historical events. It is important not to take too much on and to spread your days and shifts to accommodate your needs. Remember the whole point of volunteering is to enjoy the experience and interactions which can be extremely rewarding. It all could end up as a chore if you commit to take on too many shifts. If staff send out a message requesting extra cover, you will be more likely to respond and attend if your shifts have been spread to your requirements. ■

Storytelling volunteer with visitors at Boscobel House

FIND OUT MORE To fi nd out more about becoming a storytelling volunteer, please visit www.english-heritage.org.uk/ support-us/volunteer Deb Gibson, storytelling volunteer at Bolsover Castle I love my volunteering role as a costumed storyteller at Bolsover Castle. It gives me the opportunity to meet the fantastic visitors and to share the brilliant history and symbolism of the Little Castle and its paintings.