Student’s get animated about local history

Year 7 learners from Matthew Moss High School with slavery artefacts

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Over the past six months a group of 11 Year 7 learners from Matthew Moss High School worked in partnership with the Arts & Heritage Service to research Rochdale’s past using original artefacts, paintings and archive resources from the borough’s Gallery, Museum and Local Studies collections.

Learners had the opportunity to work with experts including curators, local historians, animation specialists and film makers. The learners discovered Rochdale's historical links to the textile industry and how slavery in the Southern Sates of America was linked to the town's industrial growth. They also explored Rochdale's role in the fight to end slavery and created an animated documentary about their learning journey.

180 Year 7 pupils, their teachers and staff from Touchstones Rochdale attended a special film premiere at Matthew Moss High School to celebrate the learner’s hard work.

Project Manager, Alison Cooper said: “This was an excellent project which introduced young people to their local heritage.

"The Arts and Heritage Service and Matthew Moss High School worked in partnership to give Year 7 learners the opportunity to access the wealth of historical information available at Touchstones Rochdale.

"It taught the young people how to use primary sources of information such as archived maps and documents, artefacts and paintings to better inform their research.”

Humanities Teacher Sarah Doherty from Matthew Moss High School said: “It was really nice to see the finished product and how their learning had come together and the different skills they had been able to develop whilst researching local history.”

Year 7 learner Mariam Khan worked on the animation project said: “I enjoyed taking part in the project and I thought the film was really good. Before I didn’t know what the slave trade was let alone Rochdale’s involvement.

"My favourite part of the project was making the animation because even though it took a long time it was fun being creative.”

The short seven minute animation documentary will soon be available to view on the Matthew Moss High School website.