As part of our “Museum Making” project, we’re expanding our focus to tell the bigger story of Bath—a city full of history, creativity, and innovation. We’re diving into the diverse working lives of Bath’s residents, from the Industrial Revolution all the way to today, bringing these fascinating stories to life in new, engaging ways.
The project is all about getting the community involved to make the museum a place where everyone feels connected to Bath’s rich industrial and social history. With a lot of input from the people who live here, we’re creating a more engaging, inclusive museum that’s ready to welcome a wider audience.
We are on the hunt for:
Community Co- Curators– Do you have a passion for helping run workshops, researching fascinating topics using our library and archives, or writing for exhibitions? Come be part of the team!
Community Groups-  are you a Bath or BANES resident? Do you belong to a local choir, kids’ activity club, gardening group, green energy initiative, charity, or any other community group? If your group is interested in participating—whether it’s joining a workshop, running an activity, sharing feedback on exhibition ideas, or brainstorming creative concepts—we want to connect with you.
Want to know more? Here are all the details.
Pauline’s story:
I recently joined the Friends and followed up on the general invitation to be involved in the Museum Making Project. I’d never done anything like it before but was warmly welcomed by the project team at the initial meetings when discussions about what was going to happen took place. I was then asked if I would undertake some research on the theme of bottling Bath Spa water. Where /how do I start was my first thought. However a quick search on the internet threw up the name R.Cater, who had the contract for bottling Bath Spa Water under the name Sulis Water and then I had something to follow up. I then sent what I’d found to the project team to make sure I was on the right lines. It was suggested that I searched the catalogue of the Bath Record Office and I located some documents to investigate. This meant I needed to visit the Record Office in the Guildhall to actually look through the documents they hold. There, I also looked at newspapers via a special Internet site they have access to and searched the various trade directories they hold. Later I also found books within the museum’s own archives which added to the story. I’d never done this type of thing before but everyone was keen to help and I found out a lot of information. Helen, from the project team, also offered to come with me to the Records Office if I needed help.
I was able to do the research at my own pace and as and when I had time. I then had another meeting with the project team to go through what I’d found out. Eventually, this was dovetailed into the other people’s research which became the recent display on the ground floor.
All in all it was an interesting and enjoyable experience and I learnt a lot! It was great to see the results of my efforts as part of the exhibition. I’m looking forward to contributing again and thoroughly recommend doing something like this to support the museum.
Want to know more? Here are all the details.
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