YCC and SeaBritain 2005

Themes

In this section are some themes and ideas for the content of your YCC SeaBritain activities, linked in with suggested book titles and websites.

Your local museum and archive centre will probably have artefacts and documents linking into several of these themes, or there may be pictures in a local gallery to inspire your YCC programme.

Often a single item can be a starting point, opening up fascinating stories and exploration into facts and history, to inspire young people in their thinking and reading, and in creative work of their own.

In archives there are maps, charts, maybe ships' logs, or old song and ballad sheets; museums will have tools, instruments, uniforms, protective clothing, everyday objects used by people travelling at sea - by sailors, explorers, fishermen, families going to a new life in a new country. There are souvenirs and gifts brought back from work and holidays abroad; there are ships' figureheads, there are ships themselves, or parts of boats, some relics going back more than a thousand years.

Museums will also have collections which tell the story of natural life - plants and wildlife in rivers, seas and oceans - and fossils of creatures from ancient seas.

Creative activity inspired by these themes could include: Research, using library, museum and archive resources Writing: story, drama, poetry, diaries (a ship's log), film storyboards, ballads Art work: Maps, charts, stories in pictures, portraits As well as museums, archives and galleries, other YCC partners will be the organisations directly linked with your themes and venues - such as the RNLI for lifeboats, or Trinity House for lighthouses. Have a look at the Resources section on this site for contacts and websites which may be useful.

And please send all your ideas for themes, books and websites to info@youngculturalcreators.com and we'll add them to this website!