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LOCAL PEOPLE TO CREATE ENGINE HOUSE OUT OF TIN

Local people are being invited to attend a free art workshop at King Edward Mine on Sunday, 30th April, to construct an engine house out of tin cans covered with their own creations.


Organised as part of the Museum’s Open day, participants can join local artist Stacy Righton and use recycled tin cans supplied by Cornwall Paper Company to produce the sculpture.

As part of the workshop, participants will also be asked to nominate their favourite feature of central Cornwall (such as a mining structure, historic building, landscape, view or person), and to write it on colour-coded card, positioning the card on a huge aerial map of the area to indicate the nature and whereabouts of people’s favourite features. They will then be invited to use various media to depict their ideas on the tin cans.

Lanner-based artist Stacey Righton said, ‘The past and future of the Camborne / Redruth area can be seen as the story of its relationship with mining, but its mining heritage belongs to the people who live in it. Hopefully we will attract lots of participants and create a really interesting engine house by stacking tin cans which have been colour-coded and drawn on by visitors to encapsulate what’s special about the area.’

Lucia Crothall, Marketing & Interpretation Officer for the Mineral Tramways Heritage Project , said ‘This workshop is being sponsored by the Mineral Tramways Heritage Project to find out what people think of the area and get them involved in the process of thinking about what it means to them. This event is one of many that we have co-ordinated as part of this year’s environment & heritage events programme which is available in printed form or from our website at www.cornwall.gov.uk/mineral-tramways.’

The workshop will be held in the Survey Room, at King Edward Mine (near Troon) from 10 am – 4 pm. Participants are welcome to stay for any length of time, ranging from 15 minutes to all day. If you don’t have much time to spare but would like to express a view, then simply select what you like best or feel most special about your area by nominating your favourite feature/s and help to build a better understanding of the area. All ages are welcome to the workshop, however, under 16s should be accompanied by an adult.

The workshop forms part of a fun-packed day at King Edward Mine Museum, including the first public working of the Holman’s winder and demonstrations of the Museum’s famous stamps (once am and once pm) and all other equipment including the Sulzer engine, with guides on hand to explain what’s happening throughout the day plus vintage vehicles, vanning demonstrations, refreshments, and activities for children.

Camborne Youth Band and the Longships Choir will provide musical entertainment during the day, and from 11.30am, teams of four will compete in the hilarious giant pasty-carrying race for a tin pasty trophy.

At 12.15 pm, local Councillor and ex miner Mark Kazmareck, will bring Cornwall’s mining and past miners to life in “Meet the Miner”, a free talk incorporating ghostly stories and intriguing equipment. Both Mark and his Polish father worked as miners at South Crofty, the last tin mine to close in Cornwall. With the scars to prove it, and extensive knowledge of mining past and present, Mark offers an entertaining insight into life underground.