Built for Learning - Make Heritage Open Days work for You

Property owners, local societies and schools across the West Midlands are preparing to tell the story of their buildings and neighbourhoods during Heritage Open Days 2005, the annual celebration of architecture, culture and history that offers free access to thousands of buildings and places across England.

If you own, work in, or know of a building in your area, whose story you want to share with children, families and other community members, why not come along to a special workshop on 9 March at Walsall Art Gallery and learn how to open doors, eyes and minds?

The free workshop is open to both old and new potential Heritage Open Days organisers, as well as all primary and secondary school teachers. It will offer practical tips on: opening a property to the public; holding a popular event; attracting a wider audience; working with schools and young people and linking up with other organisers.

The day will give participants the chance to explore how best to inspire learning in an historic environment and the classroom. Existing Heritage Open Days organisers will share their expertise of how to stage a successful event popular with visitors and the media. English Heritage Outreach Officer Suzanne Carter will help participants find new ways to engage a wider audience in their programme while a talented story teller will share some basic storytelling skills to help bring buildings and their histories alive.

Suzanne Carter, English Heritage Outreach Officer said:

"The Heritage Open Days event is a great opportunity to celebrate our communities, and to help children and young people understand more widely all aspects of our region's rich and diverse heritage."

Also on hand to give advice on how local museums can help will be a representative from Walsall Museums Service.

Ben Locker, the Civic Trust's Heritage Open Days Education Manager says: "Heritage is about people as well as places, and Heritage Open Days now gives young people and their families the chance to explore the stories connected with their surroundings. The Walsall workshop is an important step in making that happen. We hope as many people as possible will attend."

Teachers and volunteers attending the workshop will receive either a teacher's pack or organiser's handbook both of which have been recently published to help schools and volunteers to work together and use local architecture and community spaces as a rich resource for learning.