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We are fortunate to welcome a number of work experience students each Summer from local schools. While they are with us, they take on the role of General Assistant, working across different areas of the organisation to get a broad sense of several areas of heritage work, including events and marketing, content creation, retail and catering. They are also tasked with a creative project, and allocated time each day to work on this. This year, their focus has been on designing trails, routes and new interpretation, so that they can share their unique perspectives on the Garden, House and Collections.
In May, Lottie joined us, and helped our Events Producer Lucy in putting together an Alice-in-Wonderland themed Easter trail for kids in the Garden. Her white rabbits and their hand-painting teapots were dotted around the Garden waiting to be discovered by our younger visitors during the Half Term holiday. Lottie said:
“I’ve really enjoyed my week working at Chawton House, I’ve spent my time assisting in making props for the upcoming Garden Trail, sweeping and helping support with group tours. I have enjoyed my experience here, and have learned skills that will prepare me for future jobs.”
In the middle of June, we welcomed Nicole and Anya. Nicole spent time working on interpretation in our Servant’s Stairway and Passage, which is currently a little neglected. Nicole’s project will allow us to display the prints of actresses that we have in our collection for the first time:
Engraving from a Hoppner painting of Mrs Jordan in the character of the comic muse, 1787
“I came from Alton College to complete my work experience at Chawton House because of my interest in the running of a historic house. During my week here at Chawton house I have completed a number of interesting activities and projects. I assisted in the garden with a local school visit and shadowed several group tours which have been very insightful about the history of the house, but also regarding the history of incredible female authors. My project for the week was to design and create a gallery displaying portraits of famous actresses of the time. During my research I have made use of the Upper reading room to review dates and facts. Throughout this experience I have gained a deeper understanding of many 18th and 19th Century actresses. The staff and volunteers are extremely lovely and welcoming, making my time here very enjoyable.”
Meanwhile, Anya worked on a vital part of our Gothic Programme – a House trail. She designed a fantastic trail involving discovered manuscripts that visitors will have to seek out and decode in order to piece together what happened:
“I came from Alton College to complete my work experience at Chawton House, relating to my A level in English Literature. I had visited the House before, and was interested in both its literary connections and the running of the house as a historic site. Throughout the week I was able to engage with a range of activities, including shadowing tours, setting up events, and helping in the garden. I found it really interesting to find out what goes on behind the scenes of the house, and to step outside of my normal routine for a week and try something new. As well as a varied itinerary, over the week I completed one creative project relating to Chawton House’s Gothic Season in October, based around the theme of ‘captivity’. Before beginning to create the trail, I read a range of materials about Gothic literature, its characteristics, and Gothic writers, with a particular focus on women writers. From this research, I came across Ann Radcliffe’s novel The Romance of the Forest. A key point in this novel is when the heroine Adeline, taking refuge in a ruined French abbey, finds a manuscript left by a former captive. Although time and damp has rendered parts of the text unreadable, it clearly points to a murder, and she realises the danger of residing in the abbey, owned by the sinister Marquis. This novel inspired me to create a trail around the theme of found notes, and so the trail I have created is based upon a series of diary entries left by a prisoner, held captive in Chawton House two hundred years ago. I have loved being able to use my creative skills (even writing diary entries using a hand-cut feather quill and ink) to engage with the House and produce something which will hopefully be enjoyed by visitors throughout the Gothic season. I also really enjoyed learning more about Gothic literature, and I discovered and looked into several writers and novels that I hadn’t before. The house and its gardens were such a lovely environment to work in for a week, and I have loved my time here.”
Our final work experience student for 2024 is Sophie. A budding photographer, Sophie is working on a Gothic photography project during her week with us, alongside producing some new marketing photographs of our Tearoom, catering and tours, and helping out with group visits.
Gothic Garden, by Sophie Wakely
“I was lucky enough to spend a week completing my work experience at Chawton House. The staff were more than wonderful and I thoroughly enjoyed getting the chance to take photos of the grounds and engross myself in the history of the House. I went on tours, met kind people, and overall gained a fantastic experience from every day I sat surrounded by historic texts, grand fireplaces and even witch marks carved into the strong wood of the walls. I am more than grateful for the incredible opportunity I have had to indulge my passions and discover what it is like to work in such a lovely establishment. Thank you very much for everything!”
It is a pleasure to have these students with us and to see them develop their ideas based on the House, Garden and Collection. You will be able to see Nicole, Anya and Sophie’s work in the House in the coming months, and we will shortly be devising new placements for 2025, with a special focus on Jane Austen in the 250th year since her birth.