Your Heritage
This grant funded a programme of activities and resources to make the life and work of AWN Pugin better known to the public – especially in East Kent, his former home. It was a major element of a wide range of activities timed to coincide with the bicentenary of his birth. Interpretative material in the Pugin Church included six lectern-type information boards. An inventory of the contents of the church was also made, including some rare metalwork.
A play was developed through a series of workshops, run at 10 different venues, which attracted 360 people. The workshops also recruited five volunteers for the play’s production. The final play featured four actors, and was performed over three evenings and a matinee at the King’s Theatre in Ramsgate. With funding also provided by Arts Council England and Kent County Council, the play was enjoyed by almost completely sold-out audiences during its short run.
An easily accessible book about Pugin’s life, with a particular focus on Ramsgate, was produced at an affordable price. An activity pack named Operation Pugin was also distributed to local schools to engage younger audiences. This work coincided with the launch of an interactive and engaging new AWN Pugin website.
A spokesperson for the project said: “We hope that those who access it will find it inspiring.”