CAG on museums: Bede’s World

Part cultural heritage centre, part museum, and part centre for social and cultural activities in the South Tyneside area, Bede’s World offers a full day of exploration, history, and outdoor activities to its visitors. In recent years Bede’s World has been under severe financial stress and is currently in the process of rebranding itself. In the process, the museum is looking at re-interpreting its galleries, learning programmes, and the way the story of Jarrow and its famous monastic scholar the Venerable Bede is told.

Bede was born in AD 673 at a time when the area of Jarrow was a maritime hub and also the only centre of learning north of Rome. Bede translated the Gospel of John into Old English, but was also one of the first people to come around to the idea of a united England and Englishness as a unified identity for people on the island from many different places. This issue continues to be relevant to the politics of the British Isles today, and thoughts on a multicultural British identity seem to reflect the same concerns as people had in the 7^th Century AD. Bede used his faith to broker a relationship between the arts, poetry, and the local community, which deeply relates the idea behind the Bede’s World current community work.

Inside the galleries, sculptures are personalised for the display

The excavations that produced the small collections of Bede’s World were conducted by archaeologist Rosemary Cramp, and include the oldest stained glass window in the world.

Reconstruction of the glass pieces discovered, dated to the 7^th Century AD

The Bede’s World site incorporates a reconstruction of the nearby settlements and the archaeological remains of Monkwearmouth – Jarrow Priory. There are some very kid-friendly farm animals and some re-enactments of jousting matches and local farmers in the reconstructed outdoor settlement area (although I didn’t see this display). 

Cow!

Reconstructed houses based on archaeological findings

Bede’s World also works heavily with community outreach social and artistic programming by giving artists work spaces through a co-operative agreement, and many of these artists participate in community programmes giving local people the opportunity to engage directly with art. Alongside Bede’s growing cultural ties to the local community it hosts HIVE, a community radio station that allows people to get involved in presenting and research on a broad range of heritage topics.

View of the South Tyneside riverbank

Directly across from Bede’s World lie the remains of the 7th Century monastic site of Monkwearmouth – Jarrow Priory.

7th Century archaeology site of Monkwearmouth

Today St. Paul’s Church stands directly next to the remains, and the Anglo-Saxon inspired carvings inside the church mirror the style of images one can see in the galleries of Bede’s World. The church also hosts another reconstruction of the earliest stained glass window in the world.

Inside of St Paul's

Overall, my Bede’s World experience helped me learn a lot about the history of the Northeast, but also gave me a really good background for seeing the kind of work that museums can really do with local communities if everyone is motivated enough. I think that since Bede’s World is working outside of the restrictions of an overarching museum service and is able to carve its own path out for redevelopment and renewal, it is getting the opportunity to redefine the kinds of relationships and activities that local museums should be working towards. A big thank you to Museum Director Mike Benson for a wonderful and exuberant tour of the museum!