From 33cd99a530af12583381dfc2a69ae488ba3bedbe Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: hms12 <45968885+hms12@users.noreply.github.com> Date: Fri, 5 Apr 2024 16:29:27 +0100 Subject: [PATCH] Create Masr-Fel-Mathaf.md Report on recent Masr Fel Mathaf --- _pop-ups/Masr-Fel-Mathaf.md | 75 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 75 insertions(+) create mode 100644 _pop-ups/Masr-Fel-Mathaf.md diff --git a/_pop-ups/Masr-Fel-Mathaf.md b/_pop-ups/Masr-Fel-Mathaf.md new file mode 100644 index 00000000..a8d35ca7 --- /dev/null +++ b/_pop-ups/Masr-Fel-Mathaf.md @@ -0,0 +1,75 @@ +--- +layout: pop-ups +title: 'Masr Fel Mathaf - Egyptians in Cambridge at the Fitzwilliam' +category: pop-ups +date: 05-04-2024 +author: Sara Abed +thumbnail: /images/news/9.jpg +permalink: /pop-ups/Masr-Fel-Mathaf +lat: 52.20027912941109 +lon: 0.11951306751526686 +images: + - + image: news/1.jpg + caption: Families enjoying the pop-up museum + - + image: news/3.jpg + caption: Families enjoying the pop-up museum + - + image: news/2.jpg + caption: Children Egyptian gallery tour led by Rosanna Evans and Florencia Nannetti + - + image: news/11.jpg + caption: ancient Egyptian replica carpentry tools, joints, and dog's coffin + - + image: news/16.jpg + caption: Parents Egyptian gallery tour lef by Helen Strudwick + - + image: news/21.jpg + caption: A discussion session with Masr Fel Mathaf participants +--- + +Masr Fel Mathaf is a series of community engagement events that started in 2023, led by Helen +Strudwick and Sara Abed, to connect the Egyptian community in Cambridge with the ancient Egyptian collection +at The Fitzwilliam Museum. The aim is to create a public space which offers accessibility, +exchange, sharing, engagement and bridging the past with the present, as well as bringing people into a closer relationship with their +heritage. We believe that this is crucial for developing new interpretation and refreshing the displays of objects from the Egyptian +collection, which would help provide a museum experience that is more genuine and closer to people. + +On 24th March, we planned our third Masr Fel Mathhaf event where we welcomed +family groups to The Fitzwilliam Museum, mostly Egyptians, but also Syrians and Lebanese. +They joined us from [Kalamna](https://kalamna.org/), +which offers Arabic language community classes and connects families with their heritage through Arabic classes. + +The day started with a family activity, led by Helen Strudwick, Sara Abed and Tom Clarke (an intern who is working at the Museum +for three months), in which both the parents and the children participated. They tried using the replicas of ancient Egyptian carpentry tools, +and joints, assembling the replica coffin of a dog, making their own ancient Egypt brushes, painting, +and knowing more about ancient Egyptian woodwork making and panting techniques. They also had a chance to look at a new +component of the pop-up museum: a recreation of an ancient model carpenters' workshop (made for the Museum by +[Dr Geoffrey Killen](https://egyptiancoffins.org/team/geoff-killen/), who is an expert in ancient Egyptian carpentry). + +We then split into two groups: Rosanna Evans and Florencia Nannetti from the Fitzwilliam's Learning Team, +led a gallery tour in the Egyptian gallery for children, preceded by a papyrus activity, +during which they learned more about papyrus making and how it is planted in Egypt. You can find out more about +learning activities for young people and adults at The Fitzwilliam Museum [here](https://fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/learn-with-us). + +Meanwhile, the parents also enjoyed a tour in the Egyptian galleries led by Helen Strudwick, +which highlighted the people of ancient Egypt, including craftsmen, workers and making techniques. +This was followed by a discussion, during which we invited participants to share their views on their museum experience. +They gave very interesting suggestions and insights towards visitors experience in terms of +interpretation, display and context. + +After the children came back from their activities, all very excited, the Masr Fel Mathaf Egyptians +visit ended. + +We received very positive feedback from the families, who are very keen to participate in more +similar events, especially those related to ancient Egypt, as they felt it would be an opportunity for them to learn more +about their own history. They also expressed their interest to be part of the The Fitzwilliam +Museum community when it comes to suggestions regarding the possible redisplay of the Egyptian galleries. + +We found their insights and views very interesting and we will be thinking about their ideas when we are in a position to move forward +towards the potential redisplay. It is clear that more of events are needed to bring in more Egyptian voices and to enable local Egyptians +to connect with a collection that is so relevant to them and in which they feel so much pride. + + +