Town trust celebrates youngsters’ contribution to local history project
Students from Sturminster Newton High School have been helping keep a slice of local history alive with the Swanskin Seafarers of Sturminster project.
The youngsters have been exploring the links between the historic market town and Newfoundland in Canada, focusing on young people from Dorset who travelled across the Atlantic over 200 years ago.
The project has been run with Sturminster Newton Heritage Trust (SNHT), which cares for Sturminster Newton Mill and Museum, and funded by the Association of Independent Museums.
The project was celebrated in an event at the mill at the end of term in which students and the trust welcomed visitors.
More than 30 students from the school contributed to the project, undertaking independent research, swapping stories of shared heritage with schoolchildren in Newfoundland and working with artists to create a shadow puppet film.

Newfoundland
One group of students worked with local artists Emerald Ant to produce the shadow film telling the story of the Seafarers of Sturminster. The film explores the connections between Sturminster and Newfoundland, depicting how swanskin cloth was manufactured at the mill and transported to Canada with the seafarers, and followed the stories of two residents who made the journey.
Another group worked with local folk musicians New Scorpion to produce music for the film, and the third group worked on a new set of text panels, sharing their research findings. Visitors can view these panels at the mill and at Sturminster Newton Museum.
The students were able to practise their independent research skills, nurture an interest in local history and build connections with young people in Newfoundland.
Visitors to the mill were invited to go on an evening tour and students had the chance to showcase their contributions to the display boards. New Scorpion created a lively atmosphere with live music on the riverbank and the trust provided refreshments, including two huge fish-shaped loaves baked by local artisan baker Steve Oxford to tie in with the project’s seafaring theme. These were made with flour freshly bagged at the mill.
Speeches were given by Vicky De Witt, museums adviser for Bournemouth, Dorset & Poole; Sarah Butterworth, Tom Hughes and Ellen Velazquez, from Emerald Ant; local historian and journalist Roger Guttridge; and Year 9 student Elliot Wagner-Hale. Elliot, 14, worked hard alongside his classmates to produce original research and was invited to unveil a new display board outside the mill.
Once it grew dark, the shadow puppet film received its first public screening, students who had worked on the project, family and friends, and other local residents, enjoying the display. The film was projected onto the side of the mill and shown twice, once at dusk and again in full darkness.
The event saw a great turnout with local councillors, trustees and family and friends attending to celebrate the students’ work.
The trust is grateful to all contributing partners to the project, the Association of Independent Museums for its funding and the students who have shown focus, resilience and creativity.
For further information, visit Facebook www.facebook.com/SNHeritageTrust; Instagram: @snheritagetrust