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Company: Babel Digital
Project: Saxon Fashion
Dates: Aug 2007 to Mar 2008
How did the project start?
In 2007, young people from across the Tees Valley went back hundreds of years in time in their quest to design the latest fashions.
The young people wanted to find out more about their local heritage, beyond the recent industrial heritage of the Tees Valley. They researched the textile processes used in the Anglo Saxon period by working with artists, archaeologists and museum professionals. They then designed their own eco-friendly, contemporary collection inspired by the period.
The project was funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and delivered by Hartlepool Museums and Heritage Service in partnership with Durham University and Cleveland College of Art & Design.
The project culminated in an exhibition which dispelled stereotypical views of the clothes and textiles worn by Anglo Saxons by revealing the vibrant colours and sumptuous fabrics used in this period.
Hartlepool Museums & Heritage created a range of resources to support schools studying Anglo Saxons at Key Stage 2, from workshops supporting the exhibition to an object handing box containing replica Anglo Saxon artefacts found in the Tees Valley. They wanted to make sure that these resources were available to all schools studying the Anglo Saxons after the project finished.
Through Rachel Powell, a young ethical fashion designer and one of the young people who initiated the project, we met with Hartlepool Museums & Heritage to discuss how we could be involved in this exciting project. This discussion led to them commissioning us to develop an educational game that could be used to extend the lasting impact of the project.
The resulting CD Rom will be distributed to primary schools across the Tees Valley and County Durham, and can be used as a standalone resource or in conjunction with the Anglo Saxon handling box from Hartlepool Museums & Heritage.
What options did you consider?
We had many great ideas, with a large scope for the project and so had to consider what was right for the project. It was a new experience for the Hartlepool Museums & Heritage team, so we had to work closely with them throughout the planning stages. We decided not to overcomplicate the game play but instead decided to focus on incorporating as much of the material delivered in the education workshop as possible. It is always a challenge achieving a balance between game play and learning objectives, which is a key focus of our business.
We decided to concentrate on the process of using natural dyes as we all felt this was one of the most interesting areas of the project. We designed and developed an educational game that requires players to complete a variety of ‘dyeing’ tasks by finding natural dyes in an Anglo Saxon scene.
Instead of using standard computer graphics we opted for artwork that had been hand painted by young people from the project. We then combined this artwork with some of our own paintings and some digital trickery to create a truly unique and relevant visual style, ideal for a large display such as an interactive whiteboard.
What help and expertise did you receive?
We worked very closely Sophie Ingleby and Katie Ainger from Hartlepool Museums & Heritage Education team. We also worked closely with local ethical fashion designer Rachel Powell, who was a lead on the project workshops and had a great deal of real world expertise on natural dyeing processes. We also used the original artwork developed by the young people in the project.
Did you face any challenges or learn any lessons?
One challenge we faced was going back to our old art roots, turning off the computers, getting out the paint brushes and spending some late nights in the office painting. This was challenging but it was definitely an enjoyable experience too, and we learnt that work doesn’t have to always involve a computer!
Perhaps the biggest challenge in this project was not letting it get too big. We continually came up with more and more great ideas of how to take the project further and make it more exciting but had to constantly remind ourselves to stick to the original scope of the project.
What are the outcomes and how has it improved your business?
We believe one of the great outcomes of this work is the educational value it will give to many young people, allowing them to learn about the Anglo Saxons, and the traditional textiles and dyeing processes used in this period. Hopefully it will drive their interest to learn more. So far, these outcomes have been proven to be the case in the pilot workshops done in schools with Key Stage 2 pupils.
This was an exciting project for us and it has given us a drive and motivation to be more actively involved in all areas of a project and not just focus on the associated games development. Additionally, we have all gained the knowledge of how to dye our clothes with natural ingredients, should the need ever arise!
What are your plans for the future?
The product will be launched on the 28th March at St Hilda’s Church, The Headland, Hartlepool where the exhibition is currently on tour. It will then be distributed across over 400 local schools. We think this will be very exciting and we are keen to see where it will go from there! We are also hoping the success of this project will create the opportunity to work on similar projects in the future with Hartlepool Museums and Heritage Services and other heritage organisations. If we can allow schools and students to utilise new technologies to improve learning across the board, then we will be a successful company.
We are planning to continue delivering ever more exciting, and enlightening projects!
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