Eglosyow Morek Kernow (translated into English as ‘Cornwall’s Maritime Churches’) is a community-based research project that is exploring the cultural and historical significance of a series of ten religious sites around the coast of Cornwall. Its study programme involves interactive sessions with the local communities through ‘memory days’ with the aim of conducting audio and video interviews with local people on their personal perspectives. The project team is also collecting and studying written documents and photographs associated with each church and its surrounding area. Findings from Egloyow Morek Kernow will then be made available through a new website that has been created for the purpose along with other platforms, notably Cornish Story that will feature a series of interpretative articles relating to the project.
Significantly, this initiative is targeted at young people between the ages of 16-25 and is supported by the Young Roots scheme of the Heritage Lottery Fund. It provides the opportunity for creative engagement so that younger generations can explore the past through a variety of mediums such as historical research, film, photography, music and creative writing. This is crucial to ensure generational continuity. It is important to recognise the process since we cannot assume that a strong knowledge of Cornwall’s indigenous culture will always be passed on in the future. There is a need to learn from the experiences of other Celtic communities such as in Wales where the Children’s Festival of Welsh History is now in its fifth year or Nova Scotia where there is now a Gaelic Awareness Month and a mentorship programme to ensure that a knowledge of Gaelic language, history and culture is passed on from ‘generation to generation’. Cornish Story is keen to promote similar approaches whereby young people can be engaged in the study of Cornwall’s past and present. The power of the moving image offers an innovative methodology in this regard so we wish to build on the model of Eglosyow Morek Kernow by establishing a new testimony unit. By extending our internship programme to cover social media, research and dissemination we can also create further opportunities so that all generations can play an active role in both understanding and celebrating their cultural heritage in the future.
For further information see the following websites:
www.cornishmaritimechurches.co.uk [last accessed 21 October 2019]
www.nation.cymru/culture/festival-to-bring-welsh-history-alive-to-over-20000-children/ [last accessed 22 October 2019]
www.cch.novascotia.ca/stories/province-celebrates-gaelic-awareness-month)
[last accessed 22 October 2019]