Verdala School Visit to Fort Rinella

A group of school boys from the Cospicua-based Verdala School has visited Fort Rinella on April 24th, 2008. Throughout their educational visit, the boys were shown round the historic fort by one of our resident guides. They also watched the new audio-visual on the fort and its monstrous gun and engaged themselves in an interactive session during which they were shown how Victorian soldiers’ lived and how different late 19th century military equipment worked including weaponary. Some of the boys were also allowed to have a go at the soldier muskets which must have been quite a unique experience for the young visitors.

 

 

 

Hands-on Heritage Education Programme

 As part of its ongoing commitment to increase the general appreciation of the nation's cultural heritage amongst the public, Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna is once again organizing the "Hands-on Heritage Education Programme". This project is aimed at providing students with an innovative way of learning more about heritage, through direct activities from those usually employed in the classroom.

To further accentuate this aim, participants are engaged in a variety of extra-curricular activities directly linked to the respective heritage site where the session is held. In this way we hope to project in a more colourful and lively dimension, Kordin III megalithic site, Fort Rinella and its 100 ton gun, Vittoriosa Air Raid Shelter, and our recently acquired sites; Notre Dame Gate, The Saluting Battery and Fort St. Angelo.

During a typical session, a student is offered the opportunity to try and learn some of the patterns of life, crafts and skills of the original builders or occupiers of the respective building.

For example at Kordin III megalithic site, students are taught how to make ancient pottery ware using original skills. Students are introduced to elementary basics in archaeology and they are also instructed in the techniques of pottery making typical of the temple period. Children are also made aware of the controversies that heritage sites are subject to in their conservation.

At Fort Rinella, school parties are introduced to similar aspects of late 19th century military life. They will be offered hands-on sessions in visual military signalling using semaphore flags and heliographs as well how to lift heavy weights using a pulley. Soldiers' uniforms and equipment are brought to life by displaying such items through life enactment.

At the Air Raid Shelter at Vittoriosa, students will visit the newly established, Malta Home Front Museum full of original artefacts. Then they will experience the safe but uncomfortable life and ordeals of the Second World War complimented by a detailed account of the excavations, and the important role the shelters played in the lives of the civilians in WWII. The students then have the chance to re-enact the life of particular civilians during an air raid or else daily life during the war.

Further Information & Bookings

Each tour lasts approximately 1hour. Guiding is provided by our resident custodians and education officers.

For further information please do not hesitate to contact us on: info@wirtartna.org

Please note that we have also launched the 'Hands-on Heritage Education Programme' brochure. You may order this for FREE by sending us a request to the same email address