The Mary Ward Centre

Over a century ago the Mary Ward Settlement was founded as a centre for education for its local community. Its main aim was to provide social and educational opportunities for those who had been denied them. Today we still regard widening participation as an important aspect of our work.

Our community outreach programme is delivered in partnership with a wide variety of organisations including community centres, primary schools, older peoples groups and health projects.

We concentrate on the area immediately surrounding the Mary Ward Centre – Kings Cross and Holborn. However, the increasing demand to run classes in the community, has led to us extending the programme to include new partners in North Camden, Westminster and Islington. Our partnerships are highly successful and mutually beneficial; they are underpinned by effective working relationships, good communication and the maintenance of regular consultation.

The key to successful outreach is in providing the best possible learning experiences. This means looking at diverse kinds of learning, and different learning styles, and then making arrangements to meet the needs of previously excluded groups in their own environment.

The community classes help people to make choices, learn new skills in different subjects that they may not have considered before, or develop specialist interests. These classes also help develop people’s confidence or language skills. These soft outcomes are often quite subtle but become the very tools to support or develop students’ learning.

Each course is designed to meet the needs and interests of that particular group. If you think that your organisation or group would be interested in working with us to offer courses to your users please speak to Maddy Fisk on 020 7269 6088, or email: maddy.fisk@marywardcentre.ac.uk

Sonar Bangla Art Project

Mela Art Project 2009

Bangladesh is known as Sonar Bangla, Golden Bengal, because of the richness of her land that takes on golden hue when the rice crop is ready for harvesting.

The Mary Ward Centre has been working with 7 community groups, mainly with the Bangladesh Community, in Camden, designing and making artwork that will come together to create a Map of Bangladesh for the ‘Sonar Bangla’ project. The Project is part funded by the British Museum and Awards For All.

Over 100 people have been involved in its making, experiencing the whole design process starting with discussing ideas, sharing memories and stories, gathering visual research, developing design ideas and making the final map and three dimensional models. Inspiration was found by looking at the themes of transport, agriculture, factories, landscape, rivers, sea, city & village life, food, flora and fauna, National Monuments, animals and the people of Bangladesh.

A variety of creative techniques have been incorporated in the Sonar Bangla artwork, such as print making, batik, appliqué and embroidery, alongside model making, construction and collage techniques.

The final art piece will be exhibited in the British Museum on 4th July at the Bangladesh Family Day.