The National Justice Museum Interview
We look at the National Justice Museum to find out more about their exciting re-brand, their innovative work with schools around promoting good citizenship and insights into law and order and what the future holds for the institution.
What is your name and what do you do at the National Justice Museum?
My name is Naomi Garnett and I am the Learning and Access Manager at the National Justice Museum. My role is to run the learning programme for the museum and the City of Caves in Nottingham. Alongside the Learning Managers based in London and the North West my role involves designing and developing education workshops for all age groups. I also ensure that we have a strong learning team in Nottingham and that sessions are delivered to a high quality.
What brought you to this role?
Having studied for a BA in History and a MA in Art History and Visual Studies I decided that I wanted to work in the museum sector. I started as a volunteer in several museums and eventually secured a yearlong internship at the Wordsworth Trust. I was given an opportunity to develop my museum education experience and skills and after working in a small local museum I was offered a job at the Galleries of Justice Museum as a Learning Coordinator. I have been at the museum for over four years now and I was promoted to manager over two years ago. The organisation has allowed me to develop and grow in the role.
Who are the National Justice Museum and why the recent name change/rebranding?
Thanks to funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund, our museum went through an exciting redevelopment project. The organisation was originally formed in 1993 as The Museum of Law Trust, which aimed to save the building from potential demolition. It was opened as a museum with the title Galleries of Justice Museum in April 1995. In April 2017, following a £1 million Heritage Lottery Fund supported project, the museum became the National Justice Museum. The museum is based in Nottingham and houses original courtrooms, dungeons and prison cells, along with the UK’s largest collection of over 40,000 law, justice, crime, and punishment artefacts. The new name and brand is a reflection of the work that we do at iconic legal and heritage sites across the UK as well as our immense collection of items relating to justice, law, crime and punishment. We wanted to help demonstrate the important national significance of our exhibitions and our collection, as well as the broader educational remit of our work. At the National Justice Museum, we inspire people of all ages to become active citizens through fun and engaging activities, exhibitions and educational programmes relating to law and justice. As a leader in public legal education, National Justice Museum Education delivers stimulating learning programmes in courtrooms across Nottingham, London and the North West.
What is your mission statement and what do you do for schools?
We help children, families and young people to gain a better understanding of the law and justice system and its related history, so they can be inspired by their rights and responsibilities, to play an active role in society. We use our legal collections and buildings to educate and entertain through experiential learning. We offer a broad range of curriculum-linked workshops for schools that use authentic courtrooms, museum spaces, objects and archives to help students gain a practical understanding of the law. We deliver sessions to groups of all ages and abilities including primary schools, home education, secondary schools, colleges, universities and even adult education groups. Activities broaden horizons and encourage motivation and self-confidence. Learners will develop a range of important skills, such as critical thinking, debate, presentation, research and analytical skills, speaking, listening, communication and team working skills.
You have recently undergone a refurbishment, what new features can visiting schools expect?
We have improved and updated our courtroom workshop programme across our sites as part of our national rebrand. During these facilitated courtroom workshops, school groups learn more about the structure of the courts and roles within the courtroom. Participants are able to create, prepare and present a trial in a real courtroom, taking on roles such as the judge, jury, barristers, witnesses and defendant, donning wigs and robes where appropriate. Groups can choose to study either a historic or contemporary civil or criminal case and we also have a range of new trial topics for schools to choose from. Following the refurbishment of the museum itself in Nottingham, we have brand new exciting exhibitions for schools and groups to explore. This includes the Crime Gallery with a range of quizzes, objects and interactives and our Punishments Exhibition which takes a look at different types of punishments used throughout time from the medieval times right through to the Victorian period. The new Prison Reform Exhibition examines the work of prison reformers John Howard and Elizabeth Fry and the work they did in prisons. Students will also come face to face with infamous historical characters who have real stories to tell about their time in the prison.