Swansea University’s Egypt Centre praised for ‘promoting social justice in Wales’

Please note, this page has been archived and is no longer being updated.

Swansea University’s Egypt Centre has been heralded as a cultural heritage institution which demonstrates good practise in tackling poverty in Wales.

The commendation comes in a Welsh Government report issued this month with recommendations by Baroness Kay Andrews OBE entitled ‘Culture and Poverty: Harnessing the power of the arts, culture and heritage to promote social justice in Wales’.

In the report, The Egypt Centre is cited as being rare in the UK in that it has a child volunteer scheme involving children of wide abilities, ethnic groups and social and economic backgrounds.  The report applauds the Egypt Centre’s Saturday workshops which are targeted at socially and economically disadvantaged children, particularly those in Communities First clusters.

The Egypt Centre was also commended for placing the learning experience at its heart, with school resources carefully prepared and tailored to meet key curriculum requirements such as numeracy delivered through Egyptian mathematics, and easy to find, well-structured information that provides comprehensive practical information for teachers on how to get the most out of visiting.

Carolyn Graves-Brown, curator of The Egypt Centre said: “We are proud of our diverse range of volunteers and delighted to be included in this important report which recognises our long-standing policy of social inclusion.  The museum has collected anecdotal evidence of the success of our Saturday workshops in breaking down barriers to social mobility and increasing self-esteem and a positive attitude to learning. 

“Adult volunteers at The Egypt Centre are also diverse and include those with social and mental health issues and the long term unemployed. Several volunteers have gained employment, and higher level qualifications, some following work experience placements and others through the main volunteering scheme.”

“We are committed to continuing the Egypt Centre’s important work in encouraging employment and promoting learning for all.”

In a foreword to the report, Baroness Kay Andrews said: “The role of culture in Wales is as much about defining our place in community as about throwing doors open to richer lives and more fulfilling work. 

“By identifying access to and participation in the arts, culture and heritage as an aspect of social justice itself and a powerful weapon against poverty, in all its manifest forms, the Welsh Government has made it clear that it understands the role played by culture in making us the sort of people we are and the people we want to be.”

‘Culture and Poverty: Harnessing the power of the arts, culture and heritage to promote social justice in Wales’: http://wales.gov.uk/docs/drah/publications/140313-culture-and-poverty-en.pdf