NERAM was recently awarded a Create NSW Cultural Grant worth $2200 for a Hinton Collection/Armidale Teachers’ College Oral History Project. The Cultural Grants Program is a Create NSW funding program, administered by the Royal Australian Historical Society on behalf of the NSW Government.
The project aims to record the stories, reminiscences and anecdotes from former students, teachers and other staff of the Armidale Teachers’ College who experienced and viewed the nationally significant Hinton Collection of art when it adorned the walls of the college.
“Howard Hinton believed art was an ennobling experience and felt strongly that students should be exposed to art every day, particularly students in regional areas” said NERAM Curator Belinda Hungerford. “We have heard many stories about what it was like to see this amazing painting collection in the corridors, classrooms and offices of the College. People had their favourite works of art they liked to greet daily, stories about cricket being played in the hallways with the ball sailing perilously close, and even a rogue painting that was added to the wall briefly by a student as a prank” Belinda continued. “But these stories haven’t been recorded.”
“We are grateful to receive this grant which will assist in the recording of these stories which are such an important part of the broader history of the Hinton Collection” said NERAM Director Rachael Parsons. “We want to capture these stories before they are lost forever and then share them with the public. We also appreciate partnering with the Friends of the Old Teachers’ College on this project to help us connect with people able to share their personal stories.”
