Students have been taking part in a special project, “Street of Life, Up Dean Road,” to learn more about the history of Dean Road and the old prison. Every Wednesday, a group of learners from our Scarborough campus visited the local art gallery to explore the area’s past and create their own artwork.
The project is a partnership with Historic England, who asked the students to get involved and thanked them for their work by giving them gift vouchers.
They researched people who once lived or worked on the street and chose the stories that fascinated them the most. This inspired a series of sensory artworks based on real local lives, such as Alice, who was sent to prison for stealing boots for her husband, a fisherman, and John, a farm labourer who entered the workhouse listed as blind.
By the end of the project, the students had created everything from “Talking Gargoyles” to a replica prison – ideas that grew from lively conversations held in the local café, Lacey’s.
On 14 January, a screening and Q&A session was shown at our Scarborough campus to celebrate everything the students have achieved. The film highlights their journey, including the research they carried out and the artwork they produced.
Street of Life, Up Dean Road is a project funded by Historic England Everyday Heritage Grant.
