For a brief period in history Cumbernauld was a vital frontier of the Roman Empire, now, with £20,000 support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, pupils from Greenfaulds High School will investigate historic sites and local connections.
Once Rome’s frontier in Scotland and now a World Heritage site - the project will see pupils explore the new town’s ancient heritage.
The Gaelic and Art & Design Departments at Greenfaulds High School in North Lanarkshire are delighted to have received The National Lottery Heritage Fund grant for a heritage project titled Roman Legacy.
The project focuses on Roman culture and heritage within the Cumbernauld area. Key heritage sites are Bar Hill Fort and the Antonine Wall – a UNESCO World Heritage site of great historical and cultural significance.
The project goal is to engage the young people and wider audience with their local heritage and to recognise, commemorate, and celebrate the impact the Romans have had in Cumbernauld and their presence in Scotland during the second century AD.
It will involve pupils who attend Greenfaulds High School, as well as young people in the wider school community aged 3-18 who will be invited to participate in a range of competitions associated with the project, including art, poster design, and creative writing.
GHS Generations will work with residents of Carrickstone Care Home to create entries for the colouring-in competition, and S1-S3 art and design pupils are going to create an artwork for display at the home to help engage the residents with the local heritage.
As part of the project the artist Alan Potter will work alongside pupils at Greenfaulds High School to create a series of large-scale mosaics or sculpture to be displayed within the art and design department and at the entrance to the school, designed with an emphasis on the heritage sites and Roman culture.
Pupils will learn about the art of mosaics, which is a heritage skill, and will participate in arts activities inspired by the Roman presence in Cumbernauld.
Further activities embedded within this project will include fun artist-led illustration workshops with Gary Erskine to create an illustrated bi-lingual digital resource for school children, as well as study trips to museums to see the fascinating Roman artefacts found at the Antonine Wall.
Greenfaulds High School Head Teacher Jamie Vaughn-Sharp, said: “As a school we are absolutely delighted to receive such a fantastic level of support thanks to National Lottery players.
"The project that our school is undertaking to celebrate our community’s Roman heritage and the Roman legacy in Cumbernauld is something which will engage our pupils, their families and the wider community.”