In line with our objective to support and raise awareness of Guernsey’s nautical history, the Set Sail Trust is behind a number of educational initiatives that interact with and engage both local school children and visitors to Guernsey.
One of our longstanding partnerships has been with the Guernsey History in Action Company, a group of actors bringing the Island’s history to life through their Living History performances in an entertaining and engaging fashjon. The carefully researched and informative short stories are great fun to watch and often involve optional audience participation. The Easter Festival of Living History at Castle Cornet and performances at Fort Grey and Guernsey Museum & Art Gallery on selected days, during the summer months are eagerly anticipated and very popular.
In 2008/2009, the Trust collaborated with the States of Guernsey to develop an e-learning project around Guernsey’s nautical heritage in the Tudor time. Our commitment acted as a springboard to get a larger project off the ground and this is now part of an ongoing venture with involvement from Culture & Leisure and Education department to integrate the Tudor Guernsey e-learning project into a larger website that is being prepared for educational/research purposes.
“Set Sail to Guernsey”: With the backing of the Set Sail Trust, the 8th book in a series of educational and activity books for families, schools and teachers was published in 2011. The book details the maritime story of Guernsey from early times to the end of the 1890s and is aimed at primary school readers. Marcel the Mackerel guides children through learning topics such as the island’s origins 12,000 years ago, tides and currents, fishing, ship building and our natural harbour. Characters like Celts, Romans, Vikings, Normans, traders in the Middle Ages, Tudors, and pirates are all brought to life with illustrations and drawings. A follow up book will take the maritime story to the present day and will be launched in 2012. (Copies of this and previous books in the series can be purchased from Guernsey Museum)
