2divE-2010-057-0552

Date 240610 Location Edinburgh
Photo by Mark Owens/MOD

Photo Caption: Drummer and Piper of 40 Regiment Royal Artillery (Lowland Gunners) with dancers Susan and Gary McDonald from The Fly Right Dance Company during the launch of ‘Remembering Scotland at War’ at Edinburgh Castle.

REMEMBERING SCOTLAND AT WAR –
PIONEERING ONLINE MUSEUM AND SOCIAL NETWORK
SET TO CAPTURE SCOTLAND’S MEMORIES

Remembering Scotland At War will be launched by Museums Galleries Scotland at Edinburgh Castle today (Thursday, 24 June 2010).
Remembering Scotland At War is a pioneering online museum with a social networking area particularly aimed at ‘capturing memories’ has been developed by Museums Galleries Scotland. It showcases and encourages personal accounts from civilians, younger and older veterans, and currently serving military of how conflict has affected them.
The culmination of a 3 year project led by Museums Galleries Scotland and funded by the Big Lottery Fund, Remembering Scotland At War features over 200 exhibitions, interviews, photographs and footage spanning from the Second World War to more recent conflicts including Iraq and Afghanistan. Accounts include personal stories of individuals, families, local communities, and even the impact on Scotland’s landscapes. 
Joanne Orr, CEO of Museums Galleries Scotland said: “We have been delighted to lead this ground breaking project. With advancing technology, there are increasing options for the way museums and galleries tell stories about their collections and – most importantly – how those stories affect individuals.”
“We have all been influenced by Scotland’s involvement in worldwide conflict. From stories told on your grandfather’s knee to emotive images you see on today’s news, this pioneering online museum ensures that our personal stories are never forgotten. By adding our memories and photographs, we can all contribute to a rich collection that benefits and challenges all generations.”
In addition to the online museum’s exhibitions, there is an interactive social media area where personal memories can be exchanged. Here, anyone can create a profile to upload their own reminiscences, photographs and videos, discuss exhibitions and make comments. The museum is free, constantly evolving and fully interactive.
Remembering Scotland At War also features a dedicated learning centre where pupils, teachers and parents can download school-based activities. It will also be available to teachers and pupils through Learning and Teaching Scotland’s new Scottish schools’ intranet, Glow, giving more access to images.
As part of developing the online museum, Museums Galleries Scotland worked with 13 museums and galleries across Scotland to create the thought-provoking exhibitions. These stretch from The Museum of The Black Watch (Perth) and Scapa Flow Visitor Centre and Museum (Lyness) to West Dunbartonshire Council and Highland Council. Part of creating these stories involved working closely with local schools, youth and community groups to gather emotive reminiscences.
Minister for Culture, Fiona Hyslop, said:
“In Remembering Scotland At War, Museums Galleries Scotland has created an important resource that spans generations. I am sure the museum will be inspirational to younger people, fostering a greater understanding of the impact of war.
“I hope that many more people take the opportunity to visit and interact with the online museum, whether by offering their stories or by learning more about the significant contribution Scots continue to make in the armed forces.”
The exhibitions feature hundreds of moving accounts. Being taken prisoner by the Germans in World War Two, being a child buried in rubble during the Clydebank Blitz and training for deployment to Afghanistan are all examples of how people have remembered a ‘conflict role’.
To explore the exhibition or to add a memory visit the museum at www.RememberingScotlandAtWar.org.uk
Ends 24 June 2010