To Catch a Smuggler art and objects

Imagine you are at the beach. What might you see, hear, smell, and feel? You can pretend to be at the beach and act out the activities you like to do.

Marsden Grotto tourist postcard
Marsden Grotto tourist postcard. TWCMS : N505

Bring this Marsden Grotto tourist postcard to life. Find some sugar or salt and run your fingers through it to feel the sand. Touch some rocks to feel the cliff edges. Drape a sheet over a table or chair and sit underneath to make a beach hut. 

Smugglers rest on the beach, hidden in a cove with barrels of Gin. A pirate cutter waits in the sea. What do you think happens next? Make up a story with sounds and actions to go with it.

hand coloured print of 'Marsden Rocks'
A hand coloured print of 'Marsden Rocks'. TWCMS : J2509

Bring this hand coloured print of 'Marsden Rocks' to life. Swish your hands or feet in a bowl of water with sugar or salt at the bottom to feel the sea. Touch a tree branch, twig, pinecone, or some wood to feel what the Gin barrels feel like. Touch some stone to feel the sharp cliffs. Rock gently back and forth as if you were on a boat close to the shore. 

Look slowly at this portrait. What do you think Dolly Peel, the famous smuggler, is thinking? What do you think is in her basket?

portrait of Dolly Peel
A portrait of Dolly Peel. TWCMS : G7257

Bring this portrait of Dolly Peel to life by dressing up like her.  Find and touch smooth, rough, heavy, embroidered, and silky fabrics you may have at home to feel what her clothing is like. Moving your hands or fingers over several twigs at once will give you the feeling of her wicker basket. 

This ship has no sails. What would it feel like with it's sails up and moving through the waves on the sea? Pretend to be onboard. What sounds and actions can you create to make your journey real?

A bone ship model
A bone ship model. TWCMS : B9741

Bring this bone ship to life. Run your hands over a plastic or ceramic dish, or some floor or wall tiles to give you the feeling of carved bone. Touch some taut string, yarn, or rope, to feel the guidelines that hold the sails. Flap a shirt in the air to pretend the sails are up on the ship and blowing in the wind.