Medieval Manuscript Project by CherwellEnrich

Medieval Manuscript Project Academic Enrichment

@CherwellEnrich

Contact: Miss Richer (cricher@cherwellschool.org)

As part of our summer academic enrichment programme, and in collaboration with the New Chaucer Society, the Bodleian Libraries and the University of Oxford’s English Faculty, we invited Year 11 students to take part in a medieval manuscript project—seven weekly sessions on Monday afternoons, with a range of talks, visits and group workshops. 25 Year 11 students who intend to study English Literature at A Level were joined by five Year 13 students going on to study English at university to collaborate on the project, working towards a final celebratory exhibition to showcase their ideas and their work to parents, siblings, teachers and guests from the University.

Project Planning Year 11 began their medieval manuscript project debating what it means to read and what makes a book 'a book', before an introduction to 1300s England and deciding their specialist topic: we have astrology, medicine, recipes, the Book of Hours, the Harley lyrics and bestiaries!

Illuminations

The second Year 11 medieval manuscript project session explored marginalia and illuminations, thinking about how we 'read' text and image, our responses as readers, competing functions of different types of text and the tension between seriousness and play. Alice,

Redesigning the Cherwell swan—Alice, Ava and Eben © The Cherwell School , Opportunity, Responsibility, Excellence SUMMER NEWSLETTER 2021 Page

Medieval Manuscript Project Academic Enrichment

@CherwellEnrich

Contact: Miss Richer (cricher@cherwellschool.org)

Ava, Rayan and Eben even created our very own medieval manuscript project logo designs - Cherwell swans inspired by the style of bestiary illuminations! The challenge was even attempted by University of Oxford lecturer, Dr Nick Perkins, who wrote a letter to the students to support the project and tell them more about swan anecdotes featuring his College’s founder, St Hugh. Dr Perkins will join the students for their final project session and exhibition. We added to our medieval library with books on medieval monsters, cats in the margins and (less bizarrely) Professor Turner's biography 'Chaucer: A European Life' - complete with our very own marginalia and gloss to inspire future students on their own medieval literary journeys!

Behind the scenes at the Bodleian Page 2

SUMMER NEWSLETTER 2021© The Cherwell School, Opportunity, Responsibility, Excellence

Medieval Manuscript Project Academic Enrichment

@CherwellEnrich

Contact: Miss Richer (cricher@cherwellschool.org)

In anticipation of a visit to see the real things in a special visit to the Bodleian Libraries, students lit up the past in their exploration of the weird and wonderful world in the margins of the medieval page through a series of Cherwell Journal articles: https://thekeystage4review.wordpress.com/medievalilluminations-and-marginalia/ It was a particular privilege to be invited to go behind the scenes at the Weston Library to see real manuscripts up close with Dr Cosima Gillhammer and curator Matthew Holford as our guides. It was an inspirational and unforgettable start to our medieval journeys and archival adventures!

International links with Professor Mueller

As the project developed, we turned international, linking up remotely for an inspirational talk and Q&A with Professor Alex Mueller of the University of Massachusetts, Boston on uninhibited thinking, curating exhibitions and the power of collaborating to discover and interrogate the stories behind texts. In addition to sharing his own experiences and anecdotes from his trips across the globe through medieval conferences and research projects, he talked about why—as an American—he was fascinated by English medieval literature and the power of imagining ‘elsewhere’ through fiction, both geographically and historically.

Eve’s illuminations The project continued with a workshop with PhD researcher, John Colley, guiding us on a journey through the stories of the material text via some unusual medieval medicinal recipes—and inspiring some on their own medieval baking experiments!

Medieval recipes and Rayan’s bread

We took the opportunity to connect our former students and our current ones. Emily and Molly were keen to explore a feminist reading of the Harley lyrics and so former student Eleanor, now in her second year at Cambridge, offered a special virtual supervision to guide © The Cherwell School , Opportunity, Responsibility, Excellence SUMMER NEWSLETTER 2021 Page 3

Medieval Manuscript Project Academic Enrichment

@CherwellEnrich

Contact: Miss Richer (cricher@cherwellschool.org)

them through some ideas.

Virtual supervisions

Others turned their focus to Oxford's medieval history with ‘Uncomfortable Oxford’ through a 90 minute walking tour and discussion about some surprising, hidden aspects of medieval history, complicating our certainties on the 'medieval view' and its impact on culture and even politics today.

Uncomfortable Oxford tour

Students were also given an ‘AshPass’ as part of their participation, giving them free entry to the Ashmolean’s exhibitions. Some have already taken a ‘pilgrimage’ to the museum, exploring the many and varied medieval objects within the collections to think about material culture and how it can shape our understanding of the readers of the texts we study. In the final session, students were joined by Dr Nick Perkins, University of Oxford, who talked about what is gained from studying material culture rather than just the words of a text and continued our swan theme with a guided reading of an old English poem from the Exeter riddles collection. He spent time working with groups on their final preparations and hearing some of their project ideas.

Year 12 lecture and Q&A

The project culminated with an exhibition event, hosted in the fittingly medieval setting of Brasenose College, Oxford. After some introductory reflections from Rayan and Freddie, students displayed their project work and specialisms to families and guests, speaking intelligently and enthusiastically about some of the ideas they explored—including religious texts, recipes, bestiaries, medicines, astrology, legal treaties and music. At the end of the evening, Ms Parish was delighted to present students with their project certificates and bookmarks and to congratulate the project team on their achievements. Page 4

Medieval Manuscript Project Academic Enrichment

@CherwellEnrich

Contact: Miss Richer (cricher@cherwellschool.org)

We will end by presenting our work to the New Chaucer Society’s international expo as part of their celebration of medieval scholarship and teaching Chaucer in the modern classroom.

Year 12 lecture and Q&A

Year 12 Chaucer Enrichment Year 12 English students also enjoyed the chance to go beyond the curriculum in their medieval studies through a live virtual bespoke Q&A session with Professor Marion Turner and Dr Nick Perkins. Professor Turner discussed her award-winning biography of Chaucer (signed for our library) and both responded thoughtfully, generously and enthusiastically to the range of questions our students posed. Medieval Manuscript Project Exhibition

An evening in Brasenose College

Medieval Manuscript Project Academic Enrichment

@CherwellEnrich

Contact: Miss Richer (cricher@cherwellschool.org)

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