Welcome to our 2021 cohort of Citizen Curators! Andy, Penny, Eilish, Richard, Pippa and Joana have joined this year’s programme, which will be digital, primarily due to Covid-19 (although we hope to welcome you in person as soon as it’s possible!), and will focus on researching the people of the china clay industry.

One participant, who has worked in the industry, will be looking into his interesting generational family history, as his father, grandfather and great grandfather have also worked in the china clay industry. Another is interested in collecting oral histories and researching women in the industry. Other topics include international connections and movements of Cornish clay workers elsewhere in the world. The above photo is Andy Trudgian's photo showing his family members - Arthur and Albert Trudgian. He is looking for more information, so do get in touch if you can help!

The core programme is led by Dr Tehmina Goskar with Cornwall Museums Partnership, through which the Citizen Curators will receive curatorial training in best practice, and also have the opportunity to work on the ‘Cornish National Collection’.

At Wheal Martyn, we are keen to fill our gap in stories about people in the industry, unearth new and interesting stories through community engagement and community knowledge, and also to offer our Citizen Curators a chance to work alongside us and access our collection and resources. We can't wait to see what they discover and will be sure to share it with you!