{"id":11158,"date":"2021-07-01T08:38:00","date_gmt":"2021-07-01T07:38:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ageofrevolution.org\/?p=11158"},"modified":"2021-07-01T14:28:08","modified_gmt":"2021-07-01T13:28:08","slug":"animating-the-merthyr-rising-with-the-regimental-museum-of-the-royal-welsh-and-christ-college-brecon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ageofrevolution.org\/animating-the-merthyr-rising-with-the-regimental-museum-of-the-royal-welsh-and-christ-college-brecon\/","title":{"rendered":"Animating the Merthyr Rising with The Regimental Museum of the Royal Welsh and Christ College Brecon"},"content":{"rendered":"
The Education Department of the Regimental Museum of the Royal Welsh<\/a>, and Christ College Brecon<\/a>, came together to produce a stop-motion animated film depicting the Merthyr Rising<\/a> of June 1831.<\/p>\n View their final film here.<\/a><\/p>\n Find out how to make your own stop-motion animation in the classroom (or at home) here.<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n In June 1831, a popular uprising began in Merthyr Tydfil, with an angry crowd calling for parliamentary reform to stop the exploitation of workers by industry owners. The uprising of the ironworkers and coalminers in Merthyr Tydfil, fighting for their rights against ruthless industrialists became known as the Merthyr Rising. It inspired others to follow, triggering nationwide rebellion and finally resulting in the establishment of trade unions and the beginnings of Socialism.<\/p>\n During the Merthyr Rising, the museum building was used as a barracks for the soldiers of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders who were brought in to quell the rioters.\u00a0 Christ College school was founded in 1541. Pupils there in 1831 would have seen the soldiers around town and been aware of the troubles.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The school made the decision to study the Merthyr Rising, and create a stop-motion animation as part of the Local History aspect of the Curriculum. Some of the Year 9 students involved in the making of the film were from Merthyr Tydfil itself. They were particularly interested in the story of the execution of Richard Lewis, known as Dic Penderyn, who was wrongly accused of stabbing a soldier \u2013 Donald Black \u2013 during the uprising.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Due to COVID restrictions, teaching about the Merthyr Rising had to take place virtually and students were supported to carry out their research at home.<\/p>\n The students engaged in a virtual learning session from Cyfartha Castle Museum<\/a> in Merthyr Tydfil and were introduced to artefacts and paintings linked to the Merthyr Rising. They also used objects from the Revolutionary collection<\/a> for their research, such as the Tipstaff<\/a> used to arrest Dic Penderyn and the Red Flag<\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Images – L: William Crawshay II (1788-1867) (Cyfartha Castle Museum) R: Penry Williams\u2019 (1802-1885) Merthyr Riots<\/p>\n Ironmaster and owner of the Merthyr Tydfil ironworks, William Crawshay II was known as the \u2018Iron King\u2019. His ironworks was the largest in Great Britain at the time and his immense wealth led to the building of the Cyfartha Castle as his home. Cuts in the pay of his workers contributed to the Merthyr Rising.<\/p>\n It is believed that the Merthyr Rising was the first time the red flag of revolution was flown as a symbol of workers\u2019 revolt. The story tells how a white flag was dipped in calf\u2019s blood and held high above the protestors\u2019 heads. A loaf of bread was impaled on the staff as a symbol of the basic needs of the protestors.<\/p>\n When the students were allowed to return to school, they visited The Regimental Museum of the Royal Welsh to discover more about the lives and soldiers in the Age of Revolution.<\/p>\n <\/p>\nInspiration<\/h2>\n
Generating Ideas<\/h2>\n