Story Shelter

By Bec Applebee

Curating an award-winning touring exhibition, featuring a spectacular 30ft long tent handmade with and for Cornish communities.

PROJECT OVERVIEW

**CLIENT:** National Trust / Wildworks
**ROLE:** Project Manager / Creative Producer
**TIMELINE:** 2023-2024
**PROJECT TYPE:** partnership / art commissioning / co-production / community outreach

Outcomes and achievements

Exhibition of the Year

Story Shelter was highly commended as 'Exhibition of the Year 2024' at the Cornwall Heritage Awards.
20,095 visitors

The touring exhibition launched at East Pool Mine, in the Miner’s Dry, before moving on to Trelissick and Lanhydrock, attracting 20,095 visitors across these three unique venues.
Platforming marginalised voices

Panels were made by people who are often under-represented in National Trust programming, including those from the global majority and homeless backgrounds.
Increased confidence

Through evaluation, staff cited increased confidence curating creative works in underused heritage spaces, including the Miner's Dry at East Pool Mine.
New partnerships

National Trust teams hosted 10 artist-led workshops for underserved local communities, establishing multiple new local partnerships.
Inspiring young people

Following a creative seminar I led for Cornwall College, the students were inspired to create their own exhibition called ‘Coming Home’ in response to Story Shelter’s themes.
Deep emotional engagement

Story Shelter sparked deep emotional responses from participants and visitors, who responded to the themes of marginalisation and welcome.

THE BRIEF

How do you create an exhibition that authentically represents diverse Cornish voices while activating underused heritage spaces across multiple National Trust properties?

Story Shelter by Bec Applebee is a 30ft long tent, comprised of canvas panels, each decorated by an individual or community group from Cornwall.

This project required community outreach work across 10 properties, including artist-led community making workshops. The touring exhibition was curated in 3 unique heritage spaces, requiring flexible exhibition design.

Story Shelter proudly launched at East Pool Mine in September 2024.

CAMILLA’S APPROACH

PARTNER COLLABORATION

I facilitated partnership between the National Trust and Wildworks, coordinating with artist Bec Applebee and property teams to host artist-led community workshops at 10 different Cornish properties.

EXHIBITION DESIGN

I designed the exhibition, collaborating with Wildworks’ producer and the artist to draft co-branded interpretation exploring themes and community participation. I brokered regional marketing support to promote the

COMMUNITY OUTREACH

I produced guidance and developed project volunteer roles to support local teams with community outreach that resulted in new local partnerships.

CURATORIAL OVERSIGHT

I curated the presentation of the work in each venue, adapting the hanging to meet unique constraints of each heritage space. I drafted risk assessments and loan agreements for both tours.