In 2019, Dr. Nicola Small was part of the team that created Jacobite Clans, a hugely successful exhibition in Perth Museum & Art Gallery. The exhibition was inspired by the anniversary of the Battle of Killicrankie and a highlight for many visitors was the wealth of local stories that were included.
On Wednesday, 11 March, Dr. Small will be giving a talk in Crieff at the Town Hall, where she will share how these stories were collected, and discuss how important they are in illustrating the history of Perth and Kinross.
The stories in the exhibition came from local people and powerfully demonstrated the various ways that big national events, like the Jacobite rebellions, had a real impact on Perthshire’s noble families and rural communities.
The Jacobite Clans exhibition was made possible by the involvement of a diverse range of partners, including other museums and visitor attractions across the region, private collectors and local historical groups and societies.
Dr. Small will also be taking time during the talk to explain her current role as a Research and Interpretation Officer at Culture Perth and Kinross, working on the new Perth City Hall Museum and she gives an insight into how the new museum will look.
She will talk about how the new permanent galleries have been shaped by the architecture of the redeveloped City Hall and by Perth & Kinross’s Recognised Collection of National Significance to tell the region’s story and create a fantastic visitor experience for the people of Perthshire and beyond.
Dr. Small said: “Our recent exhibitions, especially Jacobite Clans last summer, have shown us what fantastic local stories are out there in Perth and Kinross. I hope that people hearing about how we worked on that exhibition and finding out more about the new galleries will feel excited about the stories we’d like to tell at Perth City Hall.
Crieff Town Hall where the talk will take place is on the site of the Crieff Tolbooth. The Tolbooth was built in 1665 to house the Steward Court of Strathearn where those condemned to Crieff’s famous ‘kind gallows’ were sentenced. By the 1800s, it had become the location for Town Council Meetings and Police Courts. The Tolbooth was demolished in 1842, with the current Town Hall being constructed in 1850.
Your City Hall Museum – Celebrating the Stories of Perth and Kinross is on at the Town Hall in Crieff on Wednesday, 11 March, with a 7pm start. Free entry, with no booking required.