Montserrat Volcano Observatory, the Disaster Management Coordination Agency, and the Montserrat Primary Schools announced that the Mountain Aglow Junior Exhibition will be showcased at the Montserrat Cultural Centre for its first public reveal on March 11th between 08:30 and 17:00.
The event will reveal ‘Mountain Aglow Junior’, a unique 10ft display about Montserrat and the Soufriere Hills volcano eruption and its impacts, designed by students from grades five and six (2020/21) as part of collaboration between MVO, DMCA, the Montserrat Primary schools and the Mountain Aglow project (mountainaglow.com). The exhibition will also include all the art, interviews, poems, and stories produced by the students during the project.
Mountain Aglow was a three-year long project (2019-2021), led by Prof J. Barclay (University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK) and funded by a Research Grant from the UK Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF). The project aimed to promote volcanic risk preparedness in Montserrat sharing the scientific knowledge gained during the Soufriere Hills volcano as well as the community’s experience about living with an active volcano.
In 2019-20, the “Mountain Aglow” exhibit and website (mountainaglow.com) were built in cooperation with local institutional stakeholders (including MVO, DMCA, MAC, ZJB, Montserrat National Trust) and the participation of community members and artists via interviews, and sharing of calypsos and poems about the eruption.
Throughout the last year of the project (2021), Grades five and six students participated in activities such as lectures and discussions with scientists, politicians, artists, and gained first-hand experiences of the Soufriere Hills eruption during a guided trip to Plymouth. Using drawings, photos, poems, interviews produced by the children, the ‘Mountain Aglow Junior’ exhibit presents their unique perspective on life on a volcanic island and how the Soufriere Hills eruption impacted Montserrat. Each class designed one side of the exhibit, covering themes such as volcano monitoring, ash or population displacements.
Students, teachers, family members and fellow Montserratians are all invited to visit the event and exhibit.
Members of the press are encouraged to attend to get the chance to talk with the students, teachers and visitors about the project and first impressions.
Both the Mountain Aglow Junior and the original Mountain Aglow exhibit are freely available for those in Montserrat to use. Please contact the MVO or DMCA if you would like to use them for a short event or even host them for an extended period.
For those who would like further information or for interview requests please contact Kathleen Retourné on kathleenretournemvo@gmail.com or call/WhatsApp 495 2029
