00:00Museums uniting under a divided world.
00:04That is the theme for this year's International Museum Day, highlighting the powerful role
00:09museums play in bridging cultural and social divides, while encouraging peace and understanding
00:15across communities worldwide.
00:18Matestone Museum is one of the largest museums in Kent and today I'll be exploring how culture
00:24and history can bring communities together.
00:26Matestone Museum first opened its doors in 1858 and holds artefacts that tell the story
00:32of Matestone's history and since then it has remained a pillar in the community, offering
00:37events that bring people together from all backgrounds, such as their Culture Club, where
00:42people are able to look and maybe handle artefacts and tell the stories of their past too.
00:47We have a diverse collection within the museum from local to global history, so it's really
00:51important that we bring people into our free community space and engage and interact with
00:56our diverse collection and learn about cultures people probably haven't heard of before.
01:00We really hope that we can create a sense of identity and a sense of belonging within the
01:03museum, not only for people who have lived here throughout their entire life but also
01:08people migrating to the area.
01:09We want to be a really welcoming, free, accessible space for people to reconnect with their roots,
01:14find out more about Matestone and discover parts of the world they might not have heard
01:19about otherwise.
01:19I spoke to local residents about what having a museum in their local area means to them
01:24and whether they believe it plays a vital role in preserving local history and uniting the
01:29community.
01:30Well I hope they go on forever, they're interesting.
01:33I like history so I'm always interested in anything like that.
01:37On the other hand you have to be careful not to stir up any old bad memories and say the
01:42wrong things I suppose.
01:43We entered a competition for Matestone's oldest family and just literally a couple of weeks
01:51ago the exhibit was put on display in Matestone Museum, the former wife's family and so we
01:59are officially in their Matestone's oldest family.
02:02The family goes right back to 1710.
02:07About community and learning from our mistakes as well right?
02:10Though International Museum Day has passed, museums across Kent continue to remind us that
02:16history, culture and shared stories have the power to bring people together.
02:21For many they are more than just places to preserve the past, they are spaces where communities
02:26can connect in the present.
02:28Maisie Walker for KNTV, Matestone.
02:31Amen.
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