History, culture on display at Interactive Museum

Mary Tilley, left, looks on at a re-enactment of slaves being punished and taken to the punishment cell, a display involving actors at the Fort King George Interactive Museum last Sunday.
Mary Tilley, left, looks on at a re-enactment of slaves being punished and taken to the punishment cell, a display involving actors at the Fort King George Interactive Museum last Sunday.

Tobagonians and visitors can now explore Tobago’s rich history through re-enactments and explanations on the use of the structures at Fort King George with the opening of the Interactive Museum last Sunday. Glenda Rose Layne, coordinator for culture with the Tobago House of Assembly, explains that the Museum is about “celebrating spaces.”

Guide Kelan Samuel, left, prepares to take John and Mary Tilley, first time visitors to Tobago from Bath United Kingdom, on the tour of Fort King George last Sunday.

“The military cemetery, what it’s about? The bell tank, what was it used for?” The questions would be answered with the help of actors who were trained in various styles of theatre, said Rose Layne.

A depiction of a couple at the Moriah Ole Time Wedding on display at the Heritage Museum Exhibit at Fort King George.

“It’s different to acting on a stage, it’s a re-enactment in unconventional spaces,” she said, adding that the actors would perform for three days a week, with two shows a day, with larger performances on Sundays. She said the plan was to have museum operating throughout the year and getting schools involved in the process.

A seven-pound scale once used for weighing goods in the shop or market on display at the Heritage Museum Exhibit at Fort King George.

Rose Layne reminded that the Heritage Museum Exhibit was opened last week at the Fort, creating a space to showcase important artifacts in Tobago’s history, as well as contemporary pieces from the 20th century.

A laundry gas iron with pump on display at Heritage Museum Exhibit at Fort King George.

“We looked at it from a thematic point of view, using the Tobago Heritage Festival as a nucleus. For example, the Moriah Wedding and the emblems and some of the dances,” she said.

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