The BBC Young Writers’ Award with Cambridge University is a great chance to get creative. All young people in the UK aged 14-18 are welcome to submit stories of up to 1,000 words by 22nd March. The five shortlisted young writers will have their stories narrated by an actor and recorded for a radio broadcast, and will be published in an anthology.  

How do historical conditions influence our health? How does health change history? The After the Plague Project investigates these questions by exploring health in medieval England (400-1500).

The most significant event during this period is the infamous Black Death (the plague epidemic of 1347-51), which killed 30% to 60% of Europe’s population. This project focusses on one medieval archaeological site in Cambridge, and the people who were buried there.

This resource has been designed to help students develop research skills by using a painting as a starting point.

By working through the project you will find out about a range of skills, strategies and methods which can then be applied to other museum and gallery objects. The resource has been written with reference to the A-Level Assessment Objectives to demonstrate how to plan and manage a research project and use a range of different resources.

Check out the videos on this page to find out how you can complete a Discover Arts Award.

We're afraid we're not longer able to issue certificates as the videos suggest, but you're welcome to enjoy taking part in this activity! 

About the Session 

Find out more about the development of medicine and anatomy using objects from the collections of the Whipple Museum and library. Explore changes in anatomy textbooks from a rare sixteenth-century edition of Vesalius' "De Fabrica" to modern versions of "Gray's anatomy". Try out a much-hyped Victorian medical device and find out how microscopes revolutionised our understanding of infectious diseases. 

Duration: Can be booked as: