Shiver Me Timbers Online Exhibition
‘Shiver Me Timbers: Pirates on Page, Stage and Screen’ was originally conceived as a physical exhibition and was on display at The Word, National Centre for the Written Word in South Shields from 25 May 2017 to 31 January 2018.
It proved to be very popular with people of all ages and we have now created this online version, featuring all of the amazing stories, myths and facts that visitors to the exhibition found so fascinating.
So if you are ready, we invite you to dive in and immerse yourself in the exciting – and occasionally dangerous – world of pirates!
About the exhibition
The adventure begins in 1719, when English novelist Daniel Defoe published Robinson Crusoe and journeys through to the 20th century, featuring fictional literary pirates such as Sea Hawk and Captain Blood, along with Peter Pan and even theatrical favourites the Pirates of Penzance.
Contemporary pirate stories such as The Piratica Series and the hugely popular film franchise Pirates of the Caribbean are also featured as is the star of 1970s children’s tv show, Captain Pugwash.
Along with episodes of the show there is the chance to view a film of Isabel Ryan talking about her father, the show’s creator, John Ryan’s, legacy during a visit she made to The Word.
Online visitors can discover how fictional characters such as Captain Jack Sparrow and Peter Pan were brought to life on screen and step into the world of real piracy by reading about two well-known female pirates, Anne Bonny and Mary Read.
A short film explains all about life on board a ship and an online ‘activities’ area provides a variety of creative tasks, from creating a pirate map, drawing yourself as a captain of a pirate ship, a wordsearch and more.
There is also a selection of online games, including Pirate Treasure Pop, so users can challenge their friends and family to a game.
A gallery of images of the original exhibition, designed and built by North East design agency, Sheridan Design, can also be viewed.
