Staff from a new museum in Serbia visited The Winding House in New Tredegar last week.
The group travelled from Senjski Rudnik, in the east of the country, which is the site of the oldest preserved coalmine in Serbia.
The group are involved in a project of restoration and preservation of the mine complex, which will turn the entire site into an open-air museum and historical heritage site.
During their visit to New Tredgar, the group were given a tour of the Winding House galleries and learned about the facilities and services offered by the museum and of its success since re-opening in 2008.
The group were able to learn about how the museum collection has developed from 1,500 objects in 2008 to over 10,000 today, and learnt about its schools programme.
They also learnt about how the Winding House works with the local community, through the development of exhibitions and events, and also through the many projects providing opportunities for Volunteer involvement – for example, helping preserve the historic winding engine, cataloguing the museum collection, assisting with school workshops and welcoming visitors to the museum.
The visitors were undertaking a four day study visit to South Wales to gain ideas and inspiration from museums situated in former mining communities, namely Blaenavon World Heritage Centre, Big Pit: National Coal Museum and the Winding House.
The visit aimed to provide examples of good practice in the museum field and to offer ideas, stimulation and encouragement for the development and plans for the new museum in Senjski Rudnik.