FRESH from attending the BAFTA ceremony last weekend, Ed Rowe, who played the lead role of Martin in BAFTA winner Mark Jenkin’s film Bait, was straight back into primary schools teaching them about their Cornish mining heritage.

Ed Rowe, from Falmouth, has developed an immersive learning experience called the Cornish Caretakers, exploring different characters from Cornish history or culture as part of an interactive performance.

The Cornish Caretakers show has previously educated school children on the work of Cornwall Heritage Trust and Kresen Kernow; both shows were well-received across Cornwall, even having showings at Royal Cornwall in Cornwall Heritage Trust’s tent.

In this newly developed version, the Cornish Caretakers will explore six characters from Cornwall and west Devon mining history to teach the children about the Cornwall and west Devon Mining Landscape World Heritage Site.

Mr Rowe also called on Cornish engineering and carpentry students from Cornwall College, St Austell, asking them to create a replica of the famous Puffing Devil - Camborne inventor and engineer Richard Trevithick’s first steam powered road vehicle.

Ed had already worked with the college on a similar project for his Trevithick show. His design brief for this Puffing Devil was to make it smaller and more manageable to transport to local primary schools.

He explained that the engineering students have “brought something special back to life".

He added: "It seems so authentic and I am thrilled. It’s fantastic.”

The students worked collaboratively to bring the woodwork and engineering together. This improved communication skills between the students which is key within all trades.

Luke Bazeley, the course manager for engineering at Cornwall College St Austell, said the students should be “really proud of how well they have worked as a team".

The current version of the show will star Edward Rowe alongside Cornish actress Kate Edney as the Cornish Caretakers.

The show has been created by Palores Productions and Cornish Director Simon Harvey.

Not only will the show star the Puffing Devil replica but the World Heritage Site team has provided a selection of Cornish mineral samples for the children to handle and learn how they are used in items such as electronics, machinery and rechargeable batteries.

Some of these samples are so rare that single locations in Cornwall are the only place they are found, anywhere in the world.

Edward has also worked with the World Heritage Site Office to produce a mining inspired board game Mines and Ladders, specifically for the project.

The board game takes the children on a journey across Cornwall with real life mining highs and lows moving them forward and back.

The production is currently touring primary schools throughout the World Heritage Site and beyond in Cornwall and West Devon.