"Living Machines": Performance and Pedagogy at Robert Owen's Institute for the Formation of Character, New Lanark, 1816-1828

Robert Owen's Institute for the Formation of Character at New Lanark, Scotland (1816–1828), employed innovative pedagogical methods blending performance and visual education. The study reveals that Owen's approach, featuring large-scale posters of animals, global maps, and historical timelines, aimed to educate children through 'sensible signs.' Performances—such as dancing, singing, and military drills—were central to the curriculum, attracting thousands of visitors annually. George Hunt's 1825 engraving captures this unique blend of spectacle and instruction, contrasting the students' tartan tunics with the fashionable attire of spectators. While Owen's methods are often linked to Locke and Rousseau, this study argues for their distinctiveness, challenging traditional historical narratives.

Lambert, C. (2011). “Living Machines”: Performance and Pedagogy at Robert Owen’s Institute for the Formation of Character, New Lanark, 1816-1828. The Journal of the History of Childhood and Youth, 4(3), 419–433. https://doi.org/10.1353/hcy.2011.0033