The project aims to tell colourful and quirky stories for publication from the archives of the history house.

Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall recently announced three arts cultural grants to six high profile museums in Armidale, Glen Innes, Bingara, Uralla, Tamworth and Werris Creek.

Mr Marshall said the Stuff of Tales arts cultural project will take some of the ‘stuffy’ out of old some of our oldest museums across the region, dust them off and make them the stuff of characters and cultural tourism stories.

Glen Innes History House Museum Manager Eve Chappell said she is delighted to be included in the project.

“It is marvellous that we in the regional areas can get our stories across to a much wider audience,” she said.

“This partnership with Arts North west is greatly appreciated.”

The Stuff of Tales project has been awarded $51,147 through a state government program which will see a partnership between Arts North West and the New England Writers’ Centre focus a literary light on the celebrated museum collection pieces and their human history stories.

“This is a really exciting project because it will bring to life some of our major historical buildings and museums but importantly bring those tales of history back into the spotlight,” Mr Marshall said.

Arts North West executive director Caroline Downer said authors would be paired with museum volunteers and would produce e-book editions, including illustrations.

“We’re looking to get really engaging words to build the creative content and build the idea and promote how our museums are unique because too often people don’t know about them,” she said.

“The project timeline was two years and we are looking to hold workshops as part of the getting-to-know-you relationships between the literary partners and museum presenters.

Mr Marshall said the collaborative project would not only raise awareness locally of the history of the museums and their localities and early communities but also serve to promote and publicise the diversity of heritage outside the region – and attract more tourists.

“Often we become blasé about what’s around us or we underestimate the value of what we have in our own backyards when it comes to our early stories and this is a project that will shine a light on that history and our stories,” he said.

The funding for the project was provided under the NSW Arts and Cultural Development Program.