💪The participants experience the harsh reality of a Victorian workhouse, facing hard labor and degrading treatment.
😰The workhouse inmates were stripped of their personal belongings and separated from their families.
🧼Cleanliness, order, and discipline were strictly enforced in the workhouse.
🛠️Inmates performed various tasks, including mattress making and oakum picking.
👩⚖️The workhouse master and matron maintained strict control and ensured compliance with the rules.
What was the purpose of a Victorian workhouse?
—The workhouse was a place for the destitute to receive food and shelter in exchange for hard labor. It aimed to instill discipline and reform individuals' moral character.
What were the conditions like in a Victorian workhouse?
—Conditions in the workhouse were harsh, with overcrowding, minimal food, and strict discipline. Inmates were separated from their families and stripped of their personal belongings.
What kind of tasks did inmates perform in the workhouse?
—Inmates performed various tasks, including manual labor such as mattress making, oakum picking, and other chores required for the upkeep of the workhouse.
How did the workhouse master and matron maintain control?
—The workhouse master and matron enforced strict rules and discipline. They ensured compliance through punishments, strict routines, and the power dynamics between the inmates and the authorities.
What impact did the experience have on the participants?
—The participants felt a sense of powerlessness, experienced physical discomfort, and were haunted by the dark history associated with the workhouse. They gained a deeper understanding of the hardships faced by the destitute during the Victorian era.
00:01Six individuals are challenged to survive 24 hours in a Victorian workhouse.
03:59The participants enter the workhouse and experience the strict rules and discipline enforced by the workhouse master and matron.
08:59The inmates undergo the admission process, including sterilization, stripping of personal belongings, and changing into workhouse uniforms.
13:12The participants are assigned various tasks in the workhouse, such as mattress making and oakum picking.
23:58The participants express their discomfort and unease with the conditions and treatment in the workhouse.
36:59The workhouse master and matron maintain control and enforce strict discipline.
46:15The participants reflect on the power dynamics and the degrading aspects of life in the workhouse.
52:48The experience in the workhouse leaves a lasting impact on the participants, heightening their understanding of the hardships faced by the destitute.
