Half Term Fun

This week has seen Wakefield Museums deliver quite a variety of family workshops!

From booked sessions to drop-in crafts, families have created, participated and been hands-on. There has been mosaic coaster making, digital drawing, puppet shows and even live owls!

Castleford Museum held a drop-in session for visitors to make their own mosaic coaster with ceramic tesserae – staff worked hard to keep up with demand for the grout to stick designs together!

Mosaic coasters

  

27 May was the 150th anniversary of the death of Wakefield explorer and pioneer conservationist Charles Waterton, to mark this event we delivered our Barmy Birds workshop. We had some amazing creations made and participants even got to look at owl pellets and what they contained - thanks to Jo from the RSPB Yorkshire (Old Moor) for supporting this session.  Feedback from the sessions included “A fun and educational workshop for children and adults alike”

Barmy birds!

There were also some owl related crafts as part of the Wakefield Artwalk and Nightingale Festival (#Waterton150), along with a display of real owls from the Yorkshire Owl Experience. One youngster told us “That was cool, glad we went!”  

Owl Crafts

Charles Waterton and Ruby the Owl!

Some Brilliant Boats were designed over at Castleford Museum.  From origami sail boats to sparkly canoes youngsters (and parents alike) produced some wonderful paper boats.  One design will be taken into school as we were told the child’s new topic will be ships and boats this term – good timing for all!

Brilliant Boats

Cusan Theatre delivered The Princess of the Rainforest - An enchanting visual story with life size puppets, masks and visual treats. “I liked the monkey and snakes, but they had to find somewhere new to live! I liked it” said one of our younger visitors.

The Princess of the Rainforest

The digital drawing session saw the use of object from the collections and museum displays being given a bit of a makeover. Using a free app on iPads participants created their own amazing digital artwork and images. Feedback included “Very informal session. Kids loved every bit of it – working with museum objects, exploring the museum space, learning new app – everything was fun (and yet educational!) Very relaxing as well Thank you.”

Digital Drawing

Taking inspiration from the artist and sculptor Henry Moore, there were drop-in activities at Castleford Museum, with tiles being decorated in our own take on Henry Moore's artistic style.

And still to come:

Henry Moore Sculptures
Saturday 30 May
11am – 2pm
Castleford Forum Museum
Be inspired by the community case created by St Joseph's School and create your own Henry Moore sculpture from clay.
Suitable for all!
Free, no need to book

At Wakefield Museum there are NEW activity sheets that have been developed by Wakefield Museum Young Curators Club (YCC) out for families to use on a daily basis too. The YCC in their last meeting looked around the museum and developed some word puzzle activities for others to take part in. These are out in the museum ‘front room’ for you to have a go.

Keep updated on all our activities by joining our mailing list!

Palaeolithic hunter-gatherers in Wakefield!

We are involved in an exciting research project with the West Yorkshire Historic Environment Record, which is already showing some interesting results about Wakefield's distant past!

Over the past couple of months, The Historic Environment Record Officer for West Yorkshire has been examining the Palaeolithic (750,000BC to 10,000BC in the UK) and Mesolithic (10,000BC to c. 3500BC) flint collections of Wakefield Museum for a Historic England funded project. 

This project involves visiting local museums across West Yorkshire, to review and record their flint collections in order to improve the early Prehistoric records of the West Yorkshire Historic Environment Record (HER). The project results will be discussed with leading academic professionals and fed back to the participating museums - improving knowledge and understanding of these collections. 

The project will enable more accurate planning advice to be provided, and help the people of West Yorkshire to better understand the early Prehistoric occupation of the area.  

Middle Palaeolithic flint hand axe from Lee Moor, Stanley

Although the project is only part way through, it would appear from looking at the finds that Wakefield was one of only a couple of locations in West Yorkshire to be visited by Palaeolithic hunter-gathers in the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic period (c. 60,000BC to 10,000 BC).

The British Civil Wars - new exhibition

A stunning new exhibition was opened last night in Pontefract Museum by Councillor Les Shaw.

The British Civil Wars exhibition contains unique and special objects from Wakefield Museums collections plus loans from other museums.  

Taking pride of place is the newly conserved Keirincx painting showing Pontefract Castle before its destruction.

The opening event, part of the Museums at Night Festival, included Civil War soldiers from the Earl of Manchester's Regiment, and a printing workshop where visitors could print their own Civil War Propaganda-inspired leaflets.  Some amazing work was produced!

As well as the new British Civil Wars exhibition, don't miss the other new displays. 

Pontefract's own domestic goddess, Elizabeth Moxon, published a recipe book in the 18th century...

...and of course, Pontefract liquorice!

The British Civil Wars is on display in Pontefract Museum until 16th January 2016.

New Reminiscence Boxes

We are very proud to announce that we have a new series of Reminiscence Boxes now available to borrow. 

For more information, please click here.

Experience Castleford Forum Museum

Hi my name is Danielle. I am the front of house staff at Castleford Forum Museum. I have been in the post for 4 months now and I am really enjoying it! The job includes meeting and greeting the visitors, ensuring the museum is clean and tidy and collections are looked after - but my biggest aim is to ensure all visitors get the most out of their visit. 

In the museum we hold drop-in sessions inspired by the collections we have on display in the museum during the school holidays. These are open to everyone. It’s great to get involved with the community and provide different activities to ensure everyone gets the best out of the museum and can understand their local heritage.

Mugs painted in a drop-in session in Castleford Museum - inspired by the Castleford Pottery on display

It is fantastic to have local schools in the museum that can learn from their own heritage with it being on their door step. We offer lots of different workshops and self-led sessions to the schools.

Roman comb

I have recently been involved in a school visit from Castleford Park Juniors Academy. Year 3s came to Castleford Forum Museum for a self-led session. They were about 50 children on each day. The topic the children were most interested in was the Romans. The children looked around the Roman displays and the rest of the Museum before coming around the activity table for question time with our curator, Dave Evans and me. The children really got involved and wanted to know lots about the Romans.

Roman tile with a dog paw-print!

After the question time was up, the children were split into two groups. One group to see the Henry Moore display downstairs and the rest to do the activities I had developed, before swapping over. 

I showed the pupils the objects from the worksheets, and helped them find the words around the museum for the Roman crossword I had created for them. This challenged and developed me; I read through and made notes from the Roman Castleford books and resources, I wanted to learn anything I felt might come up in the session. I learnt about all the collections in the Museum so I could be most helpful on the days for the children. 

The children learnt a lot, and the teacher from Park Junior School told me “the children from Monday’s session are still going on about it and how much they enjoyed it.” 

It was great to watch and help the children in something I had created for them. Overseeing the visit was a new and great experience for me as a front of house staff; I learnt something new and spent half the day talking and answering questions with the children and staff.

There are lots of drop-in sessions coming up in Castleford. Why not pop in and get involved?

Flags, Badges and Paper Chains!

Saturday 2 May  

11am – 2pm

Castleford Forum Museum

Suitable for all

Take inspiration from the Jack Hulme images of celebration to create badges and flags ready for the big race!
Free, no need to book

Mosaic Coasters

Tuesday 26 May

11am – 2pm
Castleford Forum Museum

Suitable for all!

Make a mosaic coaster with ceramic tesserae (or paper for younger participants). 

Free, no need to book

Brilliant Boats

Thursday 28 May
10am - 12.00 noon
Castleford Forum Museum
Design and create your own mini model boat!

Suitable for all!
Free - no need to book


Henry Moore Tiles 
Friday 29 May
11am – 2pm 
Castleford Forum Museum
Find out about Henry Moore and his artistic style, and use it as inspiration to decorate a ceramic tile/coaster.
Suitable for all!
Free - no need to book 

Henry Moore Sculptures
Saturday  30 May
11am – 2pm 
Castleford Forum Museum
Be inspired by the community case created by St Joseph's School and create your own Henry Moore sculpture from clay. 
Suitable for all!
Free, no need to book

The Nightingale Chorus

Nightingales to be heard in Wakefield once more….

May 2nd 1865. On this night at 11 o’clock two nightingales were singing melodiously in the Park at Walton Hall.

This is the last entry in the notebook of Charles Waterton, the Wakefield naturalist, explorer and pioneering conservationist. He died 150 years ago in 1865.  

From May 2015 Wakefield Museums and Countryside will mark this anniversary to celebrate Waterton’s incredible life and commemorate his legacy.

As part of the Nightingale Festival Wakefield Museums have taken inspiration from Nightingales singing melodiously and have created a chorus of Nightingales across the city.  Venues across the city will be playing snippets of beautiful and entrancing Nightingale song on 2 May, 27 May and throughout June.

There is also an exciting programme of events and activities planned as part of the festival including a spectacular exhibition at Wakefield Museum, a Waterton comic, artist commissions, workshops, talks and much more.

For more information about the Nightingale Festival

www.wakefield.gov.uk/nightingale

@WFMuseums #Waterton150

Further information about Nightingales:

Latin name: Luscinia megarhynchos

Nightingales are a bit bigger than a robin, with plain brown feathers. They are difficult to spot, and like to hide in thick bushes. The nightingale is on the amber list for conservation in the UK. Numbers fell by over 50% between 1995 and 2008, due to a decline in its preferred habitat  You are now extremely unlikely to see a nightingale in Wakefield.  They are found in the south east – Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, Kent & Sussex. Despite the name, nightingales also sing throughout the day.  It is the males that sing. The collective noun for nightingales is a watch. 

Summer Term at school!

With the start of the school Summer Term (where does the time go?!), we thought we would take a little look a back at the Spring Term delivery with Wakefield Museums.  From workshops at the two castles to visits to Wakefield Museum and outreach into schools, the team have covered sessions on Rhubarb to sessions using iPads to record short stories and animations. 

We met nearly 2000 pupils and their teachers during the Spring term and here are some comments we received:

Teachers

“The workshop was excellent. The children all had chance to participate and had lots of fun” KS2 teacher Charles Waterton session

“Excellent workshop – appropriate to the age of the children. Children really enjoyed it and learnt a lot – Thank you” KS1 Teacher Charles Waterton session

“The workshop was very well organised and enjoyable.” KS1 teacher Victorian Houses and Homes session

“Very well led. All children engaged.” KS2 teacher Sandal Castle tour and poetry session

Pupils

“I wish we could do it again” Y5 pupil animation session

“I in joyed it cos it was fun. The best bit was when she tod us about the things in her huse” Y1 pupils Victorian house and home session

“Dear Museum leader, Making the video was fun! It was the time of my life! Thank you for the visit” Y1 Objects and iPad storytelling session

So what do we have for the summer term? Well we have sessions booked including Egyptian artefacts, Medieval Bones, Tudor Food, Sandal Castle tours and more Waterton sessions - to name a few.

To see what other school sessions we offer see our learning pages at http://museumslearning.blogspot.co.uk/