During the early twentieth century, John Hassall was one of Britain's best-known and most high-profile artists. Working across a variety of disciplines, he was a prolific book illustrator, a humorous artist for postcards and magazines, an art school founder and teacher, a painter in oils, consummate clubman, and a designer of toys, figurines, pottery and...
We are pleased to announce that we are taking part in The National Lottery Open Week again this year!
Summer Guided Walks
A talk by Lucinda Gosling
Summer Guided Walks
Come along and enjoy theatre under the stars
Korky Paul has enjoyed outstanding international success as an award-winning illustrator of children’s books, producing many instantly recognisable and popular characters, such as Winnie the Witch, The Fish Who Could Wish, Professor Puffendorf and Sir Scallywag. The Winnie and Wilbur series of picture books written by Valerie Thomas and the fiction or chapter books written...
We are participating in Open House again this year!
Lanterns and Suncatchers
Great fun Halloween afternoon with special guest, Korky Paul
A talk by children's book illustrator Korky Paul
This event has been cancelled.
What would Heath Robinson make of life today?
Whether you want to learn how to paint still lifes, landscapes or even portraits, this is your class.
Life-drawing of professional artist’s models
The exhibition will show artwork from the children’s stories that Heath Robinson both wrote and illustrated. See the first signs of his inventive talents and meet a cast of strange and mysterious characters. In 1902 Heath Robinson was commissioned by Grant Richards to write and illustrate a new children’s book and he took the episodic...
This talk has been cancelled.
The 31st May 2022 will be the 150th anniversary of the birth of William Heath Robinson. He was trained as an artist at the Royal Academy Schools, and as past exhibitions at the Museum have shown, he was a great illustrator and a highly accomplished painter in watercolours, but it is as a humorous artist...
Fun-filled family day out filled with gadgets and games galore
Build a Heath Robinson machine with “Joseph’s machines” Internet sensation.
Art session for all the family, adults and children alike
A talk by the curator on our current special exhibition
Produce a portrait from a live model
Outdoor theatre
‘Scene through Wood’ offers a visual feast of the finest wood engravings of the past 100 years, and celebrates the extraordinary artists, past and present, who made them. Curated by engraver and artist Anne Desmet RA RE, this exhibition from the University of Oxford’s Ashmolean Museum — home to one of the most extensive collections...
We are participating in the Open House Festival again this year!
We are delighted to announce that artist and curator Anne Desmet RA will deliver our next Expert Talk Setting the Scene which complements our new Special Exhibition Scene Through Wood, currently on loan from the Ashmolean. There will be a reception in the Museum from 6:30pm to include drinks and nibbles. The talk will start...
A lovely morning or afternoon session of Diwali related arts, crafts, story-telling and more for all the family.
Come along and make your own spooky scene with moving figures. Great for decorating in the trick or treat season.
with Anne Desmet RA
Help Santa find all of his reindeer, solve their puzzles and win a prize.
Throughout his career Shakespeare’s plays, and especially the songs within them, provided a source of inspiration for some of Heath Robinson’s most popular and successful illustrations.
Learn how to produce beautiful images using the traditional technique of dip pens and permanent ink.
We’ve partnered up with Kids in Museums!! Come to visit our galleries between 11th of February and 31st March to find a free Museum Mystery Trail for families, just ask for the activity sheet at the front desk! The trail was created to celebrate the release of the brilliantly funny new children’s book Montgomery Bonbon:...
Come along and create your own theatre! We’ll work together on both the background
and the characters and then...you will be ready to perform!!
Inspired by our current exhibition, this workshop will walk you through effective ways to design characters using detail to get across different personality traits.
We are delighted to announce that Geoffrey Beare will deliver our next Expert Talk ‘Heath Robinson’s Shakespeare Illustrations’. His talk will address the importance of Shakespeare’s plays to the development of his career as an illustrator. It will illustrate the wide range of styles and formats that he employed from 1902 to 1944. It will...
Workshop with jewellery designer and maker, Helen Foster-Turner
Pictures from an exceptional private collection
We are once again looking forward to welcoming National Lottery players to the museum.
A relaxed session on metal embossing. Suitable for beginners and confident makers alike.
Come along to this fun workshop where you will learn how to create a print!!
Join us for this special workshop where you will be guided through how to make a linocut print!
A fun Easter Trail in the park! Come and help Squishy the Chick find all their friends!
A fun and relaxed session led by expert glass engraver Stephen Myers where you'll be able to try this fascinating technique under his guidance!
Gadget building for would-be engineers
Come along to this fun workshop celebrating Heath Robinson’s birthday!
During the workshop you will be introduced to the basics of the technique, and you’ll be guided through how to produce your own lovely floral watercolour.
Uniquely crafted work available for sale from 16 contemporary designer makers
Heath Robinson's illustrations for the Fairy Tale works of Hans Andersen and Charles Perrault, with works on the same subjects by children’s book illustrator Michael Foreman
Come along to this relaxing workshop designed to help you build your confidence in creative writing.
Join us for a fun craft and storytelling time in the park with illustrator and author Robyn Wilson Owen!
Art sessions for everyone, family, adults and children alike! 27 Jul and 3, 10, 17, 24 Aug
Outdoor theatre
We are participating in the Open House Festival again this year!
Join us for a bookbinding workshop led by specialist bookbinder Jo Bird.
Acidic, bawdy, grotesque. Heath Robinson's illustrations for Rabelais explore a dark and dramatic part of his practice, characterised by expressive linework and grim subjects. See them alongside Goya's Los Caprichos; experimental etchings portraying beasts, scoundrels and a society in ruin.
Come along to this relaxed session on Children’s Book Illustration led by the talented Helena Stride.
Halloween half term workshop for kids 5-8yrs old.
Halloween half term workshops for young people 8-16 years old.
Morning Session 11am-1pm or Afternoon Session 2pm-4pm
A relaxing embroidery session led by Sam Harvey (AKA Sam Stitch)
Wreath Making session using fresh foliage!
A contemporary take on the traditional drawing technique of Pen, ink & wash.
Xmas Trail around the park; answer the quiz question and win a little prize!
Alongside a sensational artistic career, Mary V. Wheelhouse was also a fierce suffragette. See her art and activism come together in this retrospective exhibition.
Sorry, this event is sold out.
Personalize a wooden decoration and a fridge magnet at this fun half term workshop!
Join this fun workshop and create your own colourful paper flowers!
Join us for this watercolour session where you will be guided through how to paint a botanical
bouquet in a detailed and realistic way.
Join Alan Powers and David Powell from Pollock’s Toy Museum for an Expert Talk and Performance on Toy Theatre for our Mary Wheelhouse exhibition.
Come along to this fun workshop led by mixed media textile artist Sian Fenwick and create a colourful and arty stitched panel.
The cartoonist turns his hand to magazine illustration! Explore Heath Robinson's art for literary magazine covers, articles, and stories in this exhibition of a lesser known part of his work, produced throughout the 1920s and 30s.
Join our trail, help Easter Bunny and win a little prize!
Join this day workshop and learn how to solve engineering challenges with Meccano!
Fascinator workshop led by local milliner Cheryl Cizek!
Join this relaxing workshop and learn how to weave with tapestry artist Lucy Sugden!
Come along to this fun half term workshop and create personalised clay decorations inspired by nature!
Inspired by Heath Robinson's gadgets, can you solve silly tasks by creating the whackiest energy transfer chain?
Join us for this fun Zine making Workshop!
The exhibition highlights the interplay between writer and illustrator. Michael Rosen’s children’s writing has delighted generations – and now a landmark exhibition journeys through his life and career via a selection of original illustrations from his books.
Michael Rosen will be coming to open the event at which he will also be doing a book signing on the day.
Join us for a storytelling of some of the best Michael Rosen books!
Invented in 1901 by Frank Hornby, Meccano combines artistry and engineering in a unique way
Why not come along and get your face or arm painted by the lovely Versha.
Illyria presents an evening of yearning romance, family feuds and disasterous consequences. Approx: 2hrs 20mins (20min interval). Suitable for ages 8+
Outdoor art sessions for the whole family!
Come along to this fun poetry and illustration workshop with Michael Rosen!
Join us for a Chinese Brush Painting class led by talented artist Margaret Wall.
We are participating in the Open House Festival again this year!
A lovely family session celebrating all things Diwali
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