Foyer Display: Boats Births Brass and Bun - A Glimpse into Stroud's Black History
Oct
1
to Dec 15

Foyer Display: Boats Births Brass and Bun - A Glimpse into Stroud's Black History

  • The Museum in the Park (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

The Women’s Art Activation System (The WAAS) supported by Stroud Against Racism are delighted to present an intergenerational display about the Windrush families and their descendants, a unique aspect of Stroud’s history for you to discover and enjoy. Key contributor Dee Guthrie shares original artworks and creative pieces by herself, her mother and her son.

This display is supported by Museum in the Park and funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. It grew out of the Baby Makers: Making History project created by The WAAS and includes birth histories as well as the wider story.

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Community Display: 1st Rodborough Guides Celebrating 110 Years
Oct
1
to Dec 15

Community Display: 1st Rodborough Guides Celebrating 110 Years

  • The Museum in the Park (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

1st Rodborough Guides was the first Guide company in Gloucestershire. It was formed in August 1914 by sisters Mildred and Rosie Humpidge, who were keen to aid the war effort. The group is still going strong and this year celebrates its 110th anniversary.

Come and see precious items from 1st Rodborough’s archives, learn about its founders, and find out what it took to be a Guide back then. Could you install a windowpane, lay a carpet and retape a Venetian blind? These are just a few accomplishments expected of Guides wishing to earn their Handywoman badge in 1922!

On display are a selection of items from 1st Rodborough Guides past and present, including a 1920s uniform, a rare Guides camera, and badges from 1918 to the present.

The Space community gallery

FREE, donations welcome

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Display: Baby Makers - Making History
Oct
8
to Dec 15

Display: Baby Makers - Making History

  • The Museum in the Park (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

Over the last 2 years the Museum in the Park have been working in partnership with The Women’s Art Activation System – artists Sarah Dixon and Sharon Bennett - on the Baby Makers: Making History project. We set out to establish reproductive and birth histories in the Museum collection as a little-recorded but important part of our collective heritage. 

This display brings together museum objects that inspired the project and new stories collected as a part of it. These include artworks created at The WAAS workshops, newly acquired objects relating to Stroud Maternity Unit and creative pieces exploring trauma and miscarriage.

In collaboration with Stroud Against Racism and Stroud Local History Society, funded by the National Heritage Lottery Fund.

Collectors Room, FREE but donations welcome.

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Early Morning Yoga: Vinyasa Flow with Emma Tilley
Nov
5
to Dec 10

Early Morning Yoga: Vinyasa Flow with Emma Tilley

  • The Museum in the Park (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

Join Emma Tilley for an early morning yoga class in the light and airy Pavilion overlooking the beautiful Walled Garden. Get your body moving; get stronger, find balance, find strength and ease. Each 60-minute session includes a blissful relaxation to leave you feeling ready for the rest of your day. All abilities welcome; options are given to make poses as accessible or as challenging as individuals need them to be.

Please bring your own yoga mat and water bottle. If you don’t have a mat or have any questions, please emmatilleyyoga@gmail.com

Sessions cost £13 each. Book here: https://bookwhen.com/emmatilleyyoga

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Four Twisted Tales & Other Stories:  Hannah Dyson & Jim Pilston
Nov
9
to Dec 15

Four Twisted Tales & Other Stories: Hannah Dyson & Jim Pilston

  • The Museum in the Park (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

Jim Pilston and Hannah Dyson are two local artists that have a mutual love of folklore and fairytales. We are fortunate that our local area is rich with strange stories and bizarre folktales that spark the imagination. 

In this collaborative exhibition they have explored legends that exist on our very doorstep, some real, some imagined. Through a mixture of sculpture, poetry and illustration you will meet ‘The Severn Serpent’, ‘Cold-Water Jessie of Amberley’ and ‘The Owlpen Alchelmist’, alongside witches, fairies, giants and a host of other strange critters from our mysterious landscape . 

Jim is a sculptor who uses exclusively recycled materials to create his art. Hannah is an illustrator who likes to write the occasional poem and works with collage and painting.  

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Display: The Painswick Weathercock
Nov
15
to Dec 15

Display: The Painswick Weathercock

  • The Museum in the Park (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

Until 1895 this weathercock sat atop the steeple of St Mary’s Church, Painswick until it was put out of action by a trigger-happy local who used it for target practice. Come and inspect the damage for yourself and get up close to the object that inspired the Museum’s logo. This is a rare opportunity to see the cockerel at ground level while we prepare a new home for it in our foyer, to be revealed in January.

Staircase Hall

FREE, donations welcome

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Book Covers Reinterpreted - Exhibition in Gallery Two
Nov
16
to Dec 1

Book Covers Reinterpreted - Exhibition in Gallery Two

  • The Museum in the Park (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

The book cover is a perfect format for creative diversity to explode within a neat, set boundary: everything a graphic designer could wish for! Freedom and rules = productive freefall.

We’re delighted to host this new exhibition by Stroud Illustrators’ Collective (SIC) celebrating the written word. SIC is an eclectic group of graphic artists and illustrators living and working in the Stroud Five Valleys. For the past five years they have been exhibiting together as Film Posters Reinterpreted (part of Stroud Film Festival), celebrating contemporary local design and creative innovation on paper.

To mark Stroud Book Festival 2024, SIC switched format to create a dynamic exhibition of contemporary book cover illustration. SIC members are working professionals with a passion for sharing, communication and the wider visual language of image, colour, typeface and form.

All work on show is for sale - please ask at Museum Reception. Other venues for the exhibition include: Stroud Brewery (1-30 Nov); The Prince Albert (1-30 Nov); The Yard Gallery (25-30 Nov); and Lansdown Hall & Art Gallery (5-11 November).

Please note: Gallery Two is our meeting room, used for wellbeing workshops, talks and other events, so it’s often closed to the public on weekdays. The exhibition will be fully open on weekends: 11am to 4.30pm. If you want to visit on a weekday, please call ahead to check access: 01453 763394.

SIC & Stroud Book Festival thank ACE for providing funding for this initiative.

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Buzz Club
Dec
1
11:00 AM11:00

Buzz Club

Come along and meet the Buzz Club in the Garden Pavilion, enjoy hot and cold drinks, find out what our bees are up to, and have a go at candle dipping. All ages welcome - drop in and say hello. You can also find out about Buzz Club Ghana and the fantastic projects they are running. Free, but donations to support Buzz Club Ghana very welcome.

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'Now you're hooked...' Crochet Christmas Decorations
Dec
5
10:30 AM10:30

'Now you're hooked...' Crochet Christmas Decorations

This time with an assortment of yarns and decorative threads, join Sue McNamara to make decorated Christmas trees, a line of tiny baubles or intricate (and easy) individual larger baubles. All materials and crochet hooks provided, or feel free to bring your own. You'll need to have some crochet experience to get the most out of this workshop - if you'd like to learn the basics, look out for our free monthly crochet drop-ins which run through the winter. All materials and tea and coffee included.

Cost: £20 (£15 for Museum Members - Membership is free to join)

Booking essential. Special festive offer: Bring a friend for free!

Book online or call 01453 763394

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Talk: Withy Beds – Forgotten Resource & Lost Habitat
Dec
5
2:00 PM14:00

Talk: Withy Beds – Forgotten Resource & Lost Habitat

The planting, management and harvesting of Withies was once a significant industry across the whole of Britain and especially in the Severn Vale. This was before the advent of other materials such as cardboard and plastics, a ubiquitous and critically important source of material for all imaginable forms of willow basket-work. After harvesting, Withies were used to make a range of containers for movement and storage of goods of all sorts and a wide variety of other articles used in town and country life. In Gloucestershire it was inexorably linked to the brick-making industry and provided employment of many craftspeople in its own right. The Withy beds themselves provided a habitat for many animals, birds and invertebrates but the industry declined and died out in a very few decades after WW2.

Guest speaker Andrew Bluett is the Museum's Chair of Trustees, a trustee of the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust, Membership Secretary & Trustee of the Gloucestershire Naturalists’ Society.

Talk lasts around 45 minutes to one hour, followed by tea and coffee.

Tickets £5. Booking recommended, book online or call 01453 763394

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The Twelve Days of Christmas Family Explorer Trail
Dec
6
to Dec 15

The Twelve Days of Christmas Family Explorer Trail

  • The Museum in the Park (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

Enjoy a special ‘Twelve Days of Christmas’ Family Explorer Trail to help you discover the museum. Inspired by the popular traditional Christmas song, your challenge is to find each of the 12 gifts mentioned in the song amongst our displays!

Free, donations welcome, ask at the Front Desk when you visit.

Our FREE Family Explorer Trails are designed to help families and groups explore the museum together. These are always available during opening hours and are a fun way for children and families to explore the objects in the museum displays. Please ask at reception when you visit - we always have a range of themed trails for different ages and interests.

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Theatre Show: Santa & Sven
Dec
6
4:30 PM16:30

Theatre Show: Santa & Sven

Santa & Sven are very excited to be bringing their magical Christmas show to The Museum in the Park this December!

I don’t know if you know, but filling the stockings of every child in the world in just one night is a HUMONGOUS undertaking. It requires planning, team work, dedication and - of course - a sprinkling of Christmas magic. These last few years Santa has taken to recce-ing ahead of the big drop to help Christmas Eve run as smoothly as possible. He brings with him Sven the reindeer handler, his excitable and talented Snow Elf.

Together, they’re hoping to shave valuable seconds off their busy Christmas Eve schedule by gathering crucial stocking location and roof landing intel ahead of time. Are you up to the challenge of helping our festive heroes with their quest? Get a peek into their enchanting world, see Sven play with his favourite snow elf circus toys, enjoy a Q&A with Santa and more. They’ll also answer the big questions of the Santa story and show glimpses of their Christmas magic. Come and see why they’ve been selling out venues from Tobacco Factory Theatres to Soho House and beyond! Guaranteed to bring a sense of fun, mischief and anticipation to all.

An interactive family show for ages 3+, advance booking required.

Book online or call 01453 763394

Tickets: £15 adult, £12 child, ‘Early Bird’ family ticket £40 (book by 30 November)

Show times: 4.30pm & 6pm, duration around one hour

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Festive Winter Weekend
Dec
7
to Dec 8

Festive Winter Weekend

  • The Museum in the Park (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

Drop in and make festive cards, gifts and decorations, meet a wandering Victorian Magician, and enjoy Carol Singing on Saturday or Storytelling on Sunday. Everyone welcome, most activities free but £1 for some craft activities.

PLUS enjoy a special festive FREE Museum Explorer Trail - ask at the Front Desk when you arrive. And don’t forgot to visit our lovely little shop which is full of locally sourced gifts and tempting treats … 10% discount this weekend to help you get your Christmas shopping sorted!

Everyone welcome, come and enjoy all the museum has to offer before we close for our annual ‘Deep Clean’ from 16 December to 24 January.

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Community Carol Singing at The Museum in the Park
Dec
7
3:30 PM15:30

Community Carol Singing at The Museum in the Park

Come and celebrate the start of the festive winter season! We invite you to come together to sing some traditional carols led by the inspirational choir leader Eleanor Holliday, with the talented Robert Kempner at the keyboard. Everyone welcome, come and enjoy singing together in the Garden Pavilion. Song sheets will be available to help you remember the words, warming drinks will be served, free community event but donations welcome.

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Crochet, Craft & Chat - Drop in Session
Dec
12
10:30 AM10:30

Crochet, Craft & Chat - Drop in Session

Drop in and have a go at crochet, or bring your own sewing, mending or craft project, meet other people and enjoy spending time at the Museum. Our warm and friendly textile tutor Sue McNamara will be here to welcome you and offer tips and advice, if needed. A gentle, free, drop in session in our downstairs meeting room (‘Gallery Two’). Teas and coffees available to buy from our coffee shop dresser (we have a new loyalty card too, please ask for one!)

Everyone welcome, we look forward to seeing you.

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Talk: 'Mistletoe, Wrens and Mummers – Christmas traditions & folklore' with Kirsty Hartsiotis
Dec
13
10:30 AM10:30

Talk: 'Mistletoe, Wrens and Mummers – Christmas traditions & folklore' with Kirsty Hartsiotis

Ever wondered where our Christmas traditions come from? Or how people celebrated Christmas in the past? Join folklorist, storyteller and writer Kirsty Hartsiotis in a hunt for Britain's quirkiest Christmas traditions, and discover the secrets of some of the things we take for granted at Christmastide. From hunting the wren to kissing under the mistletoe, and from eating a mince pie a day to ensuring the house was clean to keep out the fairies, find out about the Christmas season from Advent to Candlemas – and discover some of our Christmas traditions in the Cotswolds from midwinter fires to wassailing, and those mummer’s plays of course – In Comes I!

Tickets £7 (£5 Museum in the Park Members & Concs)

Tea, coffee & mince pies included

Booking required - book online or call 01453 763394

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Winter Woodland Afternoon at Stratford Park
Dec
15
1:00 PM13:00

Winter Woodland Afternoon at Stratford Park

Come along to Stratford Park and the Museum in the Park to enjoy an afternoon of winter woodland wonders!

Join Stroud Valleys Project and our friends from Active Lifestyles and Stroud District Council for an afternoon of fun, festive activities. SVP can take you on a winter flower hunt, help you make a willow star (this is a bookable event), or decorate a jam jar lantern in the Walled Garden Pavilion. Join museum staff in Gallery Two and make Christmas cards and gift tags, paper stars and tree decorations (drop in between 1pm and 5pm).

There are lots of other activities to enjoy throughout the afternoon, including storytelling at 3pm (booking required), marshmallow toasting, and a special festive museum explorer trail.

There will also be music in the bandstand, birds of prey, and even a festive donkey. Food and drinks will be available to purchase. The afternoon will conclude with a lantern parade and songs. It should be a real festive treat!

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Stroud Snowdrop Celebration
Jan
25
to Jan 26

Stroud Snowdrop Celebration

  • The Museum in the Park (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

Drop in and join us to celebrate the re-opening of the Museum with special snowdrop inspired activities for all ages. Meet the gardeners and find out about the pioneering Giant Snowdrop Company of Hyde, visit a special plant sale and snap up some snowdrops for your own garden, enjoy tea and cake in the Walled Garden Pavilion or drop in craft activities. Children can also enjoy our Walled Garden ‘Snowdrop Fairy’ I Spy trail … but do wrap up warm! 10% off in our Museum Shop including snowdrop themed products. Free entry, cakes and plants for sale, donations very welcome for the craft activities and trail. We look forward to seeing you!

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Talk: The Purton Hulks
Nov
21
2:00 PM14:00

Talk: The Purton Hulks

Have you discovered the mysterious hulks on the banks of the River Severn at Purton, which is between Slimbridge and Sharpness? We are delighted to welcome back maritime historian and author Paul Barnett, who has been researching the now-famous Purton Hulks for 25 years. He’ll share his latest discoveries of the Stroud District’s gem of a maritime time capsule. Paul shares his expert knowledge of this fascinating place which contains 86 vessels, a destroyed railway crossing and echoes of a long lost maritime way of life.

Talk lasts around 45 minutes to one hour followed by tea and coffee.
Tickets £5. Booking recommended, book online or call 01453 763394

Photograph by Steve Marshfield 

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Talk: 'Folk Tales and Legends of the Cotswolds' with Kirsty Hartsiotis
Nov
15
10:30 AM10:30

Talk: 'Folk Tales and Legends of the Cotswolds' with Kirsty Hartsiotis

Discover mysterious, funny and romantic Cotswolds tales - delving into the traditions of Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Bath and much more! The Cotswolds spans the west of England from Bath in the south up to Chipping Campden in the north, from Woodstock in the east to Stroud in the west. We’ll be going as far back in time as King Bladud of Bath, explore a medieval love affair at Woodstock, dip into Tudor history in Bisley, be petrified at the Rollrights and discover what the mice were doing in Gloucester – and more! This talk by folklorist and storyteller Kirsty Hartsiotis explores the tales told by the folk in the region - taking in evil queens, greedy kings, flying monks, little folk, big cats and much, much more! Discover what makes the Cotswolds tick!

Tickets £7 (£5 Museum in the Park Members & Concs)

Tea & Coffee included

Booking required - book online or call 01453 763394

Illustration by Katherine Soutar

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Crochet, Craft & Chat - Drop in Session
Nov
14
10:30 AM10:30

Crochet, Craft & Chat - Drop in Session

Drop in and have a go at crochet, or bring your own sewing, mending or craft project, meet other people and enjoy spending time at the Museum. Our warm and friendly textile tutor Sue McNamara will be here to welcome you and offer tips and advice, if needed. A gentle, free, drop in session in our downstairs meeting room (‘Gallery Two’). Teas and coffees available to buy from our coffee shop dresser (we have a new loyalty card too, please ask for one!)

Everyone welcome, we look forward to seeing you.

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Celebration Event for The Baby Makers: Making History project
Nov
13
2:00 PM14:00

Celebration Event for The Baby Makers: Making History project

You are invited to join The Women’s Art Activation System (The WAAS) to celebrate their project with the museum - The Baby Makers: Making History. This is a National Heritage Lottery funded project.

There will be:

Round-table discussions about birth practices, maternal histories and Black maternal health.

Film premiere of Stroud’s Birth Histories

Presentation of new artwork from The WAAS

Whether you are a birth professional, a parent or someone interested in birth history, please do come and join us.

For more details and to let us know you are coming please follow the link:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-baby-makers-making-history-tickets-1044878649167

Free but donations welcome.

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SOLD OUT Stroud Book Festival presents: Awesome Comics Workshop
Nov
10
3:30 PM15:30

SOLD OUT Stroud Book Festival presents: Awesome Comics Workshop

In this epic creative workshop, comics genius Neill Cameron, creator of “Mega Robo Bros” and “Donut Squad”, will show you how to come up with your own awesome ideas for stories and characters. Then he’ll show you how to tell those stories using the amazing power of COMICS!

For ages 8-14

£12, all materials provided.

Sorry, this workshop is SOLD OUT!

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Stroud Book Festival presents: A Blue Monster Drawing Workshop
Nov
9
3:30 PM15:30

Stroud Book Festival presents: A Blue Monster Drawing Workshop

Be part of Stroud Book Festival with this exciting, hands-on workshop with award-winning author and illustrator of many picture books including “Silly Suzy Goose”, “Blue Penguin”, “Puffin Peter” & “The Perfect Present”.

Petr will be reading from some of his books and introducing his favourite characters including the very new “Blue Monster”! Petr will also show you how you can draw and make your very own monster.

It may be a teeny bit scary, but it's definitely going to be fun! Anyone aged 5 to 11 who likes picture books is welcome!

Cost: £12. All materials provided.

30 places total. For ages 5 to 11, booking essential.

 Book online via Stroud Book Festival

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Bizarre Bookmarks & Magical Mini Books
Nov
9
to Nov 10

Bizarre Bookmarks & Magical Mini Books

  • The Museum in the Park (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

As part of Stroud Book Festival, we’re delighted to invite book-loving families to get creative with drop in craft activities led by a wonderful Stroud artist! Come and join the talented illustrator Martha Lightfoot and make your very own bookmark or mini book to take home. We’ll be taking inspiration from the magical creatures and weird and wonderful folk legends in the exhibition by Hannah Dyson and Jim Pilston. Sharpen your pencils, let your imagination run wild, and enjoy creating something fantastical and fun!

This special artist-led workshop is for families with children aged 4 to 14, for grown ups and children to enjoy together. Parents with younger children are invited to explore the Museum with the Elmer the Elephant ‘I Spy’ trail.

Cost: £1 per child, drop in and pay on the day (extra donations very welcome to help pay for materials)

Dates & times: Saturday 9 & Sunday 10 November, 2pm to 4.30pm (drop in)

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Drawing for Books! Workshop with Imogen Harvey Lewis
Nov
9
11:00 AM11:00

Drawing for Books! Workshop with Imogen Harvey Lewis

Calling young artists aged 11+ …. please come and join local illustrator Imogen Harvey Lewis in this relaxed and inspiring workshop! Drop in, or stay all morning, it’s up to you and how you feel on the day.

We’ll be looking at Illustration and how it works for books, as part of the fabulous Stroud Book Festival. Expect a no-pressure morning of creativity and chat about drawing for publication with plenty of tips and examples to look at.

Taking abstract backgrounds as our starting point, we will ease into simple page layout: considering character; focal point; direction of action; colour pallet; speech and text placement.

We won’t manage an entire book (obviously!), but we will enjoy time to explore visual ideas, put together creative options and experiment with the construction of  image to tell an inspiring story.

A fun few hours of looking , drawing, sharing, and aesthetic experimentation for teenagers and young adults.

FREE but booking recommended - call Abigail on 01453 763394 to book. You’ll get the most out of the workshop if you arrive at 11am and stay until 2pm, but you’re very welcome to drop in too! For young people aged 11+.

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Pop Up! Book Making Workshop with Duncan Birmingham
Nov
8
10:30 AM10:30

Pop Up! Book Making Workshop with Duncan Birmingham

Are you fascinated by the magic of pop-up books and the ingenious art of paper sculpture? Want to learn some fun and fabulous paper engineering techniques?  If the answer if yes, then this day course is for you!

As part of Stroud Book Festival, we are delighted to present another opportunity to join Pop Up Book making expert Duncan Birmingham for a creative day workshop.

We’ll explore the enchanting art of paper pop-ups and aim to:
1. Make a comprehensive set of useful pop-up mechanisms
2. Play with the building techniques that can be used to enhance and develop them
3. Look at the simple underlying theory and explore the design potential

We’ll also look at and analyse a range of delightful and astounding pop-up books which Duncan will bring for you to enjoy. And fear not … beginners welcome, no maths or measuring involved!

Cost: £45
For adults and ages 18+, booking required.
Book online or call the Museum in the Park on 01453 763394

Please bring: a packed lunch, scissors, craft knife, ruler, pencil.
Card and glue will be provided, and a complimentary hot drink. 

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'Never too early...' Stitched Christmas Decorations Workshop
Nov
7
10:30 AM10:30

'Never too early...' Stitched Christmas Decorations Workshop

Time to have some creative fun with the Christmas Box! We'll be using Christmassy fabrics (sourced from local charity shops) and Stroud-made felt to make mini trees, wreaths, stars, puddings and angels suitable for hanging indoors on a tree, branch or wall. All materials and tea and coffee provided, or bring your own if you wish. Suitable for all levels of sewing experience. With Sue McNamara.

Cost: £20 (£15 for Museum Members - Museum Membership is free to join).

Booking essential. Special festive offer: Bring a friend for free!

Book online or call 01453 763394

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Elmer the Elephant 'I Spy' Trail
Nov
5
to Nov 10

Elmer the Elephant 'I Spy' Trail

  • The Museum in the Park (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

To celebrate Stroud Book Festival, we invite families to come and see if they can spot an unusual visitor at The Museum in the Park -  Elmer the patchwork elephant!

So many people love the Elmer stories by David McKee – whether he’s pretending to be an ordinary grey elephant or playing a practical joke. But has anyone actually seen him? Come along and see if you can find him in our fun, free ‘I Spy’ hunt!

Designed for families with pre-school age children, but everyone welcome – ask at reception for your trail sheet, pencil and clipboard and enjoy exploring.

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Canal Creatives: Open Workshop for 16-25s
Nov
3
2:00 PM14:00

Canal Creatives: Open Workshop for 16-25s

Are you aged 16 to 25 and interested in photography, film, music, art, sculpture, textiles, fashion, writing or any other artform? If yes, please join this FREE workshop! The workshop is part of the Canal Creatives project, for any young people who’d like to be part of creating an exhibition at the Museum in the Park.

Contact John, Canal Creatives at info@spanielworks.co.uk to reserve a place and find out more.

No experience necessary!

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Prehistory! Family Friendly Object Handling Session
Nov
1
11:00 AM11:00

Prehistory! Family Friendly Object Handling Session

Get hands-on with some amazing objects and discover some of the things Prehistoric people left behind. Come and meet our team for a chance to look closely, touch and hold some incredible objects. Find out more about how these objects were made, what they were used for and what they tell us about life for Stone Age, Bronze Age and Iron Age people.

Drop in between 11am and 3pm. Free, donations welcome. Aimed at families with for children over 5 years old, but everyone is welcome.

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A Night in the Museum
Oct
31
5:30 PM17:30

A Night in the Museum

Have you ever visited the Museum at night? Families with children aged 7+ are invited to come and explore the displays, follow our Awesome Autumn trail, see what curious objects catch your eye and enjoy this special place as darkness falls. Listen for the Jackdaws as they roost in Stratford Park, and look out - you may meet characters from Stroud’s past as you wander around the Museum.

For families with children aged 7+. No need to book, just come along, drop in and enjoy exploring. Please bring a torch!

Admission FREE, donations welcome. With Spaniel in the Works Theatre Co.

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Half Term Family Fun: Drop in Autumn Craft Activities
Oct
29
to Oct 31

Half Term Family Fun: Drop in Autumn Craft Activities

  • The Museum in the Park (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

Families with children aged 5 +, please save the dates! On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday during the October half term we’ll be running our popular family drop in craft activities between 11am and 4pm. No need to book, cost just £1 per child, pay on the door. For families with children aged 5+, for adults and children to enjoy together.

  • Tuesday: Ghosts & Ghouls

  • Wednesday: Hats & Bats

  • Thursday: Paper Pumpkin Masks

Workshop doors open at 11am and close at 4pm, so come by 3.30pm if you’d like to take part. Don’t forget to enjoy our FREE Awesome Autumn explorer trail too! We look forward to seeing you.

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Unweaving and Reweaving the Commons
Oct
29
to Oct 31

Unweaving and Reweaving the Commons

  • The Museum in the Park (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

Join artists Emily Joy, Nicola Builder (Wayward Weaves) and Deborah Roberts for ‘Unweaving and Reweaving the Commons” – a public participatory ‘unweaving’ and reweaving workshop exploring our deep connections to local landscapes. You are invited to gradually and collaboratively pull threads from a large, printed textiles piece depicting the grassland environment on Rodborough Common, echoing the path erosion that is gradually reducing this rare wildflower habitat. Participants are then invited to reweave the pulled threads, working together to create a new collaborative fabric which carries traces of the printed image of the commons.

This is a free, drop-in workshop suitable for all ages, no previous weaving experience necessary. Do come and join us in the Walled Garden Pavilion. Drop in between 11am and 3pm.

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Autumn Adventures: Pumpkins in the Park with SVP & Friends
Oct
27
2:00 PM14:00

Autumn Adventures: Pumpkins in the Park with SVP & Friends

Stroud Valleys Project and friends invite you to bring along your very own carved pumpkin lantern to the Museum and help create a magical trail to enjoy with your family at 5.30pm (drop off your pumpkin between 2.30pm and 5pm!). Celebrate Autumn with drop in craft activities - these will be running between 2.30pm and 5pm. Free, donations welcome, for further details click here.

Do ask for our special Awesome Autumn museum explorer trail too! You can enjoy this FREE indoor trail between 2pm and 4.30pm - ask at the Front Desk.

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Meet the Artists: Nadine James & Deborah Roberts
Oct
27
2:00 PM14:00

Meet the Artists: Nadine James & Deborah Roberts

A chance to call in and meet photographer Deborah Roberts and artist Nadine James in the Art Gallery. Talk about the work on display in their ‘This Neck of the Woods’ exhibition, find out more about Deborah’s conservation work, ask questions and share ideas. Cards, calendars, photographs and paintings available to buy.

FREE informal drop in event, donations welcome.

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Talk: A Short History of Rodborough Common
Oct
17
2:00 PM14:00

Talk: A Short History of Rodborough Common

Commoners and Kings, Quarries and Cattle, Trees and Grasses, Knights and Ladies. All have played an important role in the past of Rodborough Common. In this talk, PhD researcher Sharon Gardham will delve into this rich history. Using documentary evidence as well as the clues left on the land itself, we will cover more than a millennium of history, beginning in the Iron Age, through the medieval period, to the present day. Come along and explore the ways that Rodborough Common has been (and continues to be) important to so many.

Talk lasts around 45 minutes to one hour, followed by tea and coffee.

Tickets £5. Booking recommended, book online or call 01453 763394

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Talk: 'Great British Ghost Tales' with Kirsty Hartsiotis
Oct
11
10:30 AM10:30

Talk: 'Great British Ghost Tales' with Kirsty Hartsiotis

Travel around Great Britain with Kirsty discovering our most famous - and our strangest - ghosts in this seasonally spooky talk. Kirsty Hartsiotis will be delving deep into our collective British ghostlore in this talk to send shivers down your spine this Halloween season. From the strange happenings at Borley Rectory in Essex to the famous Cock Lane Ghost we’ll look at ghosts that may or may not have existed – and how the truth was uncovered. We’ll meet lost Roman legions, prehistoric spooks, villages busy with ghosts like Pluckley in Kent and Prestbury in Gloucestershire. We’ll discover royal ghosts from here in Gloucestershire right up to the highlands of Scotland and much more besides. There'll be grey ladies, hooded monks and phantom carriages galore - come along, if you dare!

Tickets £7 (£5 Museum in the Park Members & Concs)

Tea & Coffee included

Booking required - book online or call 01453 763394

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Poetry Evening presented by Yew Tree Press
Oct
10
7:30 PM19:30

Poetry Evening presented by Yew Tree Press

Our poetry evenings return, with a reading featuring Jonathan Davidson, Adam Horovitz and Caroline Shaw, introduced by the wonderful Philip Rush of Yew Tree Press.

Adam, local poet, and well known not only for his writing but also for his skilful delivery, has a new pamphlet, Prayer Songs for Flesh and Future.

Jonathan is a poet, writer and ‘literature activist’. He lives in the Midlands but works internationally. His most recent book places short and deceptively simple poems against images by painter Anna Dillon of the Berkshire Downs where Jonathan grew up and where the poems are largely set. He will also read from earlier collections.

Caroline Shaw holds regular Stroud poetry meet-ups at Woodruff’s Cafe. Her debut pamphlet Brute Swan was published by Yew Tree Press in 2019; she has contributed poems to Stroud’s Wool and Water Festival, Amethyst Review and various anthologies. 
With support from Juliette Morton (Dialect), she recently co-created the Stroud Poetry Course 2024 with Katie Lloyd-Nunn. 

Doors open at 7.30pm for an 8pm start.

No need to book, join us for new poetry and good company.

Books and drinks for sale, all welcome.

This event takes place in the Walled Garden Pavilion. Access is via Museum Reception (this is where the toilets are situated) then by walking up into the Garden via a sloping pathway. The lights for the garden steps have failed, so steps cannot be used at night for safety reasons. If you have any questions about access or require accessible parking, please call the Museum team on 01453 763394.

This event is FREE but donations are always welcome. Donations help fund our programme of events and exhibitions and also essential repairs and equipment … for example new garden step lights! Please donate if you possibly can.

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Crochet, Craft & Chat - Drop in Session
Oct
10
10:30 AM10:30

Crochet, Craft & Chat - Drop in Session

Drop in and have a go at crochet, or bring your own sewing, mending or craft project, meet other people and enjoy spending time at the Museum. Our warm and friendly textile tutor Sue McNamara will be here to welcome you and offer tips and advice, if needed. A gentle, free, drop in session in our downstairs meeting room (‘Gallery Two’). Teas and coffees available to buy from our coffee shop dresser (we have a new loyalty card too, please ask for one!)

Everyone welcome, we look forward to seeing you.

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Display: Souling and Scaring - A Halloween Guessing Game
Oct
8
to Nov 10

Display: Souling and Scaring - A Halloween Guessing Game

  • The Museum in the Park (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

For centuries it has been customary to play games at Halloween, from apple-bobbing to divination rituals. In the seasonal spirit of Hallowmas, we invite you to examine our selection of spooky and mysterious objects. What are they and how might they be connected to Halloween? Come and see the display to find out the answers.

Staircase Hall

FREE, donations welcome

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'This Neck of the Woods' Paintings by Nadine James and photography by Deborah Roberts 
Oct
5
to Nov 3

'This Neck of the Woods' Paintings by Nadine James and photography by Deborah Roberts 

  • The Museum in the Park (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

An exhibition of work inspired through spending time in the Stroud Valleys, with paintings by Nadine James and photographs by Deborah Roberts.  It is intriguing to see how these two artists, each working in a different medium, have created a diverse range of images from the same landscape.

Deborah Roberts has been documenting various aspects of the local area, particularly since becoming involved with environmental conservation work. Her images are often observations of people engaging with the landscape, such as conservationists working to maintain precious habitats or artists being inspired by these places.

Nadine James' paintings are a more solitary experience capturing fleeting moments through the seasons.  “All year round I walk about in this landscape.  Through meadows, up hills, over stiles, underneath trees, around lakes, between hedges, down tracks, heart pounding, mind blown. Time passes, things happen, perspectives change, ideas shift, a pattern emerges and I try to capture this constantly changing landscape in a painting.”

@nadine_james_artist       www.deborahroberts.biz

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Performative Art Installation with Hundred Heroines
Sep
29
12:00 PM12:00

Performative Art Installation with Hundred Heroines

Hundred Heroines invite you to drop in and experience a performative art installation in the Garden Pavilion between 12noon and 3pm on Sunday 29 September. Meet artist Monica C LoCascio who harvests fermented bio-materials to weave together memories of the Stroud area, the textile history of Gloucestershire and the ‘dirty work’ of the women workers in the mills. This event is part of The Feminist Project for Rural Arts, generously supported by The Ampersand Foundation and organised by Hundred Heroines.

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Going Underground
Sep
22
1:30 PM13:30

Going Underground

Join Prema and UWE @ The Museum in the Park this Sunday afternoon for fun with art & science! 

Prema has joined force with the brilliant team from the Environmental Science gang at UWE Bristol to bring a host of fab facts about the amazing life forms and critters who live beneath our feet. This fabulous FREE event is all about getting to know a thing or two about moss and soil.

We’ll use microscopes to get up-close (and maybe not too personal) with beetles and centipedes, and to learn fascinating factoids about woodlice and mites, nematodes and springtails. When looking at foraged moss we might be lucky enough to find some tardigrades and termites. Fancy meeting a water bear too?

Come and join our artists and enjoy illustration, print, paint and creating a badge to take home as a memento of going underground! A proper back to school treat for all the family … no need to book, just come along!

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Meet Mr Pedersen, Inventor of the Dursley Pedersen Bicycle
Sep
15
11:30 AM11:30

Meet Mr Pedersen, Inventor of the Dursley Pedersen Bicycle

Meet Mikael Pedersen the inventor of the Dursley Pedersen bicycle, find out about his life and work and how he came to settle in Dursley and build a unique bicycle with a hammock seat. Learn about the processes needed to design and construct such an unusual machine, what a cream separator has to do with his invention and how it became a champion for some racing cyclists, and is now famous around the world!

Find Mr Pedersen upstairs in the Museum in ‘Time Off’ at 11.30am, 12.30pm, 1.30pm and 2.30pm.

Suitable for ages 7 and above. Historical interpretation by Spaniel in the Works Theatre Co.

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Family Craft Activity: Paper Flowers & Bike Decorations
Sep
15
11:00 AM11:00

Family Craft Activity: Paper Flowers & Bike Decorations

Come along to the Garden Pavilion and make paper flowers to decorate your bikes or take home and enjoy. A family craft activity for all ages.

Drop in between 11am and 3.30pm and enjoy, and don’t forget to look at the brilliant bike displays too - this activity is part of our Bikes Through the Ages day for Sustainable September.

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Miss Daisy's Pop Up Cafe
Sep
15
11:00 AM11:00

Miss Daisy's Pop Up Cafe

After enjoying the brilliant bicycle displays in the courtyard and Gallery Two, head up to the Garden Pavilion to enjoy hot and cold drinks and delicious homemade cakes and treats in Miss Daisy’s Pop Up Café. You can also admire the wonderful views of the garden borders and majestic park trees.

Entry to the Walled Garden is via Museum reception. Sorry, only access dogs are allowed in the Museum and Walled Garden.

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