Display: My Father, Soli Kaikushroo Doctor - The First Indian in Stroud?
Jan
25
to May 11

Display: My Father, Soli Kaikushroo Doctor - The First Indian in Stroud?

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Soli Kaikushroo Doctor came to Stroud from India in 1959 to take up an apprenticeship with engineering company Newman Hender. He married, set up his own business and made his life here. His daughter Pilar Bevan tells her family’s story in objects and photographs.

The Space community gallery

FREE, donations welcome

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Display: Stroud Town Crier
Jan
25
to Apr 27

Display: Stroud Town Crier

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When Stroud Town Council was formed in 1990, it launched a competition to find a Town Crier. At Stroud Street Fair on 20th April 1991, Dennis Sleigh was chosen for this new position.

For his duties he was provided with a complete uniform, including a red woollen coat made from cloth donated by Strachans. The outfit was recently donated to the Museum and is now on display in the Collectors Room.

FREE, donations welcome

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Exhibition: Shirley Baker Street Photography
Mar
1
to Mar 30

Exhibition: Shirley Baker Street Photography

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We are delighted to present an iconic selection of photographs by Shirley Baker (1932 – 2014). Shirley Baker was one of Britain’s most compelling yet underappreciated social documentary photographers. Her street photography of the working-class inner city areas of Salford and Manchester, taken from 1960 until 2000, would come to define her humanist vision. Her curiosity and engagement with the everyday world around her resulted in many different strands of work, many of which are yet to be exhibited. Each strand and each image confirms her acute observation and visual humour as well as compassion for the lives of ordinary people.

Look out for a film screening event on 8 March (part of Stroud Film Festival) and other events linked to this special exhibition, organised in collaboration with Hundred Heroines and the Rosary School.

Exhibition curated by Fred Chance who in past years has brought a series of world-class photography exhibitions to Stroud under the ‘PhotoStroud’ banner.

Photographs kindly on loan from the Estate of Shirley Baker, with thanks to Nan Levy, daughter of Shirley Baker.

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Nostalgia and Anemoia: Photographs by Young People
Mar
1
to Mar 30

Nostalgia and Anemoia: Photographs by Young People

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A display in the meeting room next to the art gallery showing work by young people from local secondary schools. Photographs were taken in and around Stroud in response to an open call by Hundred Heroines, the museum and gallery dedicated to women in photography. Hundred Heroines invited young people to respond to Shirley Baker’s street photography and the theme of ‘Nostalgia & Anemoia’: NOSTALGIA (noun) a sentimental longing or wistful affection for a period in the past. ANEMOIA (noun) the feeling of nostalgia for a time or place that has never been experienced.

Congratulations to all the young artists who submitted such high quality work, and thanks to Hundred Heroines for organising this call out as part of the Shirley Baker exhibition. For more information about Hundred Heroines and their programmes for young people (supported by Canon) please see their website.

Open 11am - 4.30pm on 29 and 30 March.

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Mother's Day: New book and display of photographs
Mar
1
to Mar 30

Mother's Day: New book and display of photographs

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As part of the Shirley Baker exhibition programme, a group of mums from the Rosary School in Stroud have been taking photographs. Some of their images can be seen on display next to the art gallery, or in a beautiful new book published by Yew Tree Press.

One of the things which sets Shirley Baker’s photographs, made during a period of great changes, apart is the tender, playful, way she allows us to see the daily life of women and children and the degree to which they are relaxed in their experience of their streets and communities. She also captured the strong sense of community which supported families before the ‘slum’ clearances.

Whilst we might say, in 2025, that it’s a pity our children no longer feel truly safe playing in the street or that traffic has changed the environments we live in, the experience of motherhood and childhood is still there to be seen and enjoyed.

During the course of a day, from dropping children off at Rosary Primary School in Stroud to picking them up again after the school day ended, a group of mums made photographs. They mirror Shirley Baker’s observations of childhood and, perhaps, at some date in the future, they will tell a tale of how things looked and felt in Stroud way back in 2025.

Many thanks go to all the mums who took part in this project, and to the Rosary School. Copies of the book can be purchased from Museum reception (RRP £5).

Open 11am to 4.30pm on 29 and 30 March.

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Barbara Manzi-fe: Slideshow - Photographs of East London, 1967/68
Mar
1
to Mar 30

Barbara Manzi-fe: Slideshow - Photographs of East London, 1967/68

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To mirror the phenomenal street photography of Shirley Baker we have been able to collect together a series of images made by Stroud based photographer Barbara Manzi-fe. These will be shown on a slideshow next to the art gallery.

Barbara made her street photographs in 1967/68 in Bethnal Green and Basildon during a process of slum clearance and resettlement affecting families in London’s East End.

Her photographs were inspired by the book ‘Family and Kinship In East London’ written by Michael Young and Peter Willmott as a result research examining the adverse affect of the loss of community at that time.

They are sensitive additions to that famous research and tell a compelling social documentary story as well as adding to the history of British Street Photography.

Barbara’s photograph have been made into a digital slideshow by the Museum in the Park and can be seen during the course of the ‘Shirley Baker Street Photographs’ exhibition. Slideshow times will vary - please check at reception.

During her retirement Barbara has concentrated on exploring the intricacies and beauty of close up details of flowers. Many of these newer images were featured in the Stroud Festival of Photography in 2007 and can be seen, along with her landscape photographs, at www.barabaramanzi-fe.co.uk

Slideshow running on a loop between 11am and 4pm on 29 and 30 March.

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Railways to Royalty: Jo Durrant in conversation with Jack Boskett, Photographer
Mar
29
3:00 PM15:00

Railways to Royalty: Jo Durrant in conversation with Jack Boskett, Photographer

How do you tell a story through a photograph? 
Award-winning professional photographer Jack Boskett started his Tewkesbury based business at the age of just 19 and his passion for photography coincided with his love of railways. 
 
His work has brought him much acclaim and recognition in railway publications and his skill has led him to photograph stars of stage and screen, prime ministers and especially members of the Royal Family. In fact, Jack took the only known photograph of a senior member of the Royal Family leaning out of a moving train!
 
Join Jack in conversation with Jo Durrant as he talks about his passion for photography, the different areas he’s worked in, what it’s like to capture Royalty and Railways and much more. 
 
Jo Durrant is the award-winning presenter of the independent arts & science podcast ‘Jo Durrant’s Beautiful Universe’. She’s a highly respected and accomplished interviewer and event chair, and a familiar face at literature, history, and science festivals. For over 20 years Jo was a presenter, producer & reporter with BBC radio and interviewed hundreds of people, from Melanie C to Tim Peake. She is now freelance.
After a successful summer series in 2024, Jo returns to the Museum in the Park for a new monthly series of ‘Our Beautiful Universe’ conversations. 

Tickets £7 / £5 (2 for 1 offer for MiP Members) tea and coffee included.
book online or call 01453 763394 or buy tickets on the door

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Mother's Day
Mar
30
11:00 AM11:00

Mother's Day

Mother’s Day is March 30th … a date for the diary! We are offering 10% off in the Museum shop and Café on this special day so why not treat your Mum, Auntie or Grandma to a delicious slice of cake and hot drink too! It’s the last day of the incredible Shirley Baker Street Photography exhibition - do enjoy a last look before it closes. Barbara Manzi-fe’s slideshow showing photos of East London communities in the early 1960s can be enjoyed in the meeting room, alongside photos by young people and ‘Mother’s Day’ photos by a group of mums from the Rosary School in Stroud. With the fascinating Museum displays to explore and signs of Spring to enjoy in the Walled Garden, we hope you enjoy everything this special place has to offer.

Admission free, donations welcome.

Image: photo by Barbara Manze-fe showing a mother and baby in East London, early 1960s.

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Buzz Club: Spring Seed Bomb Making
Mar
30
11:00 AM11:00

Buzz Club: Spring Seed Bomb Making

Join us for our first session of the year with Stroud Valleys Project who will be showing us how to make seed bombs! As the Walled Garden begins to wake up after winter, this is the perfect time to start thinking about which seeds to sow and what to plant in your own garden to encourage bees, pollinators and wildlife.

This session is based in the Walled Garden Pavilion and is for adults and children. Hot and cold drinks and cakes, free entry but donations much appreciated - pay what you can. Come for all or part of the time and become a Bee Guardian.

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FREE Museum Explorer Trails
Mar
30
11:00 AM11:00

FREE Museum Explorer Trails

Are you planning a family day out for your Mum this Mother’s Day? Why not visit The Museum in the Park, enjoy looking around the displays and exhibitions and treat Mum to tea and cake - 10% off in the shop and café today. Don’t forget our FREE Family Explorer trails too - a great way for adults and children to enjoy exploring the Museum together. Please ask at reception when you visit.

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Flowers in the Park: Botanical Art Exhibition by Valerie Dugan
Apr
5
to Apr 27

Flowers in the Park: Botanical Art Exhibition by Valerie Dugan

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Ever since winning an art scholarship at the age of thirteen, Valerie Dugan pursued a career in both calligraphy and botanical art. Her intricate, detailed work will delight anyone who shares a passion for flowers, gardens and the natural world. This exhibition brings together original watercolours with high quality art prints and a selection of prints and greetings cards will be for sale. We hope you enjoy this exquisite indoor collection of flowers, foliage and butterflies. We hope you can also enjoy time outside in our wonderful walled garden as spring buds and blossoms open and the first butterflies emerge.

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SOLD OUT Talk: Women Artists in Cotswold Churches
Apr
11
10:30 AM10:30

SOLD OUT Talk: Women Artists in Cotswold Churches

Exquisite Embroideries to Glittering Glass: The Work of Women Artists in Cotswold Churches

Join Kirsty Hartsiotis to explore the history of women's work in the churches of the Cotswolds. 

Women’s work has always been in our churches, but never more so than in the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries. Sometimes we don’t know their names – but they’ve executed countless banners, vestments, and altar frontals as part of their work for their local churches. It’s not only church flowers and kneelers though! The growing emancipation of women in the latter part of the 19th century allowed them to set up in business, going into areas that men thought they couldn’t – stained glass, wood carving, metalwork. After the First and Second World Wars, women produced intricate calligraphy for rolls of honour, carved memorials and created memorial windows.

We’ll discover work by women such as Theo Moorman, Veronica Whall, Mary Lowndes, Nora Yoxall and Nan Reid, among many unsung women whose work enriches our churches right up the present day.

Tickets: £7 / £5 including tea, coffee and biscuits

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A Passion for Stitching: An exhibition of carpets, needlepoints & embroideries by Helen Williams
Apr
12
to Apr 27

A Passion for Stitching: An exhibition of carpets, needlepoints & embroideries by Helen Williams

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In the early 1900’s, carpets and rugs were not merely functional floor coverings; they were treasured art pieces laden with rich, cultural heritage and exquisite craftsmanship.  Helen Williams is the granddaughter of Polish immigrants who came to England in the first years of the twentieth century. Her work is inspired by a strong tradition of Slavic textiles, and also by her travels to the coasts and gardens of the United Kingdom.

Helen has been resident in Stroud since 1986. Her work is in collections worldwide.  This is her third exhibition at the museum, and we hope you enjoy seeing her intricate and colourful work. This is a selling exhibition and every purchase helps support The Museum in the Park.

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Museum Explorers: Free trails for all ages
Apr
12
to Apr 27

Museum Explorers: Free trails for all ages

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Do you know about our free Museum Explorer Trails? We have a variety of fun trails for families to enjoy together, exploring different themes and artefacts in the fascinating museum collections. From Amazing Animals to the Musical Museum and more, these trails are always available from museum reception. Why not come and try them out during the school holidays?

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Book Launch: 'Pretenders' by Kate Potts
Apr
12
2:30 PM14:30

Book Launch: 'Pretenders' by Kate Potts

What is it like, as a daily, lived experience, to feel like a fraud or a fake? And what can ‘the imposter phenomenon’ – a sense that our true abilities and achievements, and other core aspects of our identities, are unreal, undeserved or mistakenly bestowed – tell us about who we are and how we relate to one another?

In her new book Pretenders (Bloodaxe Books), poet Kate Potts weaves together interview material and original poems with essay fragments to create a multi-voice exploration of imposter feelings.  Pretenders shines a light on our value systems and hierarchies, interrogating notions of realness, self-assurance and the self.

‘As a study of imposter feelings, Pretenders is revelatory: humane in its ability to hold and make space for vulnerability, and alert to the socio-political dynamics that underpin the impulse to self-doubt.’ Sarah Howe

Join us to celebrate the launch of Pretenders, with readings from guest poets JLM Morton, Adam Horovitz and Cath Drake.

 All welcome. Tea, coffee, cake and wine will be provided (donations appreciated).
Books will be available to buy.

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Eco Printing Workshop with Ruth Illingworth
Apr
13
1:30 PM13:30

Eco Printing Workshop with Ruth Illingworth

Join Artist-Gardener Ruth Illingworth for an introduction to ecoprinting on paper. Using flowers from the Museum’s Walled Garden and leaves from Stratford Park you will create and come away with an A4 ecoprint. You will also learn about which leaves and flowers produce the best prints. Ruth will supply a handout of how to repeat the process at home and useful references.

For adults, all art abilities welcome.

Tickets: £20, £15, £10 Booking required - book online here or call 01453 763394

Ticket fees and donations fund the Museum’s events and exhibitions programme. 

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Delightful Dinos -  Museum Inspired Drop-in Family Activity
Apr
15
11:00 AM11:00

Delightful Dinos - Museum Inspired Drop-in Family Activity

Get up close with some real fossils by trying out our mini fossil dig, find out more at our investigation station and explore our sensory exploration tray. Make a hatching dinosaur toy and a game to challenge yourself to move like a dinosaur. Add a prehistoric marine creature to our seascape and tell us what your favourite dinosaur is before exploring the museum to see the fossils of dinosaurs. We invite you to discover and explore together through this range of family-friendly activities designed to help bring the theme of dinosaurs alive.

Designed for families with children over 5 years old to explore together. Drop in between 11am and 1pm. £1 per child, please pay on the day.

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Delightful Dinos - Museum Inspired Relaxed Family Session
Apr
15
2:00 PM14:00

Delightful Dinos - Museum Inspired Relaxed Family Session

We are trialling pre-bookable sessions aimed at families with neurodivergent children who need a relaxed environment to enjoy these activities. These Tuesday afternoon sessions will be inspired by different themes from the museum collection - look out for them during half term, spring and summer school holidays.

Get up close with some real fossils by trying out our mini fossil dig, find out more at our investigation station and explore our sensory exploration tray. Make a hatching dinosaur toy and a game to challenge yourself to move like a dinosaur. Add a prehistoric marine creature to our seascape and tell us what your favourite dinosaur is before exploring the museum to see the fossils of dinosaurs. We invite you to discover and explore together through this range of family-friendly activities designed to help bring the theme of dinosaurs alive.

Designed for families with children over 5 years old who need a more relaxed experience. We ask other visitors to please understand that tickets for this session are reserved for families with children with this need.

The session will run between 2pm and 3pm in the Garden Pavilion at Museum in the Park. All activities are optional, and we will support families taking part in the activities as much or as little as they choose. To support a relaxed environment, there are only 10 child tickets available to pre-book. Children must be accompanied by a parent or carer, although accompanying adults do not need a ticket.

£1 per child. Booking required - book online here - or call 01453 763394.

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 Spring Seed Planting - Outdoor Drop in Family Activity
Apr
17
11:00 AM11:00

Spring Seed Planting - Outdoor Drop in Family Activity

Head up to the walled garden lawn where you can plant some spring seeds to take home and grow in your garden or on a sunny windowsill. Spot signs of spring in the beautiful garden too – new leaves, shoots and blossoms, and early butterflies and bees.

Outdoor activity, all ages welcome, FREE but donations appreciated.

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Easter Bunny ‘I Spy’ Hunt
Apr
18
to Apr 21

Easter Bunny ‘I Spy’ Hunt

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Can you spot all the Easter Bunnies who are hiding inside the Museum? This I Spy trail is back by popular demand, all ages welcome but designed for younger children to enjoy with older siblings or parents and grandparents. Each Bunny has a letter nearby … write down the letters as you spot them, then try to unscramble the letters to make a spring related word. When you’ve finished, collect your reward from reception, perhaps a sticker, or perhaps a chocolate mini egg!

Museum, gallery and walled garden open 11am to 4.30pm on Easter Monday as well as Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Admission free, donations welcome.

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Fantastic Farmyards - Museum Inspired Drop-in Family Activity
Apr
22
11:00 AM11:00

Fantastic Farmyards - Museum Inspired Drop-in Family Activity

Make a chicken or duck headband to wear and wash the muddy farm animal toys. Explore some seeds and try painting with toy tractors. Match the tails to the farm animals and build a barn for some toy animals. Create a paper fruit or vegetable to our wheelbarrow and tell us your favourite farm animal. We invite you to discover and explore together through this range of family-friendly activities designed to help bring the theme of farmyards alive. In the Museum, spot objects from local farms of the past … can you find the cow name plates and the miniature toy farm?

Designed for families with children over 5 years old to explore together. Drop in between 11am and 1pm. £1 per child, please pay on the day. In the Garden Pavilion.

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Fantastic Farmyards - Museum Inspired Relaxed Family Session
Apr
22
2:00 PM14:00

Fantastic Farmyards - Museum Inspired Relaxed Family Session

We are trialling pre-bookable sessions aimed at families with neurodivergent children who need a relaxed environment to enjoy these activities.

 Make a chicken or duck headband to wear and wash the muddy farm animal toys. Explore some seeds and try painting with toy tractors. Match the tails to the farm animals and build a barn for some toy animals. Create a paper fruit or vegetable to our wheelbarrow and tell us your favourite farm animal. We invite you to discover and explore together through this range of family-friendly activities designed to help bring the theme of farmyards alive.

Designed for families with children over 5 years old who need a more relaxed experience. We ask other visitors to please understand that tickets for this session are reserved for families with children with this need.

The session will run between 2pm and 3pm in the Pavilion at Museum in the Park. All activities are optional, and we will support families taking part in the activities as much or as little as they choose. To support a relaxed environment, there are 10 child tickets available to pre-book. Children must be accompanied, although accompanying adults do not need a ticket.

£1 per child. Please prebook. Book online here or call 01453 763394.

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Shakespeare's Borrowed Feathers: Jo Durrant with Dr Darren Freebury-Jones
Apr
23
2:30 PM14:30

Shakespeare's Borrowed Feathers: Jo Durrant with Dr Darren Freebury-Jones

“He was not for age, but for all time” is what Ben Jonson famously said of William Shakespeare. But how did Shakespeare’s contemporaries, such as Jonson, Christopher Marlowe and John Fletcher influence him?

In his book ‘Shakespeare’s Borrowed Feathers’ author and lecturer Dr Darren Freebury-Jones uses the latest techniques in textual analysis to provide a fresh look at the community of playwrights that shaped Shakespeare’s work.

On the Bard’s birthday, join Darren in conversation with Jo Durrant as he talks about his passion for early modern drama and why over 400 years on from his death, there are still new stories to uncover about the person many consider to be the greatest playwright of all time.

Tickets cost £7 or £5 for Museum in the Park Members - Membership is free to join.

Booking required. Book online here or call 01453 763394.

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Spring Sketchbooks - Outdoor Drop in Family Activity
Apr
24
11:00 AM11:00

Spring Sketchbooks - Outdoor Drop in Family Activity

Come and get your very own mini sketchbook from our table in the courtyard and enjoy sketching in the park or walled garden. Bring your own portable art kit with you, or borrow some of our pencils and crayons. Outdoor art activity for all ages, FREE but donations welcome.

With thanks to bookbinder Ursula Jeakins for making and donating sketchbooks made from bookbinding offcuts.

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Buzz Club
Apr
27
11:30 AM11:30

Buzz Club

Come along and see what’s buzzing and blooming in the Walled Garden, meet the Buzz Club team and find out more about how we can all encourage wildlife, bees and other vitally important pollinators in our gardens and neighbourhoods. For adults and children, come and join in and become a Bee Guardian. Free, donations welcome.

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Exhibition: At the Margins
May
10
to Jun 15

Exhibition: At the Margins

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At the Margins emerges from the artistic research project Beyond Heritage: Material Making Meaning and focuses on the reading of established and speculative histories in two specific textile making contexts.

The first part draws on original research by Tim Parry-Williams, into the apparent use of English ‘saved list' cloths, in pre-1900 Norwegian folk dress, revealing sophisticated systems of transfer in textile materials, dyestuffs and minerals. The presented artefacts and textile works propose new stories behind the patterning and colouring of cloth, including the famous Stroud scarlet, as a part of broader global trade and exchange. 

The second, Til Prinds Christian Augusts Minde, by Franz Petter Schmidt, explores the history of the weaving workshop at Prinds Christian Augusts Minde - a former penal institution in central Oslo - where there has been some form of textile production since 1833. Through a series of hand-woven fabrics, photographs and texts, Schmidt’s work addresses the history of the institution, the development of social care in Norway, and textile craft as part of forced labour and punishment.

These expositions offer artistic interpretation of the ‘immaterial’ concepts situated in the objects and sites of cloth making, questioning and materialising multiple perspectives of textiles as part of a wider ‘social fabric.’

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Bird Nerd and the Red List with Marie-Louise Flexen
May
11
11:30 AM11:30

Bird Nerd and the Red List with Marie-Louise Flexen

Stroud Arts Festival presents an exciting, new dance theatre performance piece, focusing on popular UK birds on the endangered species ‘red list’. Take a journey with the birdwatcher as they embody four different birds; Lark, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Swift and Nightingale. A fascinating exploration through dance, music, sound and spoken word. Performed and created by Marie-Louise Flexen with a sound track by Steven Skinley.

Funded by Arts Council England and supported by Prema Arts, Swindon Dance and Guildhall, Gloucester. Research & Development funded by The Francis W Reckitt Arts Trust at Hawkwood College. 

Suitable for all ages. Running time 30-minutes.

Performances at 11.30am and 2pm in the Walled Garden.

Tickets: £8.50 / under-18s £5

Tickets on sale soon!

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All Night Under the Moon – The Dave Ayre Ensemble
May
11
7:00 PM19:00

All Night Under the Moon – The Dave Ayre Ensemble

Stroud Arts Festival presents an enchanting evening of music in the Walled Garden Pavilion.

Look at the moon, what a beautiful, powerful thing it is!

All night under the moon, by Gloucestershire’s Ivor Gurney, is the centre piece for a nature-inspired concert by Dave Ayre and his unique ensemble of flute, clarinet, marimba, double bass and voice

Pieces by Purcell and Couperin take us back 400 years but link seamlessly with much more recent works, including Monk’s ‘Round Midnight and Jonathan Trim’s wonderful depiction of the many local streams and rivers The Heart of the Five Valleys.

Not to be missed!

Tickets: £18.00 / under 18s £5

Tickets on sale soon!

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Glorious Gloucestershire: Jo Durrant with Mark Cummings
May
22
7:30 PM19:30

Glorious Gloucestershire: Jo Durrant with Mark Cummings

How did Gladys’ Leap in Cranham get its name? What was the real Rosie from ‘Cider With Rosie’ like? And why did George Holloway have a huge impact on Stroud?

Find out with travel writer, broadcaster, and author of ‘Glorious Gloucestershire’, Mark Cummings. His book takes you on a journey around the county, exploring literary links, world-changing innovations, quirky place names and much more.

Mark will be in conversation with Jo Durrant, to talk about the book, his love of Gloucestershire and will have plenty of Stroud stories for you too.

This event is part of the new ‘Our Beautiful Universe’ series - special guests in conversation with Jo Durrant. The Museum, Gallery and Walled Garden will be open from 7pm to 9pm giving you a chance to enjoy exploring in the peaceful after-hours.

Tickets £7 (£5 for Museum in the Park members - free to join) Drinks included

Booking recommended - book online here or call 01453 763394

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The Rivals - Outdoor Theatre Show by Rain or Shine
Jun
7
5:30 PM17:30

The Rivals - Outdoor Theatre Show by Rain or Shine

An al fresco farce for all the family!

When fashionable 18th century London society comes to take the waters in the spa-town of Bath, comic confusion, daring duels and romantic entanglements abound. At the centre of it all is heiress Lydia Languish, who is determined to elope with the penniless Ensign Beverly rather than marry the eligible Jack Absolute.

Come and sample the sparkling wit and whirlwind plot of ‘The Rivals’, a Restoration Comedy which has delighted audiences for over 250 years with its collection of comic characters, including the formidable Mrs Malaprop, a creation so famous for the way she mangles the English language that her name is now immortalised in the dictionary.

This brand new adaptation combines Richard Brinsley Sheridan’s masterpiece with Rain or Shine’s fast and furious comic flair.

Outdoor performance in the Walled Garden. Please bring rugs or camping chairs to sit on and warm layers and clothing to suit the weather. Gates open at 5pm for picnics. Teas, coffees and ice creams available to buy from the Museum’s foyer café.

Tickets £16 / £8 children aged 5 to 15 (booking fees apply)

Book online if you possibly can, if not call us on 01453 763394

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Exhibition: Future Forecasts - Cheltenham Illustration Awards
Jun
21
to Aug 31

Exhibition: Future Forecasts - Cheltenham Illustration Awards

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The Cheltenham Illustration Awards have been running since 2007 and each year, we are fortunate to see illustration entries from across the world. This exhibition showcases the selected work from the entrants of 2024. Each piece of narrative art interprets the theme of the year in a thoughtful and insightful way. The theme of 2024 was ‘future forecasts’ and judges were particularly impressed with the range of materials and image-making processes used this year including printed objects, diaoramas, and knitting!

We hope that you enjoy this selection of work that speculates on what the future may hold. What do you imagine you might see in the future? What is your future forecast?

The exhibition will be accompanied by family workshops during the school holidays - details to be announced nearer the time.

Illustration: ‘The Last Pearl’ by Julia Morris

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The Waiting Game: Dr Nicola Clark in conversation with Jo Durrant
Jun
21
2:30 PM14:30

The Waiting Game: Dr Nicola Clark in conversation with Jo Durrant

Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour – just three of the six wives of Henry VIII. But behind every Tudor Queen were her ladies-in-waiting.

They were her confidantes and her chaperones. They had the right to enter her most private chambers, dressing and undressing her and listening to her secrets. But they had unique power too – and political agency.

In her book ‘The Waiting Game: The Untold Story of the Women Who Served the Tudor Queens’ lecturer and author Dr Nicola Clark explores their daily lives and why they had to make choices about loyalty that simply didn’t exist before.

Nicola will be sharing some of the stories of these remarkable women when she joins Jo Durrant in conversation. Dr Nicola Clark is a Senior Lecturer in Early Modern History at the University of Chichester and writes about women in the Tudor period. Her first book, Gender, Family, and Politics: The Howard Women, 1485-1558, was published by Oxford University Press in 2018. She also writes for public audiences, with work featured in History Today and History Extra, and has appeared on television as part of the BBC's The Boleyns: A Scandalous Family, and More4's Royal Scandals. 

This event is part of Jo Durrant’s ‘Our Beautiful Universe’ series and takes place in the Pavilion in the Museum's beautiful Walled Garden. Tea and coffee included and there will be a chance to ask questions or share ideas after the talk if you so wish. 

Tickets £7 / £5 including tea and coffee. Museum Members can bring a guest for free - look out for our ‘2 for 1’ ticket offer. Book online or call 01453 763394.

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History Lessons: Shalina Patel in conversation with Jo Durrant
Jul
5
2:30 PM14:30

History Lessons: Shalina Patel in conversation with Jo Durrant

Fancy a whistle stop history tour, taking in all the big moments from the Romans to the two World Wars? But featuring individuals you might not have met before?

Award-winning history teacher, writer and historian Shalina Patel is the creator of the sensational Instagram account @thehistorycorridor, which posts bite sized history lessons. In her book ‘The History Lessons’ she invites you to reclaim your history education, by celebrating stories and people that are less familiar but no less fascinating.

Shalina Patel has over 15 years of experience in the classroom and is Head of Teaching and Learning at Claremont High School Academy in London. In 2018 she won the Silver Pearson Teaching Award for Outstanding Teacher of the Year. She has been featured in publications from the Guardian to The Times and on programmes like BBC Woman’s Hour, BBC’s Teach Me a Lesson and Newscast. Shalina’s first book ‘The History Lessons’ was released in May 2024 and was heralded by the Guardian as aiming to ‘show adults their historical blind spots’ by ‘highlighting stories traditionally left out of the textbooks.

Tickets £7 / £5 including tea and coffee. Museum Members can bring a guest for free - look out for our ‘2 for 1’ ticket offer. Book online or call 01453 763394.

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Cinderella: Outdoor Theatre Shows by IKP Productions
Jul
26
1:00 PM13:00

Cinderella: Outdoor Theatre Shows by IKP Productions

From the fabulous company who brought you The Little Mermaid, Hercules, Beauty and the Beast and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the classic fairytale of magic, true love and custom-made shoes is brought to life in this brand new show for all ages.

Embark on the most magical adventure as Cinderella comes to the Museum in the Park’s Walled Garden this Summer. Expect magic, madness and plenty of silliness for all the family to enjoy!

There will be two outdoor performances in the Walled Garden, starting at 1pm and 4.30pm, gates open at 12.30pm and 4pm. Booking required.

Please bring rugs or picnic chairs to sit on and clothing to suit the weather - sunhats and suncream, or warm layers and waterproofs! Refreshments and ice creams on sale in the Museum’s foyer café.

Tickets £13, £11, family ticket £44 - for full details and to book online click here

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As You Like It: Outdoor Theatre Show by the Festival Players
Aug
1
7:00 PM19:00

As You Like It: Outdoor Theatre Show by the Festival Players

‘As You Like It’ is probably Shakespeare’s most entrancing romantic comedy. Rosalind, the daughter of a displaced Duke, is banished from the court by her Father’s brother. Along with her cousin Celia, she escapes to the Forest of Arden and disguises herself as a man. She teases Orlando, a young man, who does not recognise her as the girl he loved at a distance. The pastoral world of the Forest is inhabited with a colourful array of folk, looking for love, and woven into this delightful tale, full of comedy and music.

An outdoor performance in the Museum’s beautiful Walled Garden. Please bring warm layers and weather-appropriate clothing, and rugs or low-backed camping chairs to sit on. Gates open at 6pm for picnics, show starts at 7pm.

Advance booking highly recommended to secure your tickets!

Tickets £16, Concs & children (5 - 17 year olds) £15 (under 5s free)

Book online or call 01453 763394

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Young Elizabeth: Dr Nicola Tallis in conversation with Jo Durrant
Aug
2
2:30 PM14:30

Young Elizabeth: Dr Nicola Tallis in conversation with Jo Durrant

She’s one of England’s most famous monarchs, but queenship was by no means certain for Elizabeth I. Before she was three years old she had been a princess and then declared illegitimate following the brutal execution of her mother, Anne Boleyn. Many dangers and tragedies plagued her early life and by the time she did succeed to the throne in November 1558, she’d experienced more drama than most at the age of just 25.

Dr Nicola Tallis explores all of this turbulence and more in her book ‘Young Elizabeth’. Nicola is a historian and author who has also written about the lives of Lady Jane Grey and Margaret Beaufort. She joins Jo Durrant to talk about the longest reigning Tudor and some other incredible women from history.

Dr Nicola Tallis is an independent author and historian, and a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society. She has worked as a curator, researcher, and lecturer, and specialises in the use of jewels in late medieval and Tudor England. Nicola has spoken at many prestigious events and venues including the Emirates Festival of Literature, the Tower of London, Hampton Court, and the National Archives. She has made numerous television and radio appearances, including on BBC’s Who Do You Think You Are?, Channel 5’s The Vikings and The Gunpowder Plot, and Channel 4’s Frankie Boyle’s Farewell to the Monarchy. Nicola is the author of five books, and her latest, Young Elizabeth: Princess. Prisoner. Queen. was Book of the Week in The Times.

This event is part of Jo Durrant’s ‘Our Beautiful Universe’ series and takes place in the Pavilion in the Museum's beautiful Walled Garden. Tea and coffee included and there will be a chance to ask questions or share ideas after the talk if you so wish. 

Tickets £7 / £5 including tea and coffee. Museum Members can bring a guest for free - look out for our ‘2 for 1’ ticket offer. Book online or call 01453 763394.

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Treasure Island: Outdoor Theatre Show by Jenny Wren Productions
Aug
23
5:30 PM17:30

Treasure Island: Outdoor Theatre Show by Jenny Wren Productions

Jenny Wren Productions presents Robert Louis Stevenson's 'Treasure Island’, adapted by Matthew Bassington and Aidan Mosby …

Looking for adventure? Join Jenny Wren Productions as we sail the seven seas in search of buried treasure! There’s never a dull moment on board ship – the grog flows, we lovea sea shanty, and Long John Silver and his parrot are always game for a laugh.

But it won’t all be plain sailing as murder and mutiny abound, not to mention the dreaded “Black Spot”; surrounded by all those brawling buccaneers, who can you trust?

Anchors away as our small but perfectly capable crew take you on a journey to Treasure Island.

In the open-air in the Walled Garden – please bring a chair or blanket to sit on. Suitable for older children as well as adults.

 Booking details to follow soon!

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Maths & Meteorology: How Do You Forecast The Weather? with Dee Atkins-Greig  
Aug
29
2:30 PM14:30

Maths & Meteorology: How Do You Forecast The Weather? with Dee Atkins-Greig  

It’s a subject many of us love to talk about – the weather! But how do forecasters make their predictions? And what role do mathematical equations play in forecasting models?

Dee Atkins-Greig is a maths and meteorology tutor and a certified coach. Her early meteorological career was as a forecaster with the Royal Navy before she later became a weather presenter for BBC South on TV and local radio.

Dee joins interviewer Jo Durrant to share her passion for this subject, discussing everything from how storms are named to what constitutes a heatwave, and her favourite clouds. Plus, she’ll reveal some of the behind-the-scenes secrets of TV weather presenting.

Dee is a maths tutor, meteorology enthusiast, and ICF-trained coach. She began her career as a Royal Navy forecaster before moving into BBC local TV and radio as a weather presenter. She later became an instructor at the Met Office College and was partly responsible for the training of Tom Schafernaker and Chris Fawkes among other BBC weather presenters. After retraining as a secondary maths teacher and a short stint as a classroom teacher, Dee moved to Warsash Maritime Academy where she taught GCSE level maths and meteorology to Merchant Navy deck cadets. Now, as a dedicated maths and meteorology tutor, Dee helps students build confidence and develop independent learning skills. 

She is passionate about weather and clouds and is on a one woman mission to educate the world on how to get the best from their weather app!

This event is part of Jo Durrant’s ‘Our Beautiful Universe’ series and takes place in the Pavilion in the Museum's beautiful Walled Garden. Tea and coffee included and there will be a chance to ask questions or share ideas after the talk if you so wish. 

Tickets £7 / £5 including tea and coffee. Museum Members can bring a guest for free - look out for our ‘2 for 1’ ticket offer. Book online or call 01453 763394.

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Talk: A County goes to War with Paul Barnett
Mar
27
2:00 PM14:00

Talk: A County goes to War with Paul Barnett

After his sold-out talk on the Purton Hulks, we are delighted to welcome back historian Paul Barnett, this time with a talk exploring different aspects of life and work in Gloucestershire during WW2. Digging for Victory, bomb damage in Painswick, American tents at Sharpness and much more - this fascinating talk takes a look across the county. 2025 marks 80 years since the end of the Second World War, giving us an opportunity to explore the history of that period and the changes that the war years set in motion. 

Tickets £5 including tea/coffee (2 for 1 offer for MiP Members)

Booking necessary - book online or call 01453 763394

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Film Screening Event: Picture Portraits
Mar
23
12:00 PM12:00

Film Screening Event: Picture Portraits

A selection of short films by local filmmakers which tell auto and biographical stories of individuals and communities in powerful ways, amplifying marginalised voices and exploring how we can tell stories about ourselves through film. Films and discussion with film-makers.

A Stroud Film Festival Event

Tickets: Adults £8.50 / Senior £7.50 Children aged 12-18/full time students £6.00 Children under 12 £5.00

Booking recommended (limited places) - book online via Stroud Film Festival

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SOLD OUT Film Screening Event: Connected
Mar
22
12:00 PM12:00

SOLD OUT Film Screening Event: Connected

Short films with a twist on human relationships. Q&A with filmmakers. A selection of shorts made in the South West exploring relationships and how humans respond to the pressures of everyday life in sometimes extraordinary situations. These short films, created by local film-makers are all set in the South West and intertwine the landscape and the human, resulting in funny, strange and surprising moments on screen. Join us for films and discussion with the filmmakers.

A Stroud Film Festival Event

Tickets £8 / £6 / £4. Booking recommended (limited spaces). Book online via Stroud Film Festival.

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Wild Enchantments - Spring Equinox Launch Event
Mar
22
11:00 AM11:00

Wild Enchantments - Spring Equinox Launch Event

Nathaniel Hughes and Fiona Owen will be in the Walled Garden Pavilion, hosting a launch event for their new book ‘Wild Enchantments’, with a chance to see some of Fiona’s paintings too. At 3pm there will be a free talk and Q&A session – you are welcome to drop in and join Nathaniel, Fiona and their guests. Books and card sets will be available to buy.

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Talk with Del Barrett: Photography As Protest – Women as Change Makers
Mar
20
2:00 PM14:00

Talk with Del Barrett: Photography As Protest – Women as Change Makers

From the early suffragette photographers to today’s activist artists, photography has been shown to be a powerful way for women raise awareness of social injustices and campaign against them. 

Join Del Barrett, curator from Hundred Heroines Museum, dedicated to women in photography, for a journey through the 20th century and discover how the medium has been used as a form of protest and, in many cases, how activism led to changes in legislation.

From the streets of Edwardian London to contemporary California via Nazi Germany, see how women have made an impact.  

Tickets £5. Booking required - book online here or call 01453 763394.

Image credit: Emmeline Pankhurst by Lena Connell. C. 1907, courtesy the National Portrait Gallery

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Shadow Puppet (very) Short Film - Stroud Film Festival Workshop
Mar
15
2:00 PM14:00

Shadow Puppet (very) Short Film - Stroud Film Festival Workshop

An exciting creative opportunity for older children and teenagers (ages 10+) to work with their parents, grandparents or aunts and uncles and make a very short Shadow Puppet film:

Construct a simple shadow puppet film scene and learn to devise an action sequence using block cut-outs as your characters, props and scenery.

Work with artist and illustrator Imogen Harvey-Lewis to experiment with shape, outline, movement and character to create an atmospheric black and white reel of your own. The simplicity of this art form allows for maximum inventiveness and effect.

Construction; drawing; paper-cutting; lighting; practice; voice over; action and fun. All together all the time. Simple idea = clear thinking = big possibilities!

Bring your own lamp or torch.

For ages 10+, for parents/guardians and young people to work and enjoy together.

Booking required, cost £10 per family group (up to 4 people including one adult/parent or guardian). Book online or call 01453 763394.

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Talk With Del Barrett: What a Woman Can Do with a Camera
Mar
13
2:00 PM14:00

Talk With Del Barrett: What a Woman Can Do with a Camera

The end of the 19th century and start of the 20th century saw significant progress in both photography and women’s emancipation.  And it is no coincidence that the two overlapped … 

Many of the women’s contributions to photography have been airbrushed out of the history of the medium or attributed to men. Join Del Barrett, curator from Hundred Heroines Museum, dedicated to women in photography, for an illustrated talk about the early feminist pioneers of photography and how we can put the record straight.

The talk’s title is the title of an essay by Frances Benjamin Johnson, published in 1897.

Tickets £5. Booking required - book online or call 01453 763394

Image credit: Self-Portrait of Frances Benjamin Johnston, 1896 courtesy Library of Congress

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SOLD OUT Film Screening Event: Mo
Mar
9
2:00 PM14:00

SOLD OUT Film Screening Event: Mo

A cinema verité documentary by John McGrath, made for BBC2, capturing an almost forgotten moment in time, post-Beat but pre-Hippy, just before the counterculture exploded out of the underground and into the mainstream. Starring folk singer Maureen Kennedy Martin and her family, the film also features key poets and musicians of the time including John Renbourn, Michael and Frances Horovitz, Adrian Mitchell and Davey Graham. The aim is to use the film to restart a conversation on how music, art, poetry and film worked together to transform the British cultural scene, and to raise awareness, in a time of polarisation and ghettoization of art forms, of how intermingled and enlivening the cross- pollination of the arts used to (and can still) be.

With thanks to the BFI National TV Archive. A Stroud Film Festival Event.

Tickets £8 / £6 / £4. Booking essential - book online via Stroud Film Festival.

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Film Screening: Life Through A Lens
Mar
8
2:00 PM14:00

Film Screening: Life Through A Lens

Director Jason Figgis’ Response to the remarkable photography of Shirley Baker. This documentary screening in Stroud coincides with a major exhibition of Shirley Baker’s work on show at the Museum in the Park for the whole of March. Screening the film in the Museum will hopefully encourage audience members to visit the exhibition of Shirley’s photographs of 1960s Northern England. Shirley Baker wrote about her work in a particularly open and insightful way and her writing is given voice in ” by her daughter, Nan, who has also been kind enough to release some very important 20th Century photographs from the Shirley Baker archive to show in Stroud.

Organised in collaboration with Stroud Film Festival.

Director: Jason Figgs (release date 2023)

Writer: John West

Narrator: Samantha Beckinsale

Tickets £8 / £6 / £4. Booking recommended - book online via Stroud Film Festival. or call the Museum on 01453 763394

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Paper World Micro Film Set - Stroud Film Festival Workshop
Mar
8
10:30 AM10:30

Paper World Micro Film Set - Stroud Film Festival Workshop

Devise and create a 2D layered film set model using drawing and illustration skills, with local artist Imogen Harvey-Lewis. Learn to make simple flat scenery to construct a multi layered paper environment for a film of your choice – made up or borrowed. Introduce your own drawn characters and shoot a short action sequence using a mobile or camera, bringing in simple lighting and sound effects should you wish.

Big fun. Lots of drawing. Experimental and flat pack. Perfect!

A drop in workshop for families with children aged 5+, parents/adults and children working together.

£1 per child to help pay for materials, pay on the door, donations welcome.

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Talk: The Work of the MOD War Detectives with Alexia Clark
Mar
6
2:00 PM14:00

Talk: The Work of the MOD War Detectives with Alexia Clark

The MOD War Detectives are a small team who are tasked with identifying missing British service personnel from World War One, World War Two and the Korean War. Join Alexia Clark from the Ministry of Defence to find out more about this important work.

Tickets £5 including tea/coffee (2 for 1 ticket offer for MiP Members)

Booking necessary - book online or call 01453 763394

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Mycellial Singing Workshop
Feb
23
11:00 AM11:00

Mycellial Singing Workshop

Come and explore mycelial connections through song with Mel of Sing Your Heart Out Stroud.
In this workshop you will learn and interact as one living vocal network, showing how invisible threads connect us all, the way mycelium connects together under our feet. Learn new songs and experiment with embodying this fascinating world. 

For adults, all singing abilities welcome.
Please bring a packed lunch and your water bottle. Teas and coffees available to buy from Museum Reception.
In partnership with the Growing Place project and artists Tara Downs and Bart Sabel.

Cost: suggested donation of £5 - £10 per person, booking required. Book online here or call 01453 763394.

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Stroud Wassail at The Museum in the Park
Feb
22
1:30 PM13:30

Stroud Wassail at The Museum in the Park

Wassailing will be back outside the Museum in the Park on the afternoon of Saturday 22 February … expect a madcap mix of music, morris dancing, mayhem and merriment! Come along between 1.30pm and 3.30pm, everyone welcome whether you are wearing your raggy coat or finest attire. Come dressed up as your favourite Beast if you so wish!

This is an outdoor community event, weather permitting, free but donations very welcome. Hot drinks and cakes available to buy inside the Museum.

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Half Term Family Drop in Workshop: Among the Trees
Feb
19
to Feb 21

Half Term Family Drop in Workshop: Among the Trees

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

What would it be like to live in a tree, sharing your home with all the other creatures who live there too?

Join artist Alison Cockcroft (Periscope) to celebrate the trees of Stratford Park and all the life they support. Imagine, draw and collage your own realistic or fantastical home in the tree-tops and learn all about the campaign that saved the trees along Stratford Road in the 1980’s.

A family drop-in art workshop for all ages (ideal for ages 5+), for children and their parents/grandparents to enjoy together.

£1 per child, pay on the door. Last entry around 3.30pm.

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Loving Landscapes: Quiet Session for Families (booking required)
Feb
18
2:00 PM14:00

Loving Landscapes: Quiet Session for Families (booking required)

We are trialling pre-bookable sessions aimed at families with neurodivergent children who need a quieter environment to enjoy these activities.

Try painting with brushes made from foraged natural materials and use scrap paper to create a landscape.  Think about looking after our natural environments by playing our recycling game and use some cool science to create your own Earth inspired artwork. Enjoy our natural garden games and add a paper flower, tree or plant to our paper garden. Tell us what your favourite wild animal is by adding to our voting wall, before exploring the Museum with our landscape themed trail. We invite you to discover and explore together through this range of family-friendly activities designed to bring the theme of natural landscapes alive.

Designed for families with children over 5 years old who need a quieter, calmer experience. We ask other visitors to please understand that spaces during this session are reserved for families with children with this need.

The session will run between 2pm and 3pm. All activities are optional, and we will encourage and support families taking part in the activities as much or as little as they choose.

£1 per child, booking required. Book online here or call 01453 763394.

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Loving Landscapes: Family Drop in Activity
Feb
18
11:00 AM11:00

Loving Landscapes: Family Drop in Activity

Try painting with brushes made from foraged natural materials and use scrap paper to create a landscape.  Think about looking after our natural environments by playing our recycling game and use some cool science to create your own Earth inspired artwork. Enjoy our natural garden games and add a paper flower, tree or plant to our paper garden. Tell us what your favourite wild animal is by adding to our voting wall, before exploring the Museum with our landscape themed trail.

We invite you to discover and explore together through this range of family-friendly activities designed to bring the theme of natural landscapes alive.

Designed for families with children over 5 years old. Drop in between 11am and 1pm.

£1 per child. Please pay on the day.

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Woodcarving in the Courtyard - Natasha Houseago
Feb
18
10:30 AM10:30

Woodcarving in the Courtyard - Natasha Houseago

Drop in and meet artist Natasha Houseago, who will be working on her new sculpture in the Museum Courtyard (weather permitting!). She’s creating a ‘Pledgehog’ for the Gloucestershire Archives Green Pledge Project and you can make a pledge to help nature and wildlife while you watch her work. You can also ask Natasha why she was so inspired by the humble hedgehog!

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FULLY BOOKED Half Term Workshop: Landscape in a box
Feb
18
10:00 AM10:00

FULLY BOOKED Half Term Workshop: Landscape in a box

This half term we’ll be joined by the Green Pledge Project from Gloucestershire Archives.  We’ll be exploring how the local landscape has changed over the last few centuries and imagining how it might look in the future.  We’ll be making our own Landscape in a Box.

We’ll start by looking at maps, photos and other material from Gloucestershire Archives as well as visiting the museum’s landscape change gallery for inspiration.  We’ll talk about how and why the Stroud area has changed and share ideas for how it might look in the future. Then we’ll choose whether to create a historic or future landscape in our box.  We’ll then use scrap and recycled materials to build our landscape and include a message about the changes of the past or the hopes for the future inside the lid.

For children aged 7-11 and their parents/grandparents to enjoy together. All materials supplied, just bring your imagination!

Free but booking required – book online or call 01453 763394

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Green Pledge Project Exhibition
Feb
15
to Feb 21

Green Pledge Project Exhibition

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

Have you heard of the Green Pledge Project? Head to our Meeting Room - next door the ‘Growing Places’ exhibition - to see a display all about this exciting project.

Thanks to the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Gloucestershire Archives is running a two-year GREEN Pledge project to help record the county’s environmental legacy and drive forward climate action.

Global warming and the ecological crisis are the most pressing and universal concerns we face. Heritage holds the memory of people and communities, and Gloucestershire Archives is a treasure chest for anyone interested in environmental matters from medieval times to present day. The Green Pledge Project willl bring to light our past, to reflect on our present, and imagine what our future could be.

The project aims to encourage further environmental action by exploring climate change and involving people in green heritage activities. It comes under the Heritage Fund’s Dynamic Collections programme, which will see the county’s unique environmental archives opened-up and used for various events and activities involving the public. 

For further details click here and look out for a special pre-booked family workshop on Tuesday 18 February.

Display public opening times:

  • 15 & 16 February 11am - 4.30pm

  • 18 February 1pm - 4.30pm

  • 19, 20 & 21 February 11am - 4pm with drop in family activities to enjoy

  • 23 February 11am - 4.30pm

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Become a Museum Explorer!  Free trails for all ages
Feb
14
to Feb 22

Become a Museum Explorer! Free trails for all ages

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

Do you know about our free Explorer Trails? We have a variety of fun trails for families to enjoy together, exploring different themes and artefacts in the fascinating museum collections. From Amazing Animals to the Musical Museum and more, these trails are always available from Museum Reception. Why not come and try them out this half term!

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SOLD OUT Talk: Secret Stroud with David Elder
Feb
13
2:00 PM14:00

SOLD OUT Talk: Secret Stroud with David Elder

Join writer and photographer David Elder to hear more about his fascinating and beautifully illustrated new book, ‘Secret Stroud’. Delve into the lesser known history of the town, with a chance to ask questions and have your books signed after the talk. 

Copies of the book will be available to buy from the Museum Shop with a discount for ticket holder. Tea, coffee and biscuits included.

Tickets £5 (2 for 1 ticket for MiP Members - free to join - for joining details click here)

Booking necessary - book online or call 01453 763394

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FULLY BOOKED Eco Printing Workshop with Ruth Illingworth
Feb
8
1:30 PM13:30

FULLY BOOKED Eco Printing Workshop with Ruth Illingworth

Join Artist-Gardener Ruth Illingworth for an introduction to ecoprinting on paper. Using flowers from the Museum’s Walled Garden and leaves from Stratford Park you will create and come away with an A4 ecoprint. You will also learn about which leaves and flowers produce the best prints. Ruth will supply a handout of how to repeat the process at home and useful references.

This special workshop is for adults and is linked to the Growing Places exhibition showing in the Art Gallery. This kind of workshop usually costs from £40 or so, so if you wish to make a additional donation please feel welcome! Ticket fees and donations help support the Museum’s events and exhibitions programme and Walled Garden.

Cost £10, booking required - book online here or call 01453 763394

For adults, all art abilities welcome.

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Poetry Evening presented by Yew Tree Press
Feb
5
7:30 PM19:30

Poetry Evening presented by Yew Tree Press

In Double Edge, Sarah Brooker combines rich and colourful artwork with honest poems about pain and difficulties, poems which are leavened by humour and wry language. Frank McMahon lives in Cirencester. His most recent book, The Light will Always Return, was published last April; Frank is “a poet with a rare sensitivity to place and experience”. Rowan Middleton's poems are quiet meditations in a soft voice. A good poem lingers in the mind and these poems gently invite us to spend some time considering our local environment. Philip Rush’s new pamphlet, Salon des Refusés, complements his Garlic Press book, Camera Obscura. With a certain ironic distance his poems celebrate ritual, the countryside and memory.  The poems in Caroline Shaw’s new pamphlet, Night Walking, capture her reading voice in their language and rhythms and in their humorous and occasionally self-deprecating honesty; they are truthful and resonant.

Doors open at 7.30pm for an 8pm start in the Garden Pavilion. Books and drinks will be available to buy, entry is free, donations welcome. No need to book, just come and enjoy poetry and good company!

Please bring a torch to light your way to the Museum and through the Garden.

If you need directions or accessible parking, please call the Museum team on 01453 763394.

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Talk with Helen Picton: Snowdrops at Old Court Nurseries
Jan
26
11:30 AM11:30

Talk with Helen Picton: Snowdrops at Old Court Nurseries

Guest speaker Helen Picton from Old Court Nurseries and the Picton Garden in Herefordshire shares stories of her gardens with a focus on snowdrops. Old Court Nursery is a family-run nursery, holding a Plant Heritage National Collection of Michaelmas Daisies among other delights. Helen says, ‘And in winter, the stars of the show at Picton Garden are the snowdrop collection.’ 

Snowdrops from Old Court will be for sale in the Walled Garden.

Talk ticket includes a cup of tea or coffee.

Tickets £7 / £5 MiP Member / £3.50 MiP Volunteer

Booking required. Book online here or call 01453 763394 leaving a message with your name, telephone number and number of tickets required.

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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 Snowdrop plant sale from Old Court Nurseries and snap up some snowdrops for your own garden, and enjoy soup, tea and cake in Miss Daisy’s Pop Up Café. There will be drop in craft activities (2pm - 4pm each day) and a Walled Garden ‘Snowdrop Fairy’ I Spy trail for children (wrap up warm!). You can also take advantage of 10% off in the Museum Shop including snowdrop themed products.

Free entry, refreshments and plants for sale, donations very welcome for the craft activities and trail. We look forward to seeing you!

On Sunday 26 January 11.30am - 12.30pm we are delighted to present a talk by Helen Picton: Snowdrops at Old Court Nurseries. Booked required.

Visit our Giant Snowdrop Company page to discover more!

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Growing Places Exhibition
Jan
25
to Feb 23

Growing Places Exhibition

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

This exhibition marks the culmination of a 10-month local arts project. The Growing Places project has explored food, farming and the community through a broad range of workshops around Stroud, constructions, walks, composting and a series of artists resident in a Ginger Bread House. Work will be on display by those artists and by many members of the community groups who’ve been spending time in nature on the farms and in the woodlands around Stroud.

Look out for the Ginger Bread House in the Museum courtyard when you visit!

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Display: Waiting For Spring - Snowdrops, Scenes and Signs
Jan
25
to Mar 16

Display: Waiting For Spring - Snowdrops, Scenes and Signs

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

The Giant Snowdrop Company from Hyde near Chalford became famous for propagating and popularising new varieties of snowdrop in the 1950s. See archival material from the company alongside 19th and 20th century scenes of Stroud by local artists as they record the change of seasons from winter to spring.

On display are paintings by W. E. Duncan Young, Betsy Foster and Joan Mary West.

Foyer

FREE, 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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Tales for the Turning of the Year: Stories with Fiona Eadie
Dec
8
3:00 PM15:00

Tales for the Turning of the Year: Stories with Fiona Eadie

As we journey through Advent and mid-Winter approaches, come and hear a feast of seasonal stories from near and far. Dwell for a while in the magic and the wonder of this celebrated time of year.

Suitable for adults as well as for children aged 7+ … come with family, or come on your own, relax and enjoy.

Free, but booking recommended.

Book online, call 01453 763394 or ask at the Front Desk.

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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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