Easter fun at The Bowes Museum

There's lots of fun for the whole family at The Bowes Museum this Easter time. 

From creating paper chicks to taking part in a workshop and then a theatre show there's something for everyone to enjoy at the Barnard Castle based Museum this April.

Throughout the school holidays visitors will be able to follow the Easter trail in the grounds that was made by youngsters attending the February half term Swirly Twirly Colours workshops where they were inspired by Martin Kinnear's paintings in Regeneration.

Kicking off on Saturday, 9 and Monday, 11 April there are Paper Chick Crafts with the Museum's education team, where children can have a go at making their own feathery chicks for their Easter bonnet.

Tuesday, 12th April sees the Museum's Easter Family Brunch Club from 10.30 until 12.30, where children can join in activities and party games with Alice in Wonderland and the White Rabbit as well as getting their pictures taken with them.They can decorate Easter eggs with chocolate, sprinkles and lots more yummy goodies before getting a party bag to take home.  Spaces are limited for this and cost £15 per child. 

Our ever popular LEGO® WEDO 2 Robotics and coding workshops return on Wednesday, 13 and Thursday, 14 April at 10.30am and 1.30pm.  Youngsters love exploring coding and making a LEGO® model they bring to life in these 45 minute long sessions that cost £10 per family.

Also on Wednesday, 13 and Thursday, 14 April children can discover their inner artist.  The Museum's running Create a Masterpiece workshops from 10am until 12.30pm and from 1.30 until 3.30pm on both days that are suitable for all ages.  These sessions will take place in the Museum's galleries and using an easel children will take on the role of a real artist and experiment with a range of materials.  Protective aprons are supplied.

Head over to the Museum on Easter Sunday, 17 April for a day packed full of fun activities.  Take part in an Easter themed trail around the Museum and get a special treat as a reward - watch out for the Easter Bunny too.

Take part in a workshop and then join in with The Time Machine - interactive family theatre on Sunday 17 April.  With performances at 10.30am, 12noon, 1.30pm and 3pm.  Irene the Inventor is lost in space and her time machine is ticking.  Every second counts, she needs the audience's help in her hour of need.  Watch out, once she clocks you, she'll whisk you off to a Victorian school room, Roman invasion and even back to the dinosaur age in this show full of music, zany characters and lots of giggles!  Tickets are £7 for children and £5 for adults.     

The Bowes Museum is open everyday from 10am until 5pm.  Entry to Cafe Bowes and the Museum shop is free.  

Notes to editors:

• The Bowes Museum was created over 100 years ago by an extraordinary couple, John and Joséphine Bowes.  Together they built up the greatest private collection of fine and decorative arts in the North of England and constructed a magnificent building to house them in.  The collection contains thousands of objects including furniture, paintings, sculpture, ceramics, textiles and many other items covering an extensive range of European styles and periods. 
• The Bowes Museum receives a core funding grant from Durham County Council and as a Major Portfolio Museum receives support from Arts Council England. Arts Council England is the national development body for arts and culture across England, working to enrich people’s lives. We support a range of activities across the arts, museums and libraries – from theatre to visual art, reading to dance, music to literature, and crafts to collections. Great art and culture inspires us, brings us together and teaches us about ourselves and the world around us. In short, it makes life better. Between 2018 and 2022, we will invest £1.45 billion of public money from government and an estimated £860 million from the National Lottery to help create these experiences for as many people as possible across the country. www.artscouncil.org.uk
• The Bowes Museum has undergone major redevelopment, supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund, One NorthEast through the County Durham Economic Partnership, English Heritage, Northern Rock Foundation, The Monument Trust, Garfield Weston Foundation, The Foyle Foundation, The European Regional Development Fund, DCMS/Wolfson Museum and Galleries Improvement Fund, Designation Challenge Fund, The Shears Foundation, The Richard and Suzanna Tonks Family Fund at County Durham Foundation, Durham County Council, The Friends of The Bowes Museum, The Headley Trust, Sir James Knott Trust, Catherine Cookson Charitable Trust, Fenwick Ltd, Mercers Charitable Foundation, Welton Foundation.
• The Bowes Museum is a member of the Discover Durham partnership of attractions. Our commitment is to promote Durham as an exciting and vibrant group travel destination and to provide the travel trade with a professional and knowledgeable service: hotline number 03000 262626, www.discoverdurham.co.uk

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