News release
For Immediate Release
Monday 27 March 2023
Family fun is flying into The Commandery and Worcester City Art Gallery and Museum for the Easter holidays. From spring chicks to birds and butterflies, there are all sorts of animal-inspired activities in store.
At one of Worcester’s oldest buildings, The Commandery, there are winged creatures emerging from their eggs for families to spot on their way around the historic rooms and gardens. Children can get a small prize when they’ve found all the creatures. There’ll also be an opportunity to make a hatching chick to take home, and for children to get cracking on creating fantastic designs for eggs too. The trail and crafts run from Tuesday 4 to Sunday 16 April; usual admission + £3. No need to book.
The Easter activities run alongside an exciting new exhibition of sculptures, Aspire, of butterflies, angels and more all around The Commandery. On Bank Holiday Monday 10 April, families can enjoy Wingin’ It workshops with the artist behind Aspire, Wayne Warren. Children can create their own angel wing and add their touch to a larger piece of art that will grow throughout the day. Sessions will start at 11am, 1pm, and 3pm; usual admission + £3. No need to book.
There’s plenty of room for children to spread their own wings in the garden – and the independent canal-side café Commandery Coffee is on standby with wonderful drinks and homemade food.
Free admission to The Commandery if you have a season or residents’ pass – please visit the website for more information: museumsworcestershire.org.uk. Aspire will take over The Commandery this summer from 1 April to 3 September 2023.
The animal-infused fun continues at Worcester City Art Gallery and Museum where famous animals are hiding around the museum for families to discover in the Animal Antics trail (£1). The trail runs until 1 July alongside the spring exhibition, From the Cornish Coast to the Malvern Hills, which is free to visit and features lots of wonderful paintings of seaside and countryside scenes.
During the Easter holidays, families can purchase a Perfect Pigs activity bag from the shop for £3.50 (includes the Animal Antics trail). The Activity Space will be fully equipped for children to get stuck into making their 3D paper pigs, bookmarks, and ‘three little pigs’ lollypop-stick puppets. Activity bags are available from Saturday 1 April to Saturday 15 April; the Art Gallery and Museum is closed on Sundays and bank holidays.
Worcester City Art Gallery and Museum is free to visit and is home to the brilliant café Little Al’s on the Balcony, where visitors can enjoy homemade food and delicious drinks.
“Easter is a fantastic time to visit the museums! We’re really excited for families to explore all the sculptures in Aspire at The Commandery, and see their ‘perfect pig’ creations at the Art Gallery and Museum,” Megan Keary, Learning and Outreach Coordinator at Museums Worcestershire.
ENDS
Notes to editors
Images attached show:
- Shaun the Sheep with a fossil at Worcester City Art Gallery and Museum
- Golden Wings by Wayne Warren – to be displayed at The Commandery
Opening hours
The Commandery, Sidbury, Worcester is open: Tuesday to Saturday, 10am – 5pm, and Sundays, 11am – 3pm. The Commandery is open on Bank Holiday Monday.
Worcester City Art Gallery & Museum, Foregate Street, Worcester is open: Monday to Saturday, 10.30am – 4.30pm. Closed Sundays and bank holidays.
Events listings
The Commandery
Easter Family Trail – Things with Wings!
Tuesday 4 to Sunday 16 April.
Inspired by Aspire, follow the trail to find all the things with wings emerging from their eggs and get a prize!
Make your very own hatching chick to take home with you – and challenge yourself to design an egg too.
Aspire is an exhibition of winged creatures – from angels to butterflies – which will take over The Commandery this summer from 1 April to 3 September.
Usual admission + £3; no need to book. Free admission to The Commandery if you have a season or residents’ pass.
Family Artist Workshops – Wingin’ It
Bank Holiday Monday 10 April, 11am, 1pm, 3pm.
Discover angel and butterfly wings and more in the exhibition Aspire as you explore The Commandery.
Get stuck into fun family workshops on Bank Holiday Monday with the artist behind the exhibition, Wayne Warren, and follow the Things with Wings trail too. Create your very own angel wing to take home or add your own touch to a larger piece of art that’ll grow throughout the day!
No need to book; join sessions at 11am, 1pm or 3pm. The trail is available through the day.
Usual admission + £3 per child; no need to book. Free admission to The Commandery if you have a season or residents’ pass.
Worcester City Art Gallery and Museum
Animal Antics – Perfect Pigs activity bags and trail.
Saturday 1 April to Saturday 15 April
Test your safari skills and go wild looking for fabulous famous animals on this grrreat trail! Look out for fantastic animals like Shaun the Sheep and Peppa Pig hidden around the museum…
Pop into the shop to pick up a trail for £1 or come along in the school holidays to delve into a whole bag of themed activities for £3.50 (including the trail):
- Easter holidays – Perfect Pigs: activity bag | Saturday 1 April to Saturday 15 April
- May half-term holiday – Silly Sheep: activity bag | Saturday 27 May to Saturday 3 June
The trail will be running until Saturday 1 July.
Free entry to Worcester City Art Gallery and Museum.
For more information or further images please contact Alice Benbow, Museums Marketing Officer: alice.benbow@worcester.gov.uk / 01905 361828.