Schools at Worcester City Art Gallery and Museum

The group can discover our wonderful butterfly and moth collection. Inspired by the incredible shapes and colours, children can create their own 3D insects, and portray working in charcoal.

This workshop can be adapted for Key stage 1 and 2.

Fun Fossils and Rocking Rocks!

This activity encourages children to explore and handle our wonderful collection of fossils, rocks and minerals. They will have the opportunity to sort the specimens, make charcoal observation drawings, and create a clay fossil reincarnation. After looking at the tools of the geologist (and dressing up!) teams will be able to make exploding volcanoes, and experiment with volcanic lava.

Fighting Armour and Paper Dragons

Children will be able to examine and handle examples of replica armour from different periods, and have fun making origami paper dragons ready for battle!

Nature’s Treasure Trove

Be inspired by a wonderful display of rocks, shells and fossils, collected by Victorian fossil hunters and geologists from around the world! Children can observe the shapes, colours and textures and replica patterns by drawing (with charcoal) and make fossil impressions.

Woodland Magic

Working with our collection of British mammal specimens, the children will explore different animal worlds and create a 3D animal habitat using an assortment of collage material and clay.

Toys of the Past

How are our toys different from those in the past? An opportunity for children to discover the magic of our toy collection and to make a simple moving puppet!

The children will be able to discover, handle and discuss objects from our WW1 collection. They will also make single poppies and a collective poppy wreath to take back to school.

This workshop introduces methods of historical enquiry, events beyond living memory, local history, significant historical events and people and places in their locality.

The children have the opportunity to study a number of portraits from the museum collection. The paintings reflect varied styles, media and fashion. The class will be able to create a ‘silhouette’ self-portrait and a portrait of a friend, working in pastel and chalk. Period dressing-up hats will be available to introduce a variety of characters!

This session will focus on the Great War. In the morning, the children will be provided with a context to the War Years focusing on the Home Front and the Soldier’s journey to the Front. They have the opportunity to explore a unique handling collection – comprising of authentic objects from a Worcestershire home (c.1914) and the Soldier’s Kit Bag. There will also be the opportunity to explore the Regimental Gallery and to make a collective wreath or poppies of remembrance. This session will be led by the Museums Worcestershire Learning Team. After lunch, children (and teachers!) will be escorted to the City centre by a very chatty, fun and informative WW1 soldier – dressed in full uniform. You will visit memorials, monuments and statues, The Guild Hall and the Public Hall. And see the Victoria Cross plaques.

Sample timetable:
10.00 Worcester City Art Gallery and Museum – Welcome and introduction
10.00 – 10.45 Objects from the Home Front and Great War
10.45 – 11.00 Refreshment break (juice and biscuits provided by the museum)
11.00 – 11.30 The Regimental Gallery – charcoal sketching
11.30 – 12.00 Poppies and Wreaths
12.00 – 12.30 Packed Lunches at the Museum
12.30 – 14.00 On tour with Discover History – The Great War Story
14.00 Depart

Gloves and shoes

Discover more about our local industries, and the tools and materials used to make fine gloves and shoes!

Choose to create a ‘3D’ shoe or glove from collage materials.

Worcestershire at War: War time Worcester!

Using objects, historical sources, stories and role play our aim is to bring the Home Front alive! (Led by Paul Harding from the re-enactment group ‘Discover History’).

The children will be transported back to war time Britain. They will take on the role of the Civil Defence – an ARP Warden, a Land Army Girl and a member of the Home Guard! The children will be immersed in the daily activities and drills, and respond to a major bomb hit at the Meco Works, Bromyard Road, Worcester!

Other activities include: ‘Pack a Parcel’ (an insight to rationing and POW status) and ‘War Work’ (Worcestershire war time memories, photographs and objects).

Worcestershire at War: Morton’s Militia!

Using objects, historical sources, stories and role play our aim is to bring the Home Front alive! The children will listen to an adventure story set in wartime Worcester – portraying the evacuee experience (Led by Gwen Williams from specialist theatre group ‘Pattern 23’).

Other activities will include ‘Pack a Parcel’ and ‘Worcester War Work’.

Dig for History and go with the Flow!

The Tools of the Trade – Gloves, Porcelain and Cloth

Children will be able to discover more about the history of Worcestershire, and the County’s national and international achievements – we made the finest gloves and porcelain in the World! There will be the opportunity to explore and handle the Glover’s tools, and to see some of the best gloves in the museum’s collection. We will also use an original template to make a fitting glove. This session will be led by the Museums Worcestershire Learning Team. In the afternoon, the group will join Discover History and visit the sites connected to the trades of Worcester – the wool workers, glovers, iron smelters, bell founders, porcelain and sauce makers!

Sample timetable:
10.00 Worcester City Art Gallery and Museum – Welcome and Introduction
10.00 – 10.45 The Gloving Industry – discovery session
10.45 – 11.00 Refreshment break (juice and biscuits provided by the museum)
11.00 – 12.00 The Fitting Glove
12.00 – 12.30 Packed lunches at the museum
12.30 – 14.00 On Tour with Discover History – Glover, Draper, Porcelain Painter
14.00 Depart