Kids in Museums

2009

TATE BRITAIN AND SOUTH LONDON GALLERY: THE YOUNG PEOPLE TAKING OVER OUR MUSEUMS - In March 2009 two London museums opened their doors to groups of young people with some interesting lessons learned on all sides. Click here to read more…

STAR-STUDDED, BUZZING AND BRILLIANT - THE LAUNCH OF THE 2009 KIDS IN MUSEUMS MANIFESTO - The launch of the 2009 Kids in Museums Manifesto at the Royal Academy on 5th February was one of the museum events of the year. Quentin Blake - who provides all our wonderful illustrations - was there, as well as the new Chair of the MLA, poet Andrew Motion who described the event as ‘a very jolly evening to launch a jolly good thing’. Culture Minister Barbara Follett praised the work of Kids in Museums as forward thinking and ground breaking. Our Patron Mariella Frostrup spoke of her memories of museums as a child as dusty and unwelcoming, and how much they had changed for her own children. Many museums and arts organisations pledged to sign up to the new Manifesto on the night, including the Royal Academy itself. Change is coming…To find out all about it, go to our Manifesto pages.

Charles Saumarez Smith, Chief Executive of the Royal Academy, speaking at the launch of the 2009 Kids in Museums Manifesto

Top photo: Dea Birkett (Director, Kids in Museums), Mariella Frostrup (Patron) and Andrew Motion, poet and Chair of MLA at the Launch of the 2009 Kids in Museums Manifesto at the Royal Academy.

GUARDIAN FAMILY FRIENDLY AWARD WINNER PITT RIVERS MUSEUM IN OXFORD REOPENS - After almost a year of building work, the Pitt Rivers Museum of the University of Oxford has reopened to the public, and the results of a £10 million revamp have been revealed. Here, in the words of its director, Michael O’Hanlon, ‘you can learn about anything from cows to colonialism, from feet to Fiji’. Click here to read more.

KIDS IN MUSEUMS DIRECTOR GOES WILD! - Dea Birkett, Director of Kids in Museums, launched Something Wild at the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool on Thursday 19th March. Something Wild is a storybook about art in the Walker Gallery for teachers, families and children.

The illustrations and story were designed by schoolchildren, together with the writer and illustrator. The book is an innovative way of encouraging and supporting families and young children who may want to visit the Gallery but not know what to expect. It also has activities to take away and do afterwards, so your museum visit lasts and lasts. Click here to find out more.

Dea Birkett and David Fleming, Director, National Museums Liverpool at Something Wild launch

2008

TRUSTEE PHILIP MOULD HITS THE HEADLINES - Kids in Museums Trustee Philip Mould, who is also a TV presenter, made headlines for being the first person on BBC Antiques Roadshow to value an object at one million pounds! Click here to read more.

MUSEUM I’D LIKE – THE GREAT MUSEUM DEBATE
A lively audience at this year’s Kids in Museums/National Museums Liverpool Great Museum Debate at the Merseyside Maritime Museum, Liverpool, on Tuesday 9 September, heard a distinguished panel argue for the Museum I’d Like. Famous children’s author Bali Rai (left) presented the museum of his dreams, full of favourite football goals set to reggae music. Football and reggae are Bali’s two passions; although he lives in Leicester, he’s a fervent Livepool FC fan. Nick Poole, Chief Executive of Collections Trust, wants museums to be shops, selling experiences. (Click here to read more about Nick Poole’s Dream Museum.) Historian and author Andrew Wheatcroft wanted a museum of people, not objects, where virtual guides introduced visitors to the collection.

Quentin Blake’s illustration of the Museum He’d Like – the House of Illustration. And he’s building it! Go to House of Illustration for more information.

Janet Dugdale, who works on the yet-to-be-opened Museum of Liverpool, dreamt of a museum shaped like a glass box, where everything was open and transparent.

Liz Mackenzie, Chair of Kids in Museums (left), and panellist Janet Dugdale of the Museum of Liverpool at the Great Museum Debate.

For more information on the event’s panellists please click here. For more details please visit the National Museums Liverpool website.

GUARDIAN FAMILY FRIENDLY AWARD 2008 WINNER ANNOUNCED
Weston Park Museum, Sheffield, has won The Guardian Family Friendly Museum Award. Families had been busy visiting each venue, judging them against the Kids in Museums Manifesto. Here Lottie, aged 3, gets up close to objects at Wolverhampton Art Gallery. See our Awards 08 page for details of the winner and shortlist. Read more about Weston Park in The Guardian’s article on the award.

MUSEUM FOOD

Kids in Museums Director Dea Birkett featured on BBC Radio 4’s Food Programme about museum cafes. You can find more of Dea’s thoughts on museum food at Take the Family.

At the café in the Roald Dahl Museum

KIDS IN MUSEUMS HAS A NEW PATRON - We’re delighted to announce that Mariella Frostrup is now Patron of Kids in Museums. For more about Mariella, go to our Patron and Trustees section in All About Us.

IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM GAINS KIDS IN MUSEUMS TRUSTEE Congratulations to Kids in Museums Trustee Diane Lees for being appointed Director-General of the Imperial War Museums. Further information about Di is in our Patron & Trustees section, or see the Imperial War Museum website.

2007

HYDROACTIVE WOMEN’S CHALLENGE

We did it! Our director Dea Birkett, Trustee Julie Taylor and several friends and supporters ran the 5km HydroActive Women’s Challenge on September 16th 2007 for Kids in Museums. Our fastest time was a very respectable 23 minutes. Thanks to all of you who sponsored us. Your contributions will go towards enabling more families and children to enjoy the wonders of Britain’s museums. And it’s not too late to make a contribution! If you’d like to sponsor us now, just email getintouch@kidsinmuseums.org.uk

Kids in Museums logo and banner illustrations all © Quentin Blake.

Registered charity number 1123658