10.30am, 2.00pm (bookable on the day; max 24 children per session; each workshop lasts 2.5 hours)

Visitors of all ages are invited to come along and see the collection. It includes an elegant 18th Century 'Mute Swan', a dramatic 1930s 'Golden Eagle', a sultry Victorian 'Fox' and many other stunning creations.

Using a range of authentic materials and techniques reminiscent of each period, Kate manipulates fabric to emulate the colour, texture and form of each creature, employing techniques such as dyeing, printing, painting and quilting. Large scale location photography taken by the artist in each creature’s natural environment, as well as fabric samples, are presented alongside Kate’s sketchbooks which reveal each costume’s design and construction in step by step photographs.

Admission charges apply

From Saturday 13th to Sunday 14th July 2013, we will re-create a Saxon village in the Museum’s beautiful public gardens. The displays of Saxon art, craft, cooking, music and weapons will be complemented in the Museum by displays, lectures, object handling sessions, demonstrations of conservation techniques and a host of activities for families and children. All will draw upon the Museum’s fantastic Anglo-Saxon collections, recognised as being amongst the country’s finest.
 

Come and find out about the Anglo Saxons in Kent! Was it all pillage and plunder, or did they slip in quietly? Where did they live, what did they wear, how were their dead buried? Lots of objects for handling and costume to try on!

The talk is FREE but please book your place by calling 01622 602838. Maximum 40 people, children must be accompanied by an adult.
 

Held on the first Wednesday of every month, storytelling and colouring activity, for the under 5's starting at 10.30 in the museum cafe. 50p per child.

Luca will talk about the practice’s work designing for extreme environments focusing on the recently completed Halley VI Research Station for the British Antarctic Survey.

The talk will be followed by a guided tour of the award winning Maidstone Museum East Wing.

Advance booking required by 24 June 2013
Book at the Museum front desk or send a cheque payable to ‘Maidstone Borough Council’ with the reference
‘Extreme Design talk’ to: Maidstone Museum & Bentlif Art Gallery, St. Faith’s Street, Maidstone ME14 1LH
For credit card bookings and further information please email: tourism@maidstone.gov.uk

Further details are in the brief attached.

The closing date for receiving proposals is Friday 21 June.

Honoured as a Top Performing Visitor attraction as Reviewed by Travellers on the World’s Largest Travel Site

Maidstone Museum & Bentlif Art Gallery has received a TripAdvisor® Certificate of Excellence award. The accolade, which honours hospitality excellence, is given only to establishments that consistently achieve outstanding traveller reviews on TripAdvisor, and is extended to qualifying businesses worldwide. Only the top-performing 10 per cent of businesses listed on TripAdvisor receive this prestigious award.

To qualify for a Certificate of Excellence, businesses must maintain an overall rating of four or higher, out of a possible five, as reviewed by travellers on TripAdvisor, and must have been listed on TripAdvisor for at least 12 months. Additional criteria include the volume of reviews received within the last 12 months.

“We are pleased to receive a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence,” said Simon Lace, Museums & Heritage Manager at Maidstone Museum. “We strive to offer our customers a memorable experience, and this accolade is evidence that our hard work is translating into positive reviews on TripAdvisor.”

“TripAdvisor is delighted to celebrate the success of businesses around the globe, from Sydney to Chicago, Sao Paulo to Rome, which are consistently offering TripAdvisor travellers a great customer experience,” said Alison Copus, Vice President of Marketing for TripAdvisor for Business. “The Certificate of Excellence award provides top performing establishments around the world the recognition they deserve, based on feedback from those who matter most – their customers.”

If you would like to leave a review of your visit to the museum, then you can do so here:

Image - 'Confused Grasshopper' by Matt Cole. From International Garden Photographer of the Year Competition 5, 2012.

Admission: £3 per person, children under 16 free. (Special offer - admit 2 for £5).

BBC News - Medieval Maidstone and Lambeth Bibles reunited

The Museum will be staying open until 8.00pm to allow visitors to get hands on with items from the collection. Members of the Museum Team will be around the galleries offering information on the items and encouraging visitors to touch artefacts, including 3000 year old amulets from Ancient Egypt and 2000 year old oil lamps from Ancient Rome.

There will also be ‘Store Tours’ offering visitors a guided look behind the scenes at items not currently exhibited in the galleries including Napoleon’s chair and a ram’s head centre piece snuff box – it has to be seen to be believed!

Get Your Hands On will be available from 4.00-8.00pm on Thursday 16th May, free entry.

Store Tours will take place at 4.00pm, 5.30pm, and 7.00pm on Thursday 16th May. Bookings taken on the day. Maximum of 10 people per tour. £2.50 per person.

“We are delighted to be able to open the doors to the wider community and attract new audiences to the Museum. We have vast collections in our stores and this is a fantastic opportunity for the general public to have a glimpse at what is behind the scenes of this fascinating building.” – Simon Lace, Museums & Heritage Manager

For further information please phone 01622 602838 or email museuminfo@maidstone.gov.uk
 

Saturday 1st June, From 10.30am to 3.30pm

Discover and learn about Kent born, 19th Century explorer Julius Brenchley and his journey across North America and the fascinating objects he collected. Immerse yourself in Native American culture during this hands-on, family friendly, fun event!

On display all day will be never-before-seen artefacts via interactive computer screens. Learn about the Brenchley Collection project which has digitised Brenchley’s collection, created by Dr Sam Hitchmough (Department of History and American Studies) and graduate Kirsty Belchem at Canterbury Christ Church University and Maidstone Museum.

Don’t miss out on the fun activities!
Available all day are family fun activities and museum investigations including an ‘Explorer Passport’ Museum Trail and art sheet activities.

At 2pm there will be a talk from a Brenchley expert.

The storytelling session at 10.30am will be a traditional tribal story called ‘How Raven stole the Sun’. 50p per child, for ages 5 and under.

Learn about the meanings of animals and create your own artefact to take home during the ‘Make your own Family Totem Pole’ craft session. The sessions start at 11am, 12pm and 2.30pm. £2.50 per child and suitable for ages 4+

Explore with Brenchley... Visit www.brenchleycollection.co.uk
 

Great for families and children!
 

Find out more at museumeducation@maidstone.gov.uk or call 01622 602853