EXHIBITIONS
Style & Society: Dressing the Georgians
The Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace, London
Until 8 October
www.rct.uk/collection/themes/exhibitions/style-society-dressing-the-georgians/the-queens-gallery-buckingham
This new exhibition from Royal Collection Trust explores what fashion can tell us about life in 18th-century Britain, a revolutionary period of trade, travel, and technology, which fuelled new trends across all levels of society. Discover what the Georgians wore, from dazzling court gowns to the practical dress of laundry maids, and get up close to a selection of magnificent paintings, prints, and drawings, as well as textiles, jewellery, and accessories. Tickets can be pre-booked online and cost £17 for adults, with concession prices available.
To the Roar of the Crowd
Segedunum Roman Fort, Wallsend
Until 29 October
www.segedunumromanfort.org.uk/whats-on/roman-games
Segedunum Roman Fort presents a new exhibition exploring the depiction of popular Roman spectator sports on everyday objects. Scenes from gladiator fights and chariot races were used as decoration around the house, in mosaics and wall-paintings, on bowls, drinking glasses, and lamps, and on jewellery such as signet rings and brooches. To the Roar of the Crowd looks at some of these items in everyday use, and explores what they can tell us about the world of the games. Tickets cost £6.95 for adults; entry is free for children under 16 and NE28 residents.
EVENTS
Stukeley 300
Stanton Drew, Bristol
22-23 July
www.stukeley300.org.uk
This weekend in July marks an important milestone in the history of Stanton Drew, one of England’s most significant stone circle sites: the 300th anniversary of the visit of William Stukeley, the renowned antiquarian who brought the site to national prominence. The celebrations will include, on the Saturday, a symposium of talks on William Stukeley and the archaeology of Stanton Drew, followed by a Sunday of events in the village, including free guided tours of the stones and an exhibition. Tickets for the symposium cost £25, or £15 for access to the live stream of the event.
Riddlequest: escape game
Sutton Hoo, Suffolk
23 & 24 June
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/suffolk/sutton-hoo/events
Get involved in Riddlequest, Sutton Hoo’s escape game experience. Your quest is to return an object formerly belonging to King Rædelwulf to its rightful place, completing challenges along the way, including solving real early medieval riddles to unlock the secrets of the past. The game can be played by all ages but is most suitable for those aged 10+. All children must be supervised. Tickets cost £15 for adults and £6 for children under 16. There are four time slots available over the weekend in June, with additional dates available later in the year.
MUSEUM
Engineers
Science Museum, London
23 June
www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/see-and-do/engineers
A major new gallery is opening later this month at the Science Museum in London. The Engineers gallery will explore world-changing engineering innovations and the diverse and fascinating range of people behind them. Human stories are at the heart of this new space, which challenges common misconceptions about what engineers do and offers a fresh perspective on the breadth and range of these important roles, celebrating our engineering heritage and the people responsible for some of the most significant innovations of our time. Entry to the new gallery is free.
VIRTUAL VISITS
British Museum Audio app, UK
www.britishmuseum.org/visit/audio-app
Explore 250 key objects in the British Museum’s collection from your phone with this new app, which offers audio-visual content and expert commentary from the curatorial team to help you learn more.
Museum of the American Revolution, USA
www.amrevmuseum.org/timelines/timeline-of-the-american-revolution
Philadelphia’s Museum of the American Revolution has launched a new interactive online feature, ‘Timeline of the American Revolution’, which uses objects from its collections to explore this important period.
The Forbidden City, China
https://artsandculture.google.com/project/treasures-of-the-palace-museum
To celebrate the Forbidden City’s 600th anniversary, Google Arts and Culture presents a wealth of resources allowing you to step inside the ancient imperial palace and explore its many treasures.
Fort Victoria, Isle of Wight, UK
Take a virtual tour of this former military fort on the Isle of Wight, built in the 1850s to protect the western Solent, with a new 3D model created by the Maritime Archaeology Trust.
EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES
Cabinet
Explore hundreds of images and objects from collections in Oxford and elsewhere with this platform from the University of Oxford, which offers 2D and 3D digitisations of a wide variety of resources.
Smartify
Download the Smartify app and delve into the stories of artefacts and artworks in museums and galleries around the world, with audio tours, digital guides, and much more.
Museums and Chill
www.icom.museum/en/news/museums-and-chill-how-architecture-shapes-the-museum-experience
Get a behind-the-scenes look at the museum sector with the International Council of Museum’s newly rebranded podcast, which features interviews with both experts and non-experts in the museum and culture world.
The Tank Museum on YouTube
www.youtube.com/user/TheTankMuseum
The Tank Museum in Dorset, UK, has become the first museum to reach 100 million views on YouTube, with over 400 videos, including interviews with curators, mini documentaries, and stories about their collections.
FAMILY FUN
Colour Our Collections
http://library.nyam.org/colorourcollections/
Find free downloadable colouring sheets and books from libraries, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world with this resource from the New York Academy of Medicine.
Race for Maiden Castle
Download this game from English Heritage and invite a friend to play. Will you be able to defend the Dorset hillfort of Maiden Castle from attack, or will a rival Iron Age tribe be successful in their raid?
Archaeologist or Palaeontologist?
www.yac-uk.org/activity/archaeologist-or-palaeontologist
Download this game from Creswell Crags and explore the differences between archaeologists and palaeontologists; place the objects in chronological order and vote on who they should be studied by.
Time Team on YouTube
www.youtube.com/@TimeTeamOfficial/videos
Time Team returns with new episodes, exploring sites that include a Knights Hospitaller preceptory, a hidden city in Greece, and more to come. Available now on the Time Team YouTube channel.
Big Ben: restoring the world-famous clock
www.channel4.com/programmes/big-ben-restoring-the-world-famous-clock
Join architectural historian Anna Key as she goes behind the scenes to explore the restoration work recently carried out on Big Ben (since 2012, officially known as the Elizabeth Tower).
