City museum’s brand new adult’s events programme moving from strength to strength

Picture caption: Rediscover and new learn skills as part of Leeds Museums and Galleries programme for adults.



A new programme of fantastic artist workshops, talks and specialist study days introduced earlier this year specifically for adults are becoming fully-booked at Leeds City Museum.



Whether you want to learn more about their collection, meet new people, brush up on your existing skills or learn new ones, Leeds City Museum has a diverse programme of activities and events to take part in and enjoy throughout the year.



Next to feature in an exciting programme of curator led study day and talks is a free special investigation into the scientific heritage of Leeds and how it changed the world in the Thoresby Room of Leeds City Museum. Led by Dr Kersten Hall, author of ‘The Man in the Monkeycoat’, the city’s role in this field from the 19th century to today will be explored as part of ‘From dark satanic mills to DNA’. Leeds City Museum will also be hosting the perfect free lunchtime talk for keen train and railway enthusiasts on Wednesday 18 March from 1-2pm led by Dr Di Drummond from Leeds Trinity University who is internationally renowned for her research in railway history.



Leeds Museums and Galleries has put together a wide ranging events and activities programme to commemorate all aspect of the First World War, and as part of a study day on Thursday 19 March from 11am-3pm, there will be an opportunity in the Denny Room at Leeds City Museum to learn how to begin researching your own family stories of the war. Booking is again essential for the event, which is priced at £10 includes lunch and attendees are encouraged to bring their own items and stories.



If you have always fancied creating your own jewellery, the city museum also has the perfect event for you on Thursday 15 April from 10.30am-4pm. Enjoy a creative day making your own plaited wire lace bracelet with help from the experts. Keen snappers or budding photographers will also have the opportunity in two events to find out how to light their photography without using a fancy kit. All you need to do is bring your camera at the free event which will be held on the days of Thursday 30 April and repeated again on Thursday 11 June from 2pm-4pm.



The objects of Leeds Museums and Galleries range from tiny natural history specimens such as birds right through to steam engines, many of which need treatment at some point. They may be in danger of deteriorating, or may need cleaning before going on display. At the ‘Conservation Behind the Scenes’ session on Wednesday 22nd April 10.30am – 12.30pm attendees will get the opportunity to see what the museum service’s three dimensional object conservator deals with on a daily basis.



Leeds Museums and Galleries are home to a vast array of wonderful pieces, artefacts, collections and exhibitions, and if have ever wondered what it would be like to volunteer at one of our sites, this is your chance on Friday 5 June from 11am-4pm at Leeds City Museum to find out about the opportunities available.



To find out more about Leeds Museums and Galleries, please see: www.leeds.gov.uk/museumsandgalleries



Councillor Lucinda Yeadon, Leeds City Council’s executive member for digital and creative technologies, culture and skills said:



"We are delighted to be moving forward with our tailored programme for adults, which will offer people the chance to take part in fantastic workshops, specialist study days and also listen to talks on a variety of different subjects from the experts.



"With booking essential for a number of our events and many of them becoming fully booked well in advance we would ask people to book their places as soon as possible to avoid disappointment."



Previous events specifically for adults held at the city museum have already proved to be a great success. Included on the programme was a ‘Discovery Drawing’ workshop which led by Lesley Birch, an artist from York and has exhibited in the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, encouraged attendees who hadn’t picked up a pencil since their schooldays to have another try.



Speaking on the workshop, Lesley said:



"I tailored the two-hour workshop to suit those with very little confidence. We used graphite, collage, pencils, pen and ink and made some studies of still life objects to help develop observational skills.



"The workshop also tied in with a visit to the museum’s current exhibition on the Labours of Herakles where the students were led through sketching exercises.



"According to the team behind the courses they have been extremely popular with full attendance so and very positive feedback so they are hoping to continue to add to the programme in the future."



Notes to editors:



Leeds Museums and Galleries is Leeds City Council’s family of nine museum sites across the city and is responsible for looking after the collections of fine and decorative art, fashion and textiles, industrial and social history, natural science and much more.



Leeds City Museum

Leeds City Museum is situated in one of Leeds' much loved civic buildings - the Leeds Institute building on Millennium Square. The Leeds Institute is one of the City's most important historic buildings and was completed in 1862 by Cuthbert Brodrick, who also built Leeds Town Hall and the Corn Exchange. From the middle of the last century until 2005 it also housed the Civic Theatre where amateur theatrical groups staged public performances. It has been home to the City Museum since 2008.



The City Museum is the flagship site for the service, and is home to four floors of interactive and exciting galleries showcasing the story of Leeds, as well as the Leeds Mummy and our Designated Natural History collection. In 2013-14 we attracted over 320,000 visitors to our site.



Leeds City Museum is a free attraction located just up the steps on Millennium Square in Leeds city centre.



Admission free. Mondays closed (except bank holiday Mondays) -Please see website for opening times.

www.leeds.gov.uk/citymuseum

Millennium Square, Cookridge Street, Leeds, LS2 8BH.



Full Events listing:



CURATOR LED TALKS & STUDY DAYS



LUNCHTIME TALK – FROM DARK SATANIC MILLS TO DNA: The scientific heritage of leeds and how it changed the world

Tue 17 Mar 1.15 – 1.45pm, in the Thoresby Room With Dr Kersten Hall, author of 'The Man in the Monkeynut Coat; William Astbury and the Forgotten Road to the Double-Helix'. Free.



LUNCHTIME TALK – LEEDS LOCOMOTIVE MANUFACTURERS IN THE PAST

Wed 18 Mar, 1 – 2pm, in the Thoresby Room, free.



STUDY DAY - DISCOVERING YOUR FIRST WORLD WAR HERITAGE

Thu 19 Mar, 11am – 3pm, Cost £10, booking essential, includes lunch.



CONSERVATION: BEHIND THE SCENES Wed 22 Apr, 10.30am – 12.30pm See what our three dimensional object conservator deals with on a daily basis.

Free, booking essential.



STUDY DAY – HOSPITALS AND THE FIRST WORLD WAR

Thu 28 May, 11am – 3pm, Cost £10, booking essential, includes lunch.



STUDY DAY - LEONORA COHEN: A LEEDS SUFFRAGETTE

Thu 25 June, 11am – 3pm, in the Denny Room

Explore our Leonora Cohen collection and consider the role of women in the early twentieth century.

Cost £10, booking essential, includes lunch.



LUNCHTIME TALK – TURNING POINTS OF THE FIRST WORLD WAR Tue 7 July, 1 – 2pm, in the Denny Room

Free, drop in event.



EXHIBITION TOUR – TAILORED

Thu 3 Sep, 12.30 – 1 pm, Thu 22 Oct, 12.30 – 1pm, Special Exhibitions gallery

Find out more about some of the fantastic suits and other objects on display in our tailored exhibition.

Free, drop in event.



STUDY DAY – LEEDS MUSEUMS IN THE FIRST WORLD WAR

Fri 11 Sept, 11am – 3pm, in the Denny Room Join Lucy Moore, WW1 Project Curator to learn their histories during the war.

Cost £10, booking essential, includes lunch.



LUNCHTIME TALK – MEMORY, MEMORIALS AND THE FIRST WORLD WAR

Wed 11 Nov, 1 – 2pm, in the Denny Room

How do we remember? with Lucy Moore, WW1 Project Curator.

Free, drop in event.



LEEDS CRAFT HACK

Weds 14 Oct, 10.30am – 4.30pm, in the Thoresby Room

Work with artists to make a large collaborative artwork. No artistic experience needed, just a willingness to have a go.

Free, drop in event.



ARTIST WORKSHOPS



PHOTOGRAPHY LIGHTING

Thu 30 April, 2 – 4pm, in the Thoresby Room

Thu 11 June, 2 - 4 pm, in the Thoresby Room

Booking essential



MOVE AT THE MUSEUM

Sat 23 May, 2 – 4pm, in the Brodrick Hall

Sat 27 June, 2 – 4pm, in the Brodrick Hall

Booking essential



VOICES OF ASIA ARTIST WORKSHOP

Wed 17 June, 10.30am – 12.30pm in theThoresby Room

Booking essential



MID-AUTUMN FESTIVAL LIGHT WORKSHOP

Wed 23 Sept, 10am – 12pm & 1pm – 3pm, Join us at this exciting workshop where you will get the chance to make your own lantern.

Drop in event.

Booking essential



CREATIVE WRITING WORKSHOP

Thu 8 Oct, 10.30am – 4.30pm, in the Denny Room

Inspired by the Life on Earth gallery, explore ideas about animals, habitats and relationship with humans.

Cost £10, booking essential, beginners and all materials are provided, includes lunch.

Booking essential



COMMUNITY EVENTS



VOLUNTEER DAY

Fri 5 June, 11am – 4pm, in the Brodrick Hall

Find out more about opportunities to volunteer with Leeds Museums and Galleries.

Drop in event.



LOCAL HISTORY FAYRE Sat 1 Aug, 12 – 4pm, IN THE BRODRICK HALL

Come and celebrate Yorkshire Day by meeting some of our local history societies and explore this city’s great community heritage.

Drop in event.



For media enquiries, please contact;

Colin Dickinson, Leeds City Council press office (0113) 39 51578

Email: colin.dickinson@leeds.gov.uk