Tuesday 27th July to Saturday 29th August

All Museum Branches

Clued Up!

Our popular Summer Quiz – visit Central Museum, Southchurch Hall the Beecroft Art Gallery  find the clues, answer the questions and claim a free prize including purses, mini kites, torches, beakers, badges and more. 

Pick up your booklet from any of the participating branches from Tuesday 27 July.
  

Tuesday 27th to Saturday 31st July 2010 - 10.00am to 3.00pm

Central Museum

Archaeology Festival

Archaeology Festival – with live demonstrations, great craft, quizzes, puzzles, face painting.

Tuesday 27 July – John Lord – Flintknapper will be outside the Museum re-creating ancient flint tools. Demonstrating his wonderful skill at working flint to make hand axes, arrow heads and fire!

Wednesday & Thursday 28 & 29 July – the Tudors get brought to life through their pottery with the staff from Southchurch Hall. Handling sessions will be on going throughout the day.

Friday & Saturday 30 & 31 July – watch a Longbowman make longbows and demonstrate their use this an incredible craft and skill and visitors can see him in action behind Central Museum throughout Friday and Saturday.

In addition to the live demonstrations there will be, Tudor face painting, great craft including making a jewelled Tudor thumb ring and felt Tudor rose, quizzes, excavation of sand trays and much more.
  

1st August 2010 - 10.00am to 4.00pm

Southchurch Hall

Tudor Day

Step back in time and enjoy the wonders of Southchurch Hall at our annual celebration of Tudor life, including jesters and musicians. 

Find out about Tudor crafts, and the Tudor way of life, with an opportunity to purchase traditional wares from Annotts Pots, amongst others.  

Have a go at Tudor dancing, visit the gentlefolk of the manor, and hear Tudor music in the atmospheric setting of Southchurch Hall and its gardens.

Hog roast will be available, and there is a prize for the best child in costume.

Admission Free.

Tuesday 3rd August - 10.00am to 4.00pm

also Thursday 19th August - 10.00am to 4.00pm

Beecroft Art Gallery

In The Frame - Childrens Workshop

Create your own artwork inspired by the Essex Open exhibition. Drop in between 10.00am and 4.00pm.

Finished work will hang in the gallery alongside the Essex Open. Work with illustrator Karen Jones on 3 August and Fran Wilde of Focal Point on 19 August
 

7th August to 2nd October 2010

Central Museum

Life's a Beach

Summer Exhibition Beach Wear from the Museum’s Collections

Monday 9th August at 3.00pm

Central Museum

Film - The Little Mermaid

Come and see this lovely Disney movie. Tickets available from the Central Museum. Doors open at 2.30pm

Tickets: Adults £3.00   Children £1.50

Until 31st July 2010 - 10.00am to 5.00pm

Central Museum

Meet the Tudors

An exhibition of life during Tudor times, wonderful local history with artefacts, displays, interactives, puzzles, replica costume including dressing up box for children.

Every Saturday there will be FREE special handling sessions with museum staff

Call for details.

Until 2nd October 2010

Beecroft Gallery

52nd Essex Open Art Exhibition

A chance to shine, if you are an artist living or working in Essex and are over 18 this is the annual opportunity to enter the prestigious Essex Open Exhibition.  Selection is by prominent people in the art world and there are generous sponsored awards for various categories.

12th September 2010

Southchurch Hall

Heritage Open Day - Wattle and Daub Techniques

As part of the annual celebration of the nation’s heritage, Southchurch Hall will be giving visitors the chance to practise the technique of wattle and daub which would have been used to construct this historic building.  No authentic dung though just good messy fun, there will also be a range of craft and farm related activities.

9th October to 18th December 2010

Beecroft Gallery

Beyond the Frame & Winter Exhibition featuring Active 8

‘Beyond the Frame’ is a Museums in Essex project involving 5 museums, paired with 5 Essex artists. The artists have worked to create new pieces of art inspired by those they have seen in the museums’ collections, focussing upon works on paper – watercolours, prints, drawings and posters.  The exhibition, to be launched at the Beecroft Art Gallery, will display the results of this work, and the art that inspired it, and tour other venues all over the county in 2011.

Upstairs the traditional winter exhibition returns with wonderful arts and crafts on display to admire and tempt you into purchasing that extra special gift.

9th October to 18th December 2010

Central Museum

Myths and Legends Exhibition

Saturday 16th October 2010 - 7.00pm to 9.00pm

Hadleigh Country Park

Astronomy Open Night

Our popular astronomy open nights return for spring 2010.

Visitors will be able to view the Moon and other celestial objects through the powerful telescopes of the Castle Point Astronomy Club (weather permitting!).

More details at www.cpac.org.uk

Admission Free  (Donations Welcomed!)

The final 2010 Open Night will be held on November 13th 2010 from 5.30 to 7.30pm.

Saturday 9th October 2010

Beecroft Gallery

The Big Draw

As part of the national campaign to get the nation drawing the Beecroft Art Gallery will be hosting the Big Draw. 

A guest illustrator will be guiding old and young alike through workshops enabling the inexperience and experience to create their own masterpieces and hopefully be inspired to nurture their new talents.

26th to 30th October 2010

Central Museum

Making Myths and Legends

Wonderful half term activities, with storytelling, puppeteers, special Planetarium Shows, craft activities & face painting.   

27th November 2010

Southchurch Hall

Christmas Open Day

A wonderful mix of traditional carols, madrigal singers, story telling and an enormous Christmas Tree.  Southchurch Hall is beautifully decorated for Christmas.  A wonderful selection of festive jams and chutney, cakes with a few local craft tables, a perfect start to Christmas festivities.