Museum News Brampton Park, Newcastle-under-Lyme, , ST5 0QP T: 01782 619705 www.newcastle-staffs.gov.uk/museum Mon-Sat 10.00-5.30, Sun 2.00-5.30

Current Exhibitions at a glance. Window 11 May - 30 June Friday 24 May will mark Queen Victoria’s 200th birthday. She was one of our longest serving monarchs, 2nd only to Queen Elizabeth II. Victoria came to the throne in 1837 and despite being only 18 years old and 5 foot tall she certainly made her mark during her 63 year reign!

To celebrate 200 years since her birth our Window display area will showcase items from the collection with a ‘Victoria’ theme. Hall Gallery Portrait of a Moment 25th May-14th July Artist Nicola Knight’s exhibition, ‘Portrait of a Moment’, is a collection of oil paintings painted in a traditional style, with dark backgrounds, borrowed from the Dutch masters, depicting a portrait, capturing a scene or a moment in time.

Main Gallery Criminal Quilts 25 May- 7 July Criminal Quilts is an art and heritage project inspired by photographs and documents relating to women held in Stafford Prison 1877-1916, created and developed by Ruth Singer in partnership with Staffordshire Record Office.

Summer activities Out of This World- Space Race Toys. 20 July-1 September We have lift off! To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the moon landings, this family friendly exhibition, celebrates all things space!

A touring exhibition, from Emma Warren Exhibitions, looks at toys from the 60's and 70's, influenced by the space race. These toys and games explored the fantasy of space travel and of living on other planets. Everything from ray guns and space patrol walkie talkies to moon shoes and flying saucers were produced. A range of these original childhood favourites is included in this exhibition.

There will also be space themed activities and crafts too!

Craft Cabinets We also have quality handmade gifts for everyone in our Craft Cabinets where you will find something for everyone even the most difficult person to buy for.

Regular activities for visitors Museum Prize Trail (cost 50p) – our themed trail around the museum for families costs just 50p and children will get a small prize when they find all the answers. Hunt high and low, upstairs and downstairs. Great fun for kids of all ages. We change the trail regularly so children will always find a new way to explore our museum. Paper Crafts (cost 50p)– always something different to colour and create. A simple paper activity to complete at our craft table or when you get home. Lots of fun and we regularly provide new themed paper crafts to try. Craft Packs – we create our own themed craft packs at prices ranging from £1 to £4 to buy and create at our craft table or when you get home.

Museum Talks Places are limited so pre-booking is essential. If you would like to book, or for any more information, please ring 01782 619705 or email [email protected]

Criminal Quilts Talk by Ruth Singer Wednesday 3 July Join artist and researcher Ruth Singer to explore more of the stories behind the Criminal Quilts exhibition. The textiles on display have been created following extensive research into the stories of women held in Stafford Prison 1877-1916.

Friends of Brampton Museum Talks We have a regular programme of talks organised by our Museum Friends. Please call the Museum to book a place 01782 619705. Tickets to be paid for on the day – payment to Friends of the Museum. Friends of the Museum and non-members are welcome.

Summer Garden Visit Sunday 30 June at 2.30pm. Keele Farmhouse The Village Keele ST5 5AR (there will be signs to direct you once you enter the village of Keele)

Dr Robin Studd and his wife Angela have very kindly offered to open their garden to the Brampton Museum Friends to help boost their funds. Also, you can take in a visit to Keele Church and view the Templar Window. Admission £5.00 Tea, Coffee and Cakes included. Car parking will be available, plus we can take cover if the weather turns wet . To book in please ring the Brampton Museum 01782 619705

Coal Mining in North Staffordshire at the time of The Minnie Pit Disaster in January 1918 Wednesday 7 August at 2.30 pm Dr Lloyd Boardman and Jim Worgan will give an illustrated talk on the Minnie Pit Disaster and the working lives of the miners in North Staffordshire in the early part of the 20th century. The talk will coincide with a memorial Service to be held in the Parish Church of Audley to commemorate the receiving of all the bodies from the disaster on the 12th January 1918. A Service of Commemoration was held in the church on August 16th, 1919 Admission is £4.00 for Friends of Brampton Museum. And £5.00 for visitors. Please ring the museum to book a place 01782 619705

“Millicent” Duchess of Sutherland - The life, times and loves of Millicent (St. Clair Erskine) Sutherland. By Levison Wood. Wednesday 16 October 2.30pm

The enigmatic, contradictory and oft misunderstood woman who many only know as 'Meddling Millie!' Admission is £4.00 for Friends of Brampton Museum, £5.00 for visitors Please ring the museum to book a place 01782 619705

A Friends Christmas Gathering Sunday 8 December 2019. Come & join us for a cuppa & mince pies at the Brampton Museum Details nearer the time

Friends of Brampton Museum We have an established Friends group. Their aims are to support the work of the museum by: Organising social events such as talks and social events (see the What's on page for details) Fundraising for the museum to purchase items for the collections and to support museum projects} Being advocates for the museum in the community

If you join the Friends you will:

 Be invited to social gatherings in the Museum  Receive mailings about Museum and Friends events  Be invited to Private Views  Have a reduced admission for all talks

 Make new friends and have fun By joining the Friends you can help the museum, meet like-minded people and get involved! The fees are: annual single subscription £6; family £8.50; OAP/student £5; joint OAP £7

Donations Making our museum even better. We want to improve the museum collections storage areas and create a research facility for the public to:

Improve our visitor facilities by providing a café, meeting rooms, better toilets and shop. With better meeting and education rooms we will be able to accommodate larger groups and expand the activities we currently offer to the public

Improve our temporary exhibition space so that we are able to accommodate larger exhibitions, touring exhibitions and loans from regional and national museums We need to raise match funding to help to pay for the costs of this project.

If you would like to support our project by donating money to our fund please contact the Museum on 01782 619705.

Meeting Room Hire For meetings, events or gatherings. We have two meeting rooms available to hire for a wide range of activities for your business, groups or events.

Group meetings, talks, art workshops, yoga and wellbeing sessions, language groups, family gatherings are some examples of the types of activities that have been held at the museum.

For availability, bookings and to discuss your requirements please call or email us, or pop in for an informal visit and chat:

Rooms: The Red Room is situated on the ground floor of the original Museum building and features a bay window with a view onto the park, wooden parquet floor and original historical features. The Red Room also houses some of our topographical local paintings. There is a pull-down projector screen. The room can be closed off to Museum visitors. Toilets are accessed near the main entrance. Maximum occupancy: 25 people

The Green Room is accessed via a corridor from the Main Gallery space. The room features a sink and sideboard and is mainly used for education and arts and crafts, as well as meetings. This room has close access to toilets, kitchen facilities and direct access to a back yard area and parking. Maximum occupancy: 25 people

Prices: £27 per half day / £50 per full day. We also offer a community/charity rate. Please enquire to discuss if your organisation is eligible.

We can provide your tea and coffee (milk and sugar) with crockery at £1.60 per head, or you can opt to use our self-service coffee machine with prices at £1.20 for tea/hot chocolate or £1.50 for coffees. Groups may bring their own tea, coffee etc., refreshments and catering by arrangement. We can provide hot water and crockery included in the price however the group will be responsible for collecting, washing and returning the crockery at the end of the session. Please contact us for availability and more information either by phone, email or in person.

Opportunities

Opportunity Saturday Creative Workshops Brampton Museum Date Contact us for availability Details Are you a creative practitioner who delivers Art and Craft workshops? We have two rooms available for you to hire on Saturdays throughout the year. You could hire one of our rooms to host your own creative workshop(s) in our Museum.

Rooms: The Red Room is situated on the ground floor of the original Museum building and features a bay window with a view onto the park, wooden parquet floor and original historical features. The Red Room also houses some of our topographical local paintings. There is a pull down projector screen. The room has a door so your event can be closed off to regular Museum visitors. Toilets are accessed near the main entrance. Maximum occupancy: 25 people

The Green Room is accessed via a corridor from the Main Gallery space. The room features a sink and sideboard and is mainly used for education and arts and crafts, as well as meetings. This room has close access to toilets, kitchen facilities and direct access to a back yard area and parking. Maximum occupancy: 25 people

Prices: £27 per half day / £50 per full day For availability and bookings and to discuss your requirements please call or email us, or pop in for an informal visit and chat: 01782 619705 [email protected]

Opportunity Drawing and Painting Workshop with Artist and tutor Mark Lippett Date Saturday 6 July 10.00am – 4.00pm Location Brampton Museum, Brampton Park, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, ST5 0QP Details See poster attached

Opportunity Green Shepherd Design Glass Painting and Mood Painting Workshops Location Brampton Museum, Brampton Park, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, ST5 0QP Contact Email: [email protected] Facebook: @GreenShepherdArt Details Payment will be taken at the time of booking and to secure your place

- Examples will be shown and demonstrations given, if needed, during the workshop. - Assistance from the Tutor. - Personal experimentation. These classes are only available for adults. To afford those attending the opportunity to relax and unwind; no children, toddlers or babies can attend. Sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.

Opportunity Workshops at unit twelve Date various, see below Location Tixall Road, Stafford ST18 0XX Details Skills for Spring.. We have lots of amazing workshop on offer to teach you new skills this spring, such as: Paper Lampshades with Jennifer Collier on 15th June Morpho Butterfly workshop with Heather Everitt on 16th August Stitch a Perfect Pet workshop with Karen Suzuki on 25th May Hand stitched ladybird or bee workshop with Heather Everitt on 17th August Or for details of ALL forthcoming art workshops do check out www.unittwelve.co.uk

Opportunity Workshops with Belinda Latimer Designs Location Belinda Latimer Designs, STUDIO 33, ACAVA STUDIOS - WORKS, ELENORA ST, STOKE, ST41QQ. 07545 865217 [email protected] Dates Saturday 29 June Details I have created a very unique opportunity for you. Saturday 29th June at Westport Lake from 10.30-3.30 pm. Elemental Art! Creating with Nature for adults . It will be based in the wonderfully diverse Westport Lake, in Longport. With stunning lakes, forests, canals and wildlife aplenty from 10.30- 3.30pm.Price £60. 8 places available. To book, simply comment below, message me on Facebook or call me on 07545 865217.

Opportunity Three Counties Open Art Exhibition Location School of Art Queen St, Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent ST6 3EJ. 01782 810808 Date Saturday 13 July and Sunday 14 July | 10am-4pm Details

Following its huge success last year’s exhibition, the Three Counties Open Art Exhibition will return this summer at the for its third year. Artists from Cheshire, Staffordshire and Shropshire are invited to submit their entries for judging.

Prizes include:

Arthur Berry Prize £500 Keele niversity 1st prize: £300 Keele University 2nd prize: £150 Keele University 3rd prize: £50 Art Studio Prize: £150 vouchers Burslem School of Art and Burslem Commuinty Development Trust prize: £100 City Learning Trust Award for young people (20 years and under) £50 Burslem Regeneration Trust prize £50

Call for Entries Please bring up to 3 entries on: Saturday 13 July | 10am-4pm Sunday 14 July | 10am-4pm

Exhibition Preview evening: Friday 26 July | 6pm

The Exhibition will run from Saturday 27 July - 26 August 2019. Burslem School of Art will be open t the public on Tuesdays-Saturdays: 11am-3pm

+ Monday 26 August (Bank Holiday) 12-4pm

In Partnership with City Learning Trust, Burslem School of Art and Barewall Gallery

Click to download the THREE COUNTIES OPEN ART 2019 ENTRY FORM

Credit: Image by Russell Gregory, winner of the 2018 Arthur Berry Prize

Opportunity Centre Space Spode 2019 Exhibition Bookings Contact https://centrespacespode.com/contact/ Details Welcome to Centre Space Spode We are a welcoming professionally run Gallery set within the heart of the Trust Heritage Centre. Our gallery space can accommodate a multitude of art forms from 2D photography to large 3D based Sculptures.

Centre Space is an artist lead space that encourages all art forms. Our staff are at hand to help you to develop an exhibition that you will be proud of. We have over 10 years’ experience in developing exhibitions so you’re safe in our hands.

Funding No funding opportunities to display

Exhibitions and Events Exhibition Criminal Quilts – An art and archives exhibition by Ruth Singer. Location Brampton Museum, Brampton Park, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire ST5 0LT Dates 25 May- 7 July Details During 2017 and 2018 Ruth was Artist in Residence at Staffordshire Record Office, researching and creating artworks inspired by images of female criminals who were photographed in Stafford Prison from 1877 to 1915. These pictures provide a compelling glimpse into the lives of around 500 women imprisoned for petty crimes such as drunkenness and theft, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Alongside the creation of textile artworks for her successful Criminal Quilts series, Ruth has worked with local volunteers to meticulously research the backgrounds of some of the women whose images are preserved in nine surviving photo albums from Stafford Prison.

Ruth has created an intriguing and poignant exhibition exploring the hard lives and challenging stories of the women who appear in the mugshot albums. The exhibition launched in 2018 at the Festival of Quilts. There is an accompanying local history display touring Staffordshire libraries this year.

This project came into being in 2012 when textile artist Ruth Singer was commissioned by Shire Hall Gallery, Stafford, to make new work inspired by their historic court building which was built in 1789. The series of miniature quilt pieces created were inspired by mugshots of women prisoners with their hands on their chests and the impressive surroundings of the building they were tried and convicted in. These pieces were later purchased by the Staffordshire Museum Service.

Since 2012 Ruth has continued to develop work around the themes and was awarded the Fine Art Quilt Masters prize at Festival of Quilts in 2016 for one of the new pieces.

Exhibition Portrait of a Moment Location Hall Gallery Brampton Museum, Brampton Park, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire ST5 0LT Dates 25th May-14th July Details Artist Nicola Knight’s exhibition, ‘Portrait of a Moment’, is a collection of oil paintings painted in a traditional style, with dark backgrounds, borrowed from the Dutch masters, depicting a portrait, capturing a scene or a moment in time.

Exhibition Katrina Wilde: Spaces Location EN.Gallery, 1st Floor Entrepreneurs Network , 51-53 Piccadilly, Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordhsire, ST1 1HR Dates Exhibition runs until Thursday 4 July. Details The body of work will be exploring the relationship between the self, the natural world and the communities that surround us, that uphold us. Through connecting with these things, we can cultivate an appreciation for our surroundings, and so begin to nurture and look after them with intention. A collection of paintings, prints, textiles and ceramics will be on display, some available to purchase. The exhibition has been support by @growwilduk, The National Lottery and @hnescapescic.

Exhibition Art at 2019 Location 17 The Villas, Stoke- on-Trent, ST4 5AQ Dates 22 & 23 June Details

Exhibition The Ashbourne Angel Art Trail Location The Ashbourne Festival https://ashbournefestival.org/ Dates 22nd June – 7th July Details

10 leading artists, based in and around the Midlands, were invited to make a personal response to some aspect of the time honoured visual conventions or narratives associated with Angels. In addition to personal interpretations and because of the historical pedigree that surrounds Angel iconography – encapsulating as it does everything from medieval stained glass and illuminated scripts to artists as diverse as Giotto and Fra Angelico, William Blake to Marc Chagall – each exhibiting artist also had the option to use aspects of art history as a starting point.

As part of the Ashbourne Arts Festival examples of work by these artists will be shown in shop windows throughout the town and in a larger exhibition in St Oswald’s Church.

A map showing the exact locations can be found at Ashbourne Library, the Tourist Information Office and St Oswald’s.

This project builds on the success of 2 previous group exhibitions - ‘A Derbyshire Passion – Stations of the Cross’ held at Derby Cathedral in 2015, and The Adam & Eve Project which toured the Midlands in 2017/18.

The artists involved are; Michael Cook Maggie Cullen Elizabeth Forrest Michelle Holmes Rebecca Mercer Duncan Pass Sue Prince John Rattigan Sarah Sharpe Anna Thomas

Exhibitions Trent Art 2019 Exhibitions Location 19 Brunswick St, Newcastle ST5 1HF Details

Exhibition Into the Woods Location Unit Twelve Gallery, Tixall Heath Farm, Stafford ST18 0XX email: [email protected] tel: 07811 460494 Dates 2 May – 31st August, open Thurs-Sat, 10-4pm: www.unittwelve.co.uk Details The forest acts as a potent symbol of adventure and discovery; a place where the barrier between reality and fantasy begins to thin. This exhibition seeks to capture the wonder and whimsy of these magical places, a whimsy that is subtly shaded with undertones of the sinister and macabre. With work from: Betty Pepper, Clare Collinson, Kayleigh Radcliffe, Treefall Design, Chris Turrel-Watts, Heather Everitt, Claire Gent, Print Garage, The Cat in the Shoe, Mrs Bertimus, Karen Suzuki, Liz Cooksey, Gwen Vaughan and Josephine Gomersall.

The exhibition continues unto the 31st August, open Thurs-Sat, 10-4pm

For workshop listings and booking visit www.unittwelve.co.uk Workshops to accompany this exhibition include: Paper Flowers with Jennifer Collier on 4th May Paper Lampshades with Jennifer Collier on 15th June Hanging Fabric Planters with Jennifer Collier on 11th May Morpho Butterfly workshop with Heather Everitt on 16th August Stitch a Perfect Pet workshop with Karen Suzuki on 25th May Hand stitched ladybird or bee workshop with Heather Everitt on 17th August

Exhibition The Waiting Room Gallery Exhibition - Local Artwork and Waiting Room Opening Location 17 Station Street Longport ST6 4ND Dates First Exhibition currently on show - Opening times vary but are listed daily on facebook – more information can be found here Details

The Waiting Room Gallery Exhibition for Longport Railway Station. The opening exhibition celebrates the reopening of a waiting room community hub by Longport Station and will include many artists associated with or living near the Station.

The Gallery is also taking expressions of interest for exhibitors – the small gallery room can cost as little as 4 pounds a day and the main gallery as little as 8 pounds a day to suit the exhibitor. We will charge for extras such as invigilation and commission. To discuss your ideas and for further information call 01782 824807 or message through the Friends of Longport group on facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/554832851603103/ More documents and pricing will be available soon.