Local families and children encouraged to join The Wild Escape

The Box is joining The Wild Escape, a major new project uniting hundreds of museums, galleries and historic houses with schools and families to explore nature and creativity.

Led by national charity Art Fund with support from Arts Council England, the project is the largest ever collaboration between UK museums.

Taking place between now and July, The Wild Escape invites children to find a favourite animal in their local museum and create an artwork imagining its journey to a natural habitat. The pictures and stories they create will be brought together in a collective work of art that imagines a better future for wildlife.

It will be launched online and in selected museums on Earth Day 2023. Visit www.earthday.org/earth-day-2023/ for details.

As part of The Wild Escape, The Box will be working with St Peter’s CE Primary School in Rendle Street, Plymouth on a series of workshops connected to evolution.

During the sessions they’ll be exploring the Six-Banded nomad bee – Britain’s rarest type of bee which can be found on the nearby South Devon coast – and its reliance on particular habitats and other species for survival.

The Box will also be supporting the school with its plans to redevelop its grounds through a donation of wildflower seeds.

During the Easter holidays, on April 1, 2, 4, 5, 6 and 11 to 15, and on Earth Day on April 22, The Box will be running free, family-friendly drop-in sessions inspired by Six-Banded nomad bee too. From headdresses and seed balls to bee homes and puppets; activities will vary from day to day and will give everyone who comes along the chance to be creative whilst learning more about this amazing insect and The Box’s natural history collections.

The Wild Escape is an opportunity to join the urgent conversation about climate change and biodiversity loss and look for solutions that will benefit nature, in partnership with leading environmental charities the RSPB and WWF and cultural organisations English Heritage and the National Trust.

The project is inspired by ‘Wild Isles’, a landmark BBC series that will air this year. Presented by David Attenborough, the programme will focus on Britain’s spectacular wildlife.

Jenny Waldman, director of Art Fund, said: “I’m thrilled that The Box is joining hundreds of organisations from across the country to connect thousands of children with the natural world.

Thanks to the invaluable support of Arts Council England, The Wild Escape will empower families and children to visit and discover our wonderful museums, whilst taking positive action to picture a better future for our wildlife.”