Ipswich Museums: What's On December 2021 - March 2022

What’s on

December 2021 - March 2022

See pages 4 & 5

John Constable, Golding Constable’s Flower Garden (1815), Oil on canvas

IPSWICH MUSEUMS 3 2

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Free Entry

Sailmakers Shopping Centre

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CHRISTCHURCH MANSION

Soane Street, Ipswich, IP4 2BE 01473 433554 Opening Times MARCH-OCTOBER Tuesday-Saturday: 10am-5pm Sunday: 11am-5pm Mondays: Closed NOVEMBER-FEBRUARY Tuesday-Saturday: 10am-4pm Sunday: 11am-4pm Mondays: Closed

From intriguing toys in the Victorian nursery to paintings by renowned Suffolk artists Gainsborough and Constable, there is lots to see in this magnificent Tudor mansion.

Discover furniture, ceramics and more, all displayed in atmospheric period rooms. Whilst visiting, take a moment to enjoy the stunning surroundings of Christchurch Park, in the heart of Ipswich, by taking a relaxing break in our tea room.

DON’T MISS • Creating Constable exhibition • The Great Hall • Suffolk Artists Gallery • The Victorian Wing • The Tudor Kitchen • Georgian Saloon 2

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IPSWICH MUSEUM

High Street, Ipswich, IP1 3QH 01473 433551 Opening Times Tuesday-Saturday: 10am-5pm Sunday: 11am-5pm Mondays: Closed

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Discover history, wildlife and more across the two floors of this historic Victorian building.

Travel through Ancient Egypt in Suffolk’s only Egyptology gallery, stand eye-to-beak with an eagle in the Ogilvie British Bird Gallery, or marvel at ship models reflecting Ipswich’s maritime past. Plus, meet family favourites the giraffe and Rosie the Rhino.

DON’T MISS • Wool-I-Am the Mammoth • Geology Gallery • Victorian Natural History Gallery • World Cultures Gallery • Anglo-Saxon Gallery

IPSWICH ART GALLERY We have held some fascinating exhibitions at Ipswich Art Gallery, however due to essential works, the Art Gallery will be closed between November 2021 - Easter 2022.

Look out for details of an exciting new exhibition opening from April - June 2022.

1 Upper High Street, Ipswich, IP1 3NE 01473 433681

For information on access to our museums please visit: ipswich.cimuseums.org.uk/access 3

EXHIBITIONS Who influenced John Constable on his journey to becoming one of the world’s best known artists?

CHRISTCHURCH MANSION 27 November 2021 - 24 April 2022

As well as works from the Ipswich Museums collection, Creating Constable features loans from the V&A, private collections and four new Constable artworks that have never been on display before.

2021 is a significant year for Constable, being the 200th anniversary of The Hay Wain, perhaps his most famous work.

It is also 200 years since the death of Suffolk artist George Frost, Constable’s early mentor. To mark this, Creating Constable will explore the early Suffolk influences and personal friendships that created Constable the artist. It will reveal the important untold stories of Suffolk artists, local collectors and early supporters who provided Constable with the foundations on which to build a career.

The exhibition is supported by the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art and The Friends of the Ipswich Museums, and sponsored in part by Kerseys Solicitors.

Free admission

John Constable, Farm Cart, Horse in Harness (c.1814), Oil on canvas

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John Constable, Group portrait of the Cooper sisters (1802-6), Oil on canvas

John Constable, Golding Constable’s Kitchen Garden (1815), Oil on canvas

George Frost (1744/5-1821), Mills, Quayside, Ipswich and Shipping

Curator’s Introduction to Creating Constable CHRISTCHURCH MANSION Thursday 10 February Curator’s Introductions are bespoke tours of new exhibitions by the lead curator responsible for their creation, development and display.

Discover the background to the artists

included in the Creating Constable exhibition and how they influenced a young Constable to paint the Suffolk landscape.

11am-12pm | £7 per person | Book online

The Lampedusa cross, Francesco Tuccio, 2015, wood © The Trustees of the British Museum

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SPOTLIGHT LOAN A British Museum Spotlight Loan

Crossings: community and refuge IPSWICH MUSEUM 11 March - 12 June 2022

Alongside the cross will be a display of 12 tiny boats from Syrian-born Issam Kourbaj’s series Dark Water, Burning World. Made from repurposed bicycle mudguards tightly packed with burnt matches, the artwork represents the fragile vessels used by refugees to make their perilous voyages as a response to the ongoing tragedy in Syria.

Engaging audiences in questions of identity, belonging and sharing our world, A British Museum Spotlight Loan Crossings: community and refuge will tour the Lampedusa cross together with poignant boat artwork around the UK for the first time, and will be displayed in Ipswich Museum in Spring 2022.

Made from the remnants of a refugee boat wrecked near the Italian island of Lampedusa, the cross carries messages about kindness, community and the indifference faced by many refugees.

Supported by the Dorset Foundation in memory of Harry M Weinrebe.

Free admission

In October 2013, an overcrowded boat carrying migrants from Somalia and Eritrea caught fire, capsized and sank near Lampedusa, close to the coast of Tunisia.

311 lives, fleeing persecution and seeking refuge in Europe, were lost. Moved by the plight of survivors, the island’s carpenter, Francesco Tuccio, made crosses from the wreckage. These signified salvation from the sea, hope for the future and as well as the fate of many migrants.

Issam Kourbaj (b. 1963), Dark Water, Burning World, 2016, repurposed bicycle steel mudguards, extinguished matches and clear resin © The Trustees of the British Museum Reproduced by permission of artist Issam Kourbaj

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CHRISTMAS AT IPSWICH MUS Meet Father Christmas CHRISTCHURCH MANSION Saturday 11, Sunday 12, Saturday 18 & Sunday 19 December Christmas at the Mansion is a special time, and this year is no different. Join Father Christmas in his grotto. This is a group experience where you will hear stories and discover what Father Christmas has been up to throughout the year. Sessions are 20 minutes long and you will receive a gift from Father Christmas.

10.30am-3.30pm | £8 per child plus £1 per additional adult (max of 2 adults per child) | Book online

Christmas Tree Festival CHRISTCHURCH MANSION 30 November 2021 - 2 January 2022 This year we are once again inviting local community groups to take part in our Christmas Tree Festival. Come and see our marvellous trees and learn about the wonderful community groups involved.

Free | Drop in 8

SEUMS

Creating Constable Christmas Trail CHRISTCHURCH MANSION 30 November 2021 - 2 Jan 2022

Festive Family Activities

Take part in this fun family trail around the ground floor of the Mansion and see how many Christmas connections with the Creating Constable exhibition you can find.

CHRISTCHURCH MANSION Saturday 11, Sunday 12, Saturday 18 & Sunday 19 December

Free | Drop in

Come and get creative at Christchurch Mansion with lots of different crafts, including creating your own handmade cards, tree ornaments and more. Come along and join in the festive cheer! All craft activities are priced at £1.

Christmas Trail at Ipswich Museum IPSWICH MUSEUM Tuesday 21 - Thursday 23 December

10am-3.30pm (from 11am on Sundays) | Drop-in

Come and get festive in Ipswich Museum with a Christmas trail, activity and a small gift for £5.

10am-4pm | Drop in 9

FEBRUARY HALF-TERM DISCO Discover the world around you and explore your own creativity in our range of activities for February half-term. From art to astronomy, and Constable to crag fossils, we will be offering a range of opportunities for all ages to explore science and arts.

Amazing Animal Crafts IPSWICH MUSEUM Tuesday 22 February 2022 Explore the amazing animals in the Museum, then have a go at crafting your own animal-inspired creations.

10.15am-11am, 11.30am-12.15pm, 1.15pm2pm, 2.15pm-3pm | £4 per child | Book online

Ask the Expert IPSWICH MUSEUM Wednesday 23 February 2022 Have you ever found something interesting and wondered what it might be? Bring your own items from rocks and fossils, to all sorts of things you might discover on the beach, and archaeological finds. Find out more and share your stories with our range of experts and museum team.

10am-3pm | Free | Drop-in 10

OVERY WEEK Make Your Own Scrapbook CHRISTCHURCH MANSION Thursday 24 February 2022 This family workshop is inspired by the Mason scrapbook of drawings which is more than 150 years old and will be on display in the Creating Constable exhibition. Cut, stick, draw and doodle your favourite memories to keep in a book of your own.

10.15am-11am, 11.30am-12.15pm, 1.15pm-2pm, 2.15pm-3pm | £4 per child | Recommended age 5+ | Book online

Star Party with Orwell Astronomy Society

Discovery Day at Christchurch Mansion

CHRISTCHURCH MANSION GROUNDS Thursday 24 February

CHRISTCHURCH MANSION Friday 25 February 2022

We will be joined by the Orwell Astronomical Society, who will help you observe the universe through their telescopes. Come along and see the winter constellations, a nearby galaxy, stellar nurseries and star clusters.

Be inspired by Elizabeth Cobbold, pioneering geologist, artist, writer and associate of Suffolk artists, including Constable. Find out more about fossils, paper cutting and poetry.

6pm-8pm | £4 per person inc. light refreshments | Recommended age 5+ | Book online

10am-3pm | Free | Drop in

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FAMILY EVEN Start with a Sketch CHRISTCHURCH MANSION Tuesday 22 - Sunday 27 February 2022 Christchurch Mansion, including the Creating Constable exhibition, is full of paintings and artworks, all of which began as sketches! Be inspired to create your own drawings based on the delights that can be found on display.

Paper, pencils and clipboards will be available, or bring your own!

Free | Drop-in

Children’s Art Competition 19 February – 3 April 2022 Create a drawing or painting inspired

by Creating Constable and the Suffolk Landscape. Entries will be categorised by the following age groups: 3-6, 7-11, 12-16. Winners will be announced on 11 April and have the chance to be displayed in Christchurch Mansion.

To enter, leave your drawing at the Mansion reception desk with your name, age, and contact details on the back before 3 April. We can only accept A4 size two-dimensional art.

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NTS TALKS & TOURS Mini Mammoths IPSWICH MUSEUM Tues 7 & Weds 8 December BOATS Tues 1 & Weds 2 February AMAZING ANIMALS

Tues 1 & Weds 2 March MONKEY PUZZLE Tues 5 & Weds 6 April STRUCTURES Join our interactive sessions for young children and their parents, grandparents and carers. Explore the collections and galleries together through a mixture of play, stories, craft and science activities, all designed to encourage development, communication and curiosity about the world around us. You can book for either the Tuesday or Wednesday sessions.

Groups and nurseries please contact the museum to discuss your visit before purchasing tickets.

10.15am-11.15am & 1.15pm2.15pm | £3 per child | Age 2-4 | Book online

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TALKS & TOURS OBJECT OF THE MONTH Come and join our team on the first Saturday of the month for a short introduction to a different fascinating object each month. Talks held at Christchurch Mansion will take place in the Creating Constable exhibition in the Wolsey Art Gallery.

10.30am-11am | Free | No need to book

Suffolk Boxstones IPSWICH MUSEUM Saturday 4 December Discover the Museum’s important collection of Suffolk boxstones.

Come and find out how these unusual pebble-like stones offer a rare glimpse into the climate and conditions of late Miocene Britain (5-6 million years ago).

Landscape with Mill

by Dr William Crotch CHRISTCHURCH MANSION Saturday 5 February Find out how this painting from 1835 was carefully cleaned to prepare it for exhibition.

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George Frost The Common Quay, Ipswich (1820), Oil on canvas

The Common Quay

by George Frost

The Mason Family Album

CHRISTCHURCH MANSION Saturday 5 March

CHRISTCHURCH MANSION Saturday 2 April

Take a closer look at Ipswich artist Frost’s view of Ipswich docks in the 1820s – what were his connections to Gainsborough and Constable?

Find out more about this fascinating family album, recently acquired for the Ipswich Museums collections, which includes four works by the young John Constable.

John Constable, The Deserted Cottage (c.1796-7), Watercolour, pen & grey ink

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THE FRIENDS OF THE IPSWICH MUSEUMS The Friends of the Ipswich Museums support Ipswich Museum, Christchurch Mansion, and Ipswich Art Gallery by helping to fund acquisitions, conservation and exhibitions.

They lead tours and organise talks, most of which are open to members of the public.

All proceeds go to supporting the Museums, and new members are always welcome.

For further information and booking details please go to www.foim.org.uk

Conserving the past for the future One of the Friends major roles is to help conserve and preserve very special items from the Museum’s collections. Our “Angels” (generous donors who support these projects) have recently brought this gorgeous 18th-century court coat back to life – you may have seen it featured in the Power of Stories exhibition.

The next item that needs our help is this painting that has only recently been discovered to be by the important Dutch artist Jan Porcellis (c.1584–1632). If you would like to help restore this unique part of our artistic heritage, visit our Angels & Giving page on our website www.foim.org.uk

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SCHOOLS AT IPSWICH MUSEUMS A thousand stories await…

DesignLab Nation

We’re pleased to be able to welcome schools back to the Museum with COVID-safe measures in place.

DesignLab Nation is part of the V&A’s National Schools Programme, which aims to inspire the next generation of designers, makers and innovators and expand the reach of the V&A collections. The programme brings together secondary schools in partnership with regional museums, designers, industries and the V&A to engage students and support teachers through in-depth design projects.

Ipswich Museum will be working with groups from three local secondary schools this year - contact the Museum if your school is interested in participating.

From Egyptians to Anglo-Saxons at Ipswich Museum, or Discovering Art in a Day at Christchurch Mansion, there’s lots to inspire children when they visit our venues. A rolling programme of exhibitions also means there’s always something new to discover.

Museum Adventures If you want to bring the Museum to your classroom, try our new ‘Museum Adventures’ resources • Exciting Egyptians • Fantastic Fossils • Prehistoric Adventures Find out more at www.cimuseums.org.uk/learn or tel 01473 433350 to enquire about booking.

Want to receive the latest updates about our schools offer?

Join our mailing list to find out about activities, updates, workshops and exhibitions which will help you bring learning to life for your pupils.

Visit www.cimuseums.org.uk/visit/subscribe to sign up.

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ACCESS We are committed to making sure everybody has the opportunity to enjoy and be inspired by our museums.

The new Access page on our website provides lots of information about visiting our museums and the facilities which are available, including what to expect when you arrive, accessibility inside the buildings, and quiet times to visit.

To find out more visit ipswich.cimuseums.org.uk/access If you cannot find the answers you are looking for on our website, please contact our Access Champions on 01206 282931 or email museums@colchester.gov.uk and our team will be happy to help.

RELAXED OPENINGS IPSWICH MUSEUM

Saturday 4 December 2021 Saturday 8 January 2022 Saturday 5 February 2022 Saturday 5 March 2022 Saturday 2 April 2022

We will be turning off speakers and screens to welcome those with autism or additional sensory requirements to enjoy the Museum in a relaxed environment.

Visitors can explore the Museum with gallery sound levels at a minimum and screens turned off from 3pm to 4.30pm. Please note that after this time alarms may sound near the reception desk as we prepare the Museum for closing and a bell is rung at 4.50pm.

Ear defenders, visual guides and twiddle muffs are available from the Museum’s reception free of charge.

There’s no need to book - just drop in on the day.

Please visit the access page of our website for a visual walk-through, video guide and other resources to help prepare for your visit to Ipswich Museum.

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Surrounded by acres of rolling lawns, scenic wooded areas and a delicately created arboretum, the historic Christchurch Mansion is the ideal venue for a wedding or civil partnership.

Find out more at www.venuesipswich.co.uk 19

BOOK EVENTS ONLINE AT www.ipswichtheatres.co.uk

Parents/carers must remain with their children throughout all events

www.ipswich.cimuseums.org.uk Keep in the loop with the latest Museums events and activities Sign up to our mailing list at www.cimuseums.org.uk/visit/subscribe @IpswichMuseums Colchester + Ipswich Museums

CROWN CAR PARK - CHARLES ST, IPSWICH, IP1 3JG In short walking distance of the Museum, Gallery and Mansion with extra wide bays. Accessible, safe and well-lit with CCTV coverage throughout and electric vehicle charging units available.

Visit www.ipswich.gov.uk for opening times and prices.