WHAT’S ON GUIDE SPRING - AUTUMN 2017
HIRE A SPA C E Worthing Museum & Art Gallery is the perfect setting to entertain your clients in the heart of the town. The spacious galleries at Worthing Museum are particularly suitable for informal events, such as drinks and networking receptions, with a capacity for up to 400 people. The collections and exhibits offer a unique backdrop, providing guests with plenty to discuss. The education room, situated within WMA, is now available for hire. Whether you are looking to bring a larger group for a workshop or seeking a quiet space within an inspiring location to meet with your team, this room offers an innovative opportunity. Located in the town centre with parking and rail links nearby, this is a large, bright, naturally lit room with high ceilings. Available weekdays, weekends and evenings, it has a projector, screen, induction loop and Wi-Fi available. Contact the museum to discuss your event requirements in more detail by emailing: james.sainsbury@adur-worthing.gov.uk
S TA Y IN TO UC H museum@adur-worthing.gov.uk worthingmuseum.co.uk 01903 221 448
Worthing Museum & Art Gallery Chapel Road, Worthing West Sussex, BN11 1HP Tuesday to Saturday, 10am to 5pm
EDUCATION ROOM 9.4m x 6.4m (60.16m2) Room layout Maximum occupancy Theatre style 66 Boardroom 30 Cabaret 40 Horseshoe 36
Worthing Museum & Art Gallery @WorthingMuseum worthingmuseum WorthingMuseum
WELC OME We are delighted to present WMA’s spring to autumn programme of exhibitions, events and workshops which, this year, features even more of our ever expanding archaeological collection. Keeping true to our vision to inspire, support, entertain and engage audiences, we have curated a truly inspirational collection of work. This season we bring you a programme full of challenges, exploration and passion. Our diverse collections will take you on a journey through the history of Sussex, engaging in the wonders of archaeology, art, design, fashion and local history, all under one roof. Highlights within the main gallery this year include the thought provoking Isolation Chamber Vacation, an exhibition of artists’ responses to the subject of ‘aloneness’. This autumn we are excited to be exhibiting Fans Unfolded in the Norwood Gallery. Discover fans from the museum’s collection, as you find out the sometimes forgotten fashion accessory had both practical and social applications.
We have been truly overwhelmed by the positive response and interactions with our costume trail. This series of displays using WMA’s costume collection has been a great success and the items displayed in showcases around the town will change this June, giving you a whole new set of costumes to engage with and discover. We hope you continue to enjoy the trail and welcome any feedback on the project, we have been thrilled to hear from you via social media as you have visited the costumes. Do send us all your photos, we love to see them. With so much on offer, we look forward to welcoming you to WMA - whether it’s to visit an exhibition, join a workshop or just pop in for a visit, we can’t wait to see you! Gerry Connolly, WMA Curator & Amanda O’Reilly, Head of Culture
SUPPORT US Friends of Worthing Museum & Art Gallery Become a Friend and enjoy a number of benefits, including monthly lectures, invitations to exhibition previews and behind the scenes tours, while helping to support the museum and its collections. To join, download the application form on the museum website, or pick up a copy from the museum. Front cover image: Late Iron Age gold stater, found in Durrington, dating to 55 BC. Zoomorphic equine design.
P ER M A N E N T C O L L E C T I O N S Worthing Museum & Art Gallery holds one of the most significant costume collections in the UK, as well as notable collections in fine and decorative arts, social history, toys and dolls and archaeology. There are around 30,000 pieces in the costume collection alone, Princess Amelia’s slippers and Queen Victoria’s underwear being just two examples. WMA holds over a thousand dolls, and an ever growing toy collection. Some of the dolls are very unusual, such as the Westwood ‘fertility doll’. We also have fine examples by many of the major makers from Jumeau to Meech and Bru to Pierotti. We have bears of every shape and size, games and puzzles dating back to the nineteenth century, and an enthralling collection of children’s books. The recent Colin Mears Bequest of children’s books and associated material has helped to make this collection one of the best in the country.
Worthing was not only where Oscar Wilde wrote The Importance of Being Earnest, it was also the site of major riots in the 1880s, a centre for smuggling in the 18th and early 19th centuries and has the only pier in the country to have been blown-up, blown down and burned down. In spite of this the pier is still standing! Our enormous collections of local material include photographs, ephemera and three-dimensional objects offering key insight into our local social history.
Psst...
If the object is not on display we will do our best to make it available for you to view, ask one of our friendly team when visiting the museum.
Isolation Chamber Vacation Saturday 15th April to Saturday 2nd September
With its horror-filled connotations of madness and perversity on the one hand and its elevated status as a tool for creative genius on the other, the concept of solitude has long fascinated society in general and the creative community in particular.
representations of solitude. The work of artists at varying stages in their careers will be shown alongside contextualising objects and ephemera from the curator’s research into the theme. A series of talks and film screenings will provide an educational and conversational element to the project. The exhibition will include work by Kirsty Buchanan, Juno Calypso, Hannah Ford, Nicola Frimpong, Susie Hamilton, Katerina Jebb, Cathy Lomax, and Alli Sharma.
Isolation Chamber Vacation is an exhibition of various artists’ responses to the subject of aloneness and an exploration of cultural
Joyce, Disenchanted Simulation by Juno Calypso
MAIN G ALLE RY
Exhibition Event
MA will be hosting four unique events W directly linked with the themes of the exhibition, each event will include a talk by the artists and other speakers exploring ideas of isolation and creativity, followed by a related film screening in the Connaught Studio. Tickets are £15 per personandincludea glass of wine.
Book your tickets at the Connaught Theatre: Monday 22nd May - The Elephant Man (PG) Monday 26th June - The Man Who Fell To Earth (18) Monday 24th July - Under the Skin (15) Monday 21st August - The Virgin Suicides (15) Talks and refreshments 7pm at the museum followed by 8.30pm film screening at the cinema.
NORW OOD G AL L E R Y
Saturday 6th May to Saturday 7th October Schools of Thought focuses on the paintings of the Camden Town and London Group, the Pre-Raphaelites and the Newlyn School. Some of the schools were short-lived but others, such as the London Group continue to function today. All had a strong influence on the changing styles of British Art and had a common thread of protest against the generally accepted ideals of their day. This anti-conventionalism opened cracks for new ideas of exploration which eventually became accepted, and so the cycle begins again. The exhibition brings together interesting
works by William Holman Hunt, Lucien Pissarro, Walter Sickert, Stanley Spencer and more. Guest-curated by volunteer Gillian VindenNorth, Schools of Thought explores some of the most celebrated paintings in WMA’s fine art collection. Inspired by influential periods of art history over the 19th and 20th centuries, the real gems of this collection are on display.
Bianca by William Holman Hunt
Schools of Thought
C O M I NG TH IS AU TU MN...
Fans Unfolded Showcasing fans from the museum’s collection, this exhibition places a fashion accessory which is sometimes forgotten firmly in the spotlight. A fan can hardly be considered a necessity, especially in the British climate, however they were once as much a part of ladies’ fashion attire as a handbag. Not only a means to keep cool, a fan complemented the dress and the
wearer. The design of a fan has also been used as a means of sharing news, social gossip or political propaganda and as such, is a comment on the social scene of the day. This exhibition explores the art, language and craftsmanship of the fan, interposed with items from the museum’s art collection which reflect the period in which each fan was used.
STUDIO GA L LE R Y
Saturday 6th May to Saturday 5th August Italian artist Emanuela Di Filippo exhibits her fashion illustrations based on Barbara Hulanicki’s distinctive Biba designs alongside selected pieces of original Biba garments, packaging and ephemera from the museum’s costume collection. This exhibition from her Untitled series is a brief colourful summary of her artistic research, and above all a tribute to the
Biba brand and a bridge between art and fashion. Featuring “Tight cut skinny sleeves, earthy colours, Auntie colours - blackish mulberries, blueberries, rusts and plums”, Hulanicki herself described them as “looking like a funeral”. Together with her previous Biba inspired oil pastel works Emanuela will create new interpretations based on the Biba costumes and accessories from the WMA collection.
Untitled by Emanuela Di Filippo
Biba in the Studio
Inspired by the Downs Saturday 19th August to Saturday 28th October
Sheep on the Downs by James Ward
The great chalk South Downs are so much more than a collection of local beauty spots. They frame our everyday lives, quietly dominating the skyline. For thousands of years people called them home, and we know archaeologically that there is a palimpsest of ancient farms, forts and settlements scattered across the whole range. In the middle-ages, cultural and economic pressures changed the landscape into one of sheep and shepherds. Thanks to these unassuming creatures, it was only in the last century that the grasslands have been scarred through intensive modern ploughing, the great rolling ocean of green destroyed,
along with much evidence of our shared past. This itself is just another chapter in the long history of these chalk hills and perhaps in the future the humble sheep will dominate the coombes and scarps once more. The exhibition will be punctuated with landscapes from WMA’s Fine Art collection depicting some treasured beauty spots.
Exhibition Launch Event Saturday 19th August, 2pm
This will include Conn Artists Theatre Company performing excerpts from their upcoming play The Four Men, an insight into Sussex at the turn of the century.
COSTUME TRA Summer 2017 sees a refresh of Worthing Costume Trail with changing displays of costumes from our historic collection presented in state-of-the-art glass cases located in nine popular, diverse venues across Worthing. From sumptuous 19th century dress, to the glamour of the 1930s, to fabulous 1970s fashion, there’ll be more marvellous accessorised costumes on show which will surprise and delight! We’re thrilled to present a 1930s designer evening dress alongside a similar garment from the same period made by a local dressmaker in Worthing. The costume trail gives you the opportunity to make new discoveries about the town’s social history and lives of people who lived here.
Secret Gallery
Visit the museum to explore our Secret Gallery of doorways into the past. Local craftsmen from Men In Sheds Worthing have furnished the gallery, and behind each wooden door you’ll find artwork produced in response to WMA’s wonderful costume collection.
Mapping the Trail
Follow the trail using the costume trail map available from the museum welcome desk, Connaught Theatre, Pavilion Theatre or download a copy from our website www.worthingmuseum.co.uk
RAIL
UNTIL SUMMER 2018
Creative Collaborators
Costume trail collaborators Creative Waves Community Arts are working with local school children and community groups to create a series of artworks inspired by the trail, and artist Anna Twinam-Cauchi has created an organic dress of seasonal foliage built on a wire crinoline frame. These artworks will be exhibited in the museum galleries and outside in the garden.
COMPETITION:
Win an exclusive talk or behind the scenes tour!
Answer the questions on the Worthing Costume Trail Map telling us which is your favourite costume and why, for a chance to win a place on an exclusive behindthe-scenes tour of our costume collection archive or a talk at a costume trail venue with Senior Curator Gerry Connolly. Full details can be found on the Worthing Costume Trail Map.
Join in on Twitter and Instagram
Post a photo of your favourite costume trail exhibit on Twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #WMACostume and tag @worthingmuseum for a chance to see your picture exhibited in the Secret Gallery at Worthing Museum & Art Gallery. For more information please visit: www.worthingmuseum.co.uk Share your pictures using: #WMAcostume @worthingmuseum
ARC H A E OL O G Y Our archaeology displays are changing! We are very lucky in Worthing to have such a rich and varied historical past. Archaeologists have found evidence of human activity in the area dating back tens of thousands of years from the remains of woolly mammoths to rich Anglo-Saxon grave goods. However, Worthing isn’t widely known for its pre-18th century history, and we aim to change that at the museum through continuing to change and update our displays, encouraging research into our collections and digitising part of the visitor experience in the archaeology galleries with the introduction of interactive tablets. Furthermore, in the near future we hope to have new and potentially ground-breaking information from our human remains, bringing us closer than ever to the individuals who called Worthing and the Downs home, thousands of years ago.
Coming this spring... Revamping the displays is just part of the work being done with our archaeological collection. We will soon have a bespoke digital program, easily accessible from tablets placed around the galleries. This program includes an extensive database of our collection, a fully interactive digital map of the known archaeological finds and sites in Sussex, fantastic aerial footage of some of our most important local sites and even a quiz!
ARCH AE O LO G Y Talks This year we’re running a full programme of talks covering the history of Worthing and Sussex from the pleistocene era up to the age of steam.
Sussex in the Stone Age - From Mammoths to Monuments
Thursday 12th October An in-depth talk on the early prehistory of Sussex, looking at the early hominids that called this area home some 400,000 years ago, the great woolly mammoths of the last ice age and through to the building and flint mining activities of modern humans. We will also look at the great local archaeologist John Henry Pull, who excavated significant Neolithic material from the Downs just north of Worthing.
Bronze Age Worthing - Barrows, Beakers and Hoards
Thursday 19th October Worthing was a very busy place during the Bronze Age and this talk will look at the beautiful metal hoards found locally as well as the farms and boundaries that lay beneath our feet. A number of hoards and other material will be available to handle after the talk.
Cissbury Ring and Worthing’s Iron Age
Thursday 26th October Cissbury ring is the largest jewel in Worthing’s crown. The second-largest hill fort in Britain, Cissbury has fascinated people for centuries. In this talk we will unravel the mysteries of the site and look at how the local landscape, and society, changed during the Iron Age.
Roman Sussex - Legions, Roads and Villas
Thursday 9th November The Romans conquered and ruled much of Europe and beyond for centuries - Sussex was no exception. However, were these people truly invaders or were they invited? This talk will cover all aspects of Roman rule in Sussex, from the building of roads, temples and villas, to the military garrisons along the coast. We will have a particularly large amount of material available for handling after this talk, including part of the famous Patching hoard!
Saxon Worthing and the Kingdom of the South Saxons
Thursday 16th November The enigmatic Saxons came to Sussex at the fall of the Roman Empire, or perhaps even earlier. The nationally important cemetery at Highdown Hill helps us illuminate these people, their beautiful jewellery and deadly weaponry, but who were they really? Mercenaries, invaders, settlers or all three?
Norman Sussex - Conquest, Castles and Towns
Thursday 23rd November We all know that William the Conqueror beat King Harold at Hastings – but what happened in Sussex afterwards? This talk will look at the huge changes wrought upon the county by the incoming Normans, the construction of castles, the growth of towns and the beginnings of modern England.
The Coming of the Railways
Thursday 30th November The coming of the railways transformed not only seaside resorts like Worthing, but the very fabric of society itself. The first train to pull into the town heralded the beginnings of the modern era, not least the substantial growth of Worthing as both a resort and a town. This talk will look at the changes brought by the arrival of the steam train, with the subsequent increase in wealth and population that followed.
Photographic History of Worthing
Thursday 7th December Join us for the last in the series of talks, looking at the modern history of Worthing through our photographic collection. Ranging from the 1860s up to the early 1990s, a huge range of photographs will be on display on the big screen, with explanations and the history of local sites explained. The vast majority of the material on show will not have been shown to the public before so this is a real chance to see Worthing as you’ve never seen before!
£7.50 per talk, or book all eight and get two free! All talks to be held on Thursday evenings 6.30pm - 8.30pm. Object handling included! Coffee, tea and wine included, plus the whole museum will be open for ticket-holders to explore from 6pm. To book a talk or walk please contact 01903 221 448 or email museum@adur-worthing.gov.uk
Archaeology Walks The first year of archaeology walks by WMA! Join our archaeologist and historian James on four fascinating walks on the wonderful local Downs - with guaranteed breath-taking views! See everything from Neolithic flint mines, Bronze Age burial mounds, deserted medieval villages and lots more!
June and August - Wednesday afternoons 12pm - 4pm / £3 per person We recommend bringing a drink and a bite to eat! Dogs welcome on leads. James will be holding a free short talk and object handling session at the museum to look at some of the archaeology found in the landscapes we will be visiting. 11am
Cissbury to Chanctonbury
Wednesday 7th June 2017 | 4 miles | Difficulty - Easy Starting at Cissbury Ring we will explore the long and enthralling history of both monuments, from death rituals to flint mining. Some steep climbing to Cissbury but otherwise a gentle slope up to Chanctonbury, which is even gentler on the way down!
Clapham to Church Hill
Wednesday 14th June 2017 | 2 miles | Difficulty - Easy Starting at Clapham Church we will walk through the beautiful woods before arriving at Church Hill to discuss the flint mining of the Neolithic.
Cross-dykes and Deserted Villages
Wednesday 16th August 2017 | 5 miles | Difficulty - Medium Starting in Patching village, this walk will take us across the Downs through the Angmering Park Estate, above the deserted medieval village of Barpham and on to an enigmatic cross-ridge dyke.
Highdown Hill
Wednesday 23rd August 2017 | 2 miles | Difficulty - Medium A shorter walk, though there’s still a climb! Meeting at Highdown Hill car park we’ll head to the top where we will explore the long and fascinating history of those who settled there, from Bronze Age farmers to Anglo-Saxon mercenaries!
Join us at Worthing Museum for our second year of celebrating all things Sussex!
Saturday 17th June After the great success of last year’s inaugural Sussex Day celebrations, we are putting on another day of children’s activities, Sussex produce and local Sussex craft demonstrations at the museum. Free entry to the museum as always!
THE GA RD EN
Throughout 2017 our garden space will be home to a series of changing sculpture displays, showcasing works by various artists. Serena Thirkell makes welded steel and found object sculptures using materials, tools and machinery salvaged from scrap yards and farm sales. Also on display will be works by Anna Twinam-
Cauchi who is drawn to discarded materials such as household plastics, cardboard, wood and books. She is fascinated by the potential of these materials, and transforms them into wildlife sculptures or works which mimic the naturally occurring patterns and shapes of nature.
Coast Ed is an exciting and inspiring museum education programme for schools in line with the national curriculum.
Enhance your school learning; book on a museum workshop, outreach visit or pick up a loan box to animate your classroom learning.
01903 221 448 | www.coast-ed.org.uk
GIFTS
SHOP
Unique gifts including vintage novelty toys, artisan jewellery, historical replica packs, retro postcards and decorative notebooks.
CR AFTS
Limited edition prints, handmade jewellery, ceramics and cards by local artists. Plus a selection of local soaps, honey, fudge and preserves.
I N T ER EST S
A wide range of historical local interest guides, art books and educational booklets that are suitable for all ages.
WMA W ORK S HO P S MAY HALF-TERM CHILDREN’S WORKSHOPS JEWELLERY MAKING
Come and make your own jewellery inspired by our wonderful costume and victorian jewellery collection. Workshop | 8-14 years | £5 30/5/2017 10.30am - 12noon
TRASHION
Be inspired by our costume collection and make a costume using recycled materials. Workshop | 12+ years | £5 30/5/2017 2pm - 3.30pm
CARDBOARD BOX CREATURES
Create a creature or your own pet from recycled cardboard. Workshop | 4-9 years | £5 1/6/2017 10.30am - 12noon
ON TRACK
Come join us for crafty train activities. Workshop | 4-9 years | £5 1/6/2017 2pm - 3.30pm
FAMILY ART FRIDAY: DROP IN DINOSAURS
Immerse yourself in all things dinosaur! Bones, fossils, big-foot prints and more! Drop In | all ages | £2.50 per child 2/6/2017 10.30am - 3pm
SUMMER HOLIDAY CHILDREN’S WORKSHOPS SECRET GARDEN
Make your very own garden from paper based materials. Workshop | 5-9 years | £5 2/8/2017 10.30am - 12noon
WACKY WEAVING
Weave wonderful wacky patterns with bright coloured materials. Workshop | 5-9 years | £5 3/8/2017 10.30am - 12noon
FAMILY ART FRIDAY: BESIDE THE SEA
Come and make all things seaside: puppets, trick ice cream cones and build your own sandcastle. Drop In | all ages | £2.50 per child 4/8/2017 10.30am - 3pm
T-SHIRT PRINTING
Bring your own t-shirt and create unique colourful designs. Workshop | 5-11 years | £5 8/8/2017 10.30am - 12noon
T-SHIRT PRINTING
Bring your own t-shirt and design and print on the theme ‘Graffiti’. Workshop | 12-16 years | £5 8/8/2017 2pm - 3.30pm
MAKE YOUR OWN FINGER PUPPETS! Come and make your own fun finger puppets. Workshop | under 5 years | £5 9/8/2017 10.30am - 12noon
MODEL THEATRES AND PUPPETS
Look at our fantastic puppets and toy theatres and create your own. Workshop | 5-11 years | £5 9/8/2017 2pm - 3.30pm
BE A CURATOR
Your chance to become a museum curator. See behind the scenes and create your own museum display. Workshop | 8-14 years | £5 10/8/2017 10.30am - 12.30pm
FAMILY ART FRIDAY: MARVELLOUS MINI BEASTS
Come and make amazing mini creatures out of recycled materials. Drop In | all ages | £2.50 per child 11/8/2017 10.30am - 3pm
FANTASTIC FANS
Look at our fantastic fan collection at the museum and make your own fan. Workshop | 7-11 years | £5 15/8/2017 10.30am - 12noon
WMA WO RKS H O P S FILMMAKING AND ZOETROPES
DAY OF THE DEAD
FAMILY ART FRIDAY: PLANES AND GLIDERS
ALL THINGS GOTHIC
Explore the beginning of animation, look at our museum zoetropes and make one. Workshop | 12+ | £5 16/8/2017 2pm - 3.30pm
Using recycled materials make planes and gliders then see them take off! Drop In | all ages | £2.50 per child 18/8/2017 10.30 - 3pm
ART ATTACK!
Have fun with messy making at the museum! Workshop | under 5 years | £5 23/8/2017 10.30am - 12noon
PIRATES AND SMUGGLERS
Become a pirate or smuggler by making a hat, a patch, a hook then come and walk the plank! Oo arghh! Workshop | 5-9 years | £5 24/8/2017 10.30am - 12noon
OCTOBER HALF TERM SPOOKY PAPIER-MÂCHÉ MASKS! Scary Halloween mask making. Workshop | 5-11 years | £5 24/10/2017 10.30am - 12noon
DAY OF THE DEAD
Look at the Mexican Day of the Dead festival and make crafts out of recycled materials and face painting. Workshop | 7+ | £5 25/10/2017 10.30am - 12noon
Look at the Mexican Day of the Dead festival and make skulls from recycled materials. Workshop | 12+ | £5 25/10/2017 2pm - 3.30pm
Come celebrate all things gothic and make some spooky accessories. Workshop | 7-14 years | £5 26/10/2017 10.30am - 12noon
THINGS THAT GO BUMP
Put on your scariest costume to experience the ghoulish goings on after dark at Halloween in the museum. Supper included. Workshop | 5-9 years | £10 26/10/2017 6pm - 9pm
FAMILY ART FRIDAY: CREEPY CRAFTS Make your own creepy crafts. Drop In | all ages | £2.50 per child 27/10/2017 10.30am - 3pm
PRINTING FOR BEGINNERS
Come and explore a new way to create art! Inspired by the lino prints in the museum collection. £10 including materials 10/6/2017 10.30am - 12.30pm 8/7/2017 10.30am - 12.30pm
MACRAME
Try a new craft using Macramé. £10 including materials 5/8/2017 10.30am - 12.30pm
WRITING WORKSHOP
Looking at scripts, letters from the museum archives and be inspired. £7.50 2/12/2017 10.30am - 12.30pm
Green Man by Rosemary Jones
WMA A D U L T W O R K S HO P S
C O NNAU G H T CINE MA
TH E A RT IS T ’S G A R DE N AME RI CA N I M P R E S S I O N I S M ( 1 2 A)
TUESDAY 21 MARCH, 6.15PM
MIC H A EL A N G E L O L OV E A N D DE A T H ( 1 2 A) TUESDAY 13 JUNE, 6.15PM
01903 206 206 WORTHINGTHEATRES.CO.UK
BECOME PART OF THE TEAM VOLUNTEER WITH WMA
Worthing Museum & Art Gallery houses outstanding collections of fine and decorative art, costume, archaeology, local and social history and toys. We are a free attraction with an annual programme of temporary exhibitions and special events designed to appeal to all ages and groups. We are looking for Front of House volunteers to provide a friendly welcome to our museum. Volunteers provide a warm, cheerful welcome to our visitors when they arrive. They are the first point of contact for visitors in the museum and provide basic information about the visit, highlight points of interest and promote events and activities. If you’re interested or would like to know more please email: museum@adur-worthing.gov.uk call: 01903 221 448 or drop-in to the museum and talk to a member of staff.