Time Travel, History and Fun – It’s all here at the Brambell Natural History Museum
If you’re looking for a spot of time travel and historical adventure, Brambell Natural History Museum, Bangor University has it covered this October Half Term as part of Welsh Museums Festival (26 October to 3 November).
Bangor University's Brambell Natural History Museum will be open on Saturday, 2nd November 11-1 as part of the Festival. This will be an opportunity to visit the Museum, which is not usually open to the public, to learn more about the specimens on display. There will be a chance to ask questions of the available volunteers, and there will be an activities corner for children of all ages.
Welsh Museums Festival is an annual event presented by the Federation of Welsh Museums, which is the strategic body for museum and art gallery professionals in Wales. It currently represents over 100 unique accredited Welsh museums, from the very small to our great national museums. Together, these invaluable collections tell the story of Wales, and are a treasured resource for learning, exploration and knowledge about our local and national identity, and how we have lived here in Wales since the dawn of time.
Speaking about the Festival, Welsh Government Deputy Minister for Culture, Sport and Tourism, Lord Elis-Thomas, said “Welsh Museums Festival provides an important focus for our wonderful museums in Wales to further connect with their local communities, and to excite a new generation about our history, culture and traditions. It also provides a valuable attraction for visitors to Wales from across the globe to engage with our Nations’ story. Museums and galleries are places of learning, but they are also places of adventure, activity and fun, and there’s plenty of that about during this Festival!”
Visits to museums in Wales contribute £78.3 million to our economy each year. In addition, they contribute positively to employment and career development and statistics show that visiting museums significantly increases our sense of wellbeing too.
Over the October half term across Wales, museums will be bursting with activity from Dippy the Dinosaur’s visit to the National Museum of Wales in Cardiff and Dragon Day at Rhayadr Museum to torchlight adventures in museums at night, a chance to try your hand at mummification at The Egypt Centre in Swansea, time travel back to WWII at RWF Museum Caernarfon, a celebration of all things Japanese at Pontypool Museum, a chance to re-create a legend at Oriel Môn, an exploration of the moon and some sneaky science at the Waterfront Museum, Swansea and the chance to have a peak at Bangor University’s Bramwell Natural History collection. If that wasn’t enough, there’s also lantern making and a parade to commemorate the fire at Cambrian Mills, 100 years ago, an exploration of the museum’s anatomy at Cynon Valley Museum, virtual reality at Big Pit, Medieval Fun, a museum hunt for Wally at the Museum of Cardiff, Art for Babas at Glynn Vivian Gallery and a whole host of craft and Halloween making and mayhem for the whole family in museums and galleries across Wales.
And it’s not just for children and families. There will be talks, art classes, a chance to explore Erddig’s textile collection, a gathering of memories from Newtown’s manufacturing industry, lectures and behind the scenes visits to get up close with treasured artefacts and collections. And the great news is that many of the Festival’s events are absolutely FREE!
Welsh Museums Festival is supported by Welsh Government.
Full details of activities during Welsh Museums Festival are available on the festival website: www.museums.wales
Publication date: 24 October 2019