Leicester Libraries Events for this season
16/04/2008
Exhibitions
Here Today, Gone Tomorrow: S Mark Gubb***
Until Saturday 26th April
The City Gallery
S Mark Gubb explores idioms of popular culture, religion and history ranging from Scooby Doo and the Evil Dead to heavy metal and skateboarding.
‘ten years on..’ - Fireworks Clay Studios***
Until Saturday 26th April
The City Gallery
A touring exhibition celebrating the first decade of Fireworks Clay Studios in Cardiff showcasing the work of present members and profiling past members.
Shell Wildlife Photographer of the Year
Until Sunday 27th April
New Walk Museum & Art Gallery
This annual competition presents the most stunning and original wildlife photographs by photographers of all ages from across the world. See the best and most creative images of the natural world in this exhibition celebrating the drama and variety of life on earth.
Memories of Dreams and Light
Until Sunday 18th May
New Walk Museum & Art Gallery
Discover the stories of three people who came to England seeking a place of safety and the different ways in which they have made Leicester their new home. One came in the 1970's and is now a successful businessman, another gained refugee status in the 1990's but remains anonymous for fear of repercussions on his family in Iran. The final contributor has been seeking asylum for over ten years but still calls Leicester home.
Guy Allott***
Saturday 10th May – Saturday 28th June
The City Gallery
Guy Allott has, over the past few years, developed a preoccupation with wood. For this exhibition, Allott has produced a new series of black and white paintings of forest environments that hark back to romantic traditions of landscape painting, their brooding tone possessing an inescapably Germanic quality.
Sara MacKillop***
Saturday 10th May – Saturday 28th June
The City Gallery
The detritus of everyday experience is given a new lease of life through the artwork of Sara MacKillop. She takes yellowing paperbacks, tired frames and used envelopes and transforms them into objects of wonder and reflection. Much of her work takes objects that are dense with information, books, records or jigsaws and by manipulating them replaces their specific information with a blank surface.
Animated Adventures – Summer Blockbuster
7th June – 12th October
New Walk Museum & Art Gallery
Animated Adventures showcases many of the incredible handcrafted sets and models from Aardman and DreamWorks' feature film Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-rabbit. Enjoy a rare, behind-the-scenes insight into how Aardman, and other featured animators, create their characters. From storyboards and set design to cel painting, stop frame and CGI technology, learn top tips from the industry and then have a go at creating your own animations!
Leicester College Exhibition: ‘The Drama of Stitch’
Tuesday 10th and Wednesday 11th June
11.00am - 4.30pm
The Guildhall
An exhibition of innovative and exciting work by the graduates of the Foundation Degree in Fashion and Costume Craft.
Leicester College Exhibition: ‘The Soul of Footwear’
Tuesday 10th and Wednesday 11th June
11.00am - 4.30pm
The Guildhall
An opportunity to celebrate the outstanding designs produced by students from the HND Footwear and Professional Development Diploma in Footwear courses.
Leicester College Exhibition: ‘Art and Design’
Tuesday 10th and Wednesday 11th June
11.00am - 4.30pm
The Guildhall
A showcase of Visual and 3D work from a range of National Diploma and pre-degree art and design learners.
Leicester Society of Artists 123rd Annual Exhibition
31st June – 31st August
Events
Thursday 17th April
8.00pm - 11.00pm
Belgrave Hall & Gardens
Too scared to experience a whole night of ghostly goings on or you just want to find out what goes on at Belgrave Hall’s ‘Ghostwatches’? Here is a unique opportunity to take part in a shorter ghost vigil with a paranormal expert. Booking essential, age limit 16 years and above. Tickets: £15.00, available from The Guildhall on 0116 253 2569.
Artist Talk: Dan Allen, Ceramicist and Director of Oriel y Bont Gallery***
Thursday 17th April
2.00pm – 3.00pm
The City Gallery
An excellent opportunity to join Dan Allen as he discusses the ceramicists work featured in the ‘ten years on…’ exhibition and the development of figurative ceramics in the UK.
Camera Obscura
Saturday 19th April
10.30am – 12.30pm, 1.30pm – 3.30pm
New Walk Museum & Art Gallery
Visit the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition and make your own camera obscura and see the world upside down! £1.50 for activities.
Anne Gibbs: Mixed Media Workshop***
Saturday 19th April
10.30am – 4.00pm
The City Gallery
Featured in our ‘ten years on…’ exhibition, be inspired by Anne Gibbs’ interpretation of the everyday household object and domestic utensil. Join her in investigating various techniques and record your observations in 2 and 3 dimensions by exploring mark making through drawing, textiles, wire and ceramics. Please bring along interesting utensils to work from. £30.00 / £27.00
Heroes
Saturday 19th April
11.00am - 4.00pm
Jewry Wall Museum
Robin Hood, King Arthur, St. George and Aethefleada of Mercia - who was England's best? Discover fact and fantasy about England's folk heroes as we approach St. Georges Day.
A Wildlife Photographer Talks
Sunday 20th April
2.00pm
New Walk Museum & Art Gallery
Visit the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition and discover how it’s done via this illustrated talk by photographer, Steve Maginnis. Tickets: £1.50
Treat Yourself to Flowers
Thursday 24th April
7.00pm
Belgrave Hall & Gardens
Discover how to make an ordinary bunch of flowers look spectacular. Pick up tips from the experts at Buds, and then create your own design to take home. Bring along a vase, advance booking essential. £10.00, plus small charge for materials.
Ghost Watch
Friday 25th April, Friday 23rd May
7.00pm – 2.00am
The Guildhall
Spend the evening looking for the Guildhall ghosts, as seen on Living TV’s ‘Most Haunted’. Fight your fears as the shadows close in within the ancient rooms of this haunted building. Guided by our resident parapsychologist, enjoy an evening that will make even the staunchest sceptic think twice! Booking essential, age limit 16 years and above. Tickets: £40.00
The New Walk Creepy-Crawly Trail
Saturday 26th April
11.00am - 4.00pm
Start at De Montfort Hall
Another fun trail with activities throughout the day based on the theme of creepy - crawlies and ending with the film, Hoppity Goes To Town (U) at Phoenix Arts. Tickets: £5.00 (babes in arms free) available from Phoenix Arts, telephone 0116 255 4854.
Make a Willow Plant Support
Sunday 27th April
1.30pm - 4.00pm
Belgrave Hall & Gardens
Create your own unique willow structure to support your beans and sweet peas. All tuition and materials provided. Beginners and all abilities welcome. Booking essential. £10.00, plus small charge for materials.
Sing Freedom - The Celebration
Thursday 1st May
7.30pm
The Guildhall
Kainé Management Group have been awarded a grant by the Heritage Lottery Fund to co-ordinate a year-long project to commemorate the abolition of slavery called Sing Freedom. This event is a celebration of the project and includes songs such as Swing Low Sweet Chariot and Wade in the Water. Performances by young people involved in song writing workshops and Kainé Gospel Choir. Tickets: £6.00 / £4.00
Classics & Railway Day
Saturday 3rd May
11.00am – 4.30pm
Abbey Pumping Station
A working railway day with steam train rides on the museums narrow gauge railway and a display of classic road vehicles from the museum collection. 50p per train ride.
Meet the Museum
Saturday 3rd May
11.00am- 3.30pm
Town Hall Square
Explore some of the gems from our collections! Question our curators and make something creative to take home, following the theme of ‘Ideas and Innovation’.
National Garden Scheme
Sunday 4th May
1.00pm - 4.00pm
Belgrave Hall & Gardens
Take a tour with our gardener and enjoy the beautiful gardens in bloom with Wisteria, Bluebells, Peonies and the Handkerchief Tree. Voluntary donation of £2.00 for the National Garden Scheme charities.
Hands-On Objects: Gujarati Textiles
Wednesday 7th May
1.30pm
New Walk Museum & Art Gallery
Hands-on session looking at Gujarati embroidered textiles, including their making, different uses and their arrival in the museum. Limited places, advance booking recommended. Not suitable for children.
Lecture: The Life of the Guildhall in Victorian Leicester
Thursday 8th May
7.30pm
The Guildhall
Presented by Cynthia Brown, learn about Leicester’s first police force and the meetings and events held at the Guildhall as the 19th century progressed. Limited places, advance booking recommended.
An Indian Story: Listen and Look
Saturday 10th May
11.00am, 2.00pm, 3.30pm
New Walk Museum & Art Gallery
Enjoy the storytellers and than search for the story within the objects in the World Art Gallery. Suitable for children aged 5 and above. Places limited, advance booking recommended. £1.50 for activities.
‘Hit the Dirt’: A History of Housework
Tuesday 13th May
7.00pm - 8.30pm
Belgrave Hall & Gardens
Elbow grease and ox gall were vital ingredients in the Victorian housewife's never-ending war against dirt. Join curator Jane May and discover some of her secret weapons! £2.50
‘Land and Life’: Landscapes Exhibition Tour and Talk
Wednesday 14th May & Saturday 14th June
1.00pm
New Walk Museum & Art Gallery
Join the senior curator of art for an informal tour of the new landscapes exhibition, Land and Life. Limited places, advance booking recommended.
A Knight at the Museum
Saturday 17th May
6.00pm – 9.00pm
Newarke Houses Museum
Become acquainted with the knight as he demonstrates his chivalrous medieval skills. Includes light refreshments at dusk in our tranquil gardens.
Creatures of the Night
Saturday 17th May
7.00pm - 10.30pm
Belgrave Hall & Gardens
A unique opportunity to experience the magic of the hall and gardens in the evening. Atmospheric lighting will create a unique surrounding, where visitors can explore the hall and discover more about its history, including its reputation as one of Britain’s most haunted buildings. Enlivened by illustrated talks and new accounts of ghostly sightings, the event will also include costumed guided tours. Take a twilight tour of the gardens and discover bats, owls, moths and other creatures.
Junior Performance Competition**
Sunday 18th May
2.15pm - 4.15pm
New Walk Museum & Art Gallery
Open to players of any musical instrument, ancient or modern, aged under 19 on August 31st, 2008. Performers play one own choice piece written before 1800. Closing date for applications: Saturday 10th May.
Guy Allot in Conversation with Charles Danby***
Thursday 22nd May
6.00pm – 8.00pm
The City Gallery
Join the artist Guy Allot and Charles Danby, curator, critic and lecturer in fine art, as they discuss the work featured in the ‘Falling Forwards’ exhibition.
Songs by Lanier and Purcell**
Anne Graf (voice) and Mike Ashley (theorbo)
Monday 26th May
1.00pm
The Guildhall
These two master musicians between them span the 17th century, performing songs by Lanier and Purcell.
The Castle Park Assembly: Playford Dance Workshop**
Monday 26th May
2.15pm - 4.15pm
The Guildhall
Take part in dances selected from the repertoire of the predominant dance form of English society from the 16th to 19th centuries. Advance booking recommended.
Spring Fete
Tuesday 27th May
11.00am -3.30pm
Newarke Houses Museum
Celebrate English Springtime with Morris Dancers, old time tom bola, traditional garden games and face painting. Includes refreshments. £1.50 for activities.
Krazy Kat Theatre Company present
Clownderella, the Clown Cinderella*
Tuesday 27th May
1.30pm
The Guildhall
Once upon a time… there was a clown who liked telling a certain fairy story…Join clown-maestro Kinny Gardner in imaginative clowning silliness, with tunes from Rossini’s opera, inventive puppetry and even an operatic aria! The performance features fully integrated British Sign Language. Suitable for children aged 4 – 8 years. Tickets: £4.50
Krazy Kat Theatre Company present
Clowning Workshop for Deaf and Hearing Children*
Tuesday 27th May
3.00pm - 4.15pm
The Guildhall
Learn some tricks of the clowning trade with Kinny after the Clownderella performance. This fun and accessible workshop will teach you the secrets of successful mime, how to fine tune your comic timing and hold your audience with the waggle of an eyebrow. Limited availability, suitable for children aged 6 – 8 years. Tickets: £6.00
Raptor Mobile
Wednesday 28th May
10.30am – 12.30pm, 1.30pm – 3.30pm
New Walk Museum & Art Gallery
Celebrate the return of the majestic Red Kite, Buzzard and Osprey to our area by making a mobile of these magnificent birds of prey. £1.50 for activities.
Mad MAYhem in the Garden
Wednesday 28th May
11.00am - 4.00pm
Belgrave Hall & Gardens
Enjoy the Exploding Maypole, Have a Go Circus and Tug O’War! Includes crafts, garden trails, dancing and face painting. Make a mad hat and bring along a picnic for the Mad Hatters Tea Party. £2.50
Hickory Dickory Dock
Thursday 29th May
11.00am – 3.00pm
Abbey Pumping Station
Design and make your own clock (batteries not included) and spot the mice hiding around the museum. £2.00 for activities
Hand to Mouth Theatre Company present
Heads in the Clouds*
Thursday 29th May
11.30am and 2.00pm
The Guildhall
It’s a windy day when The Puppet Man arrives to put on a show. A lollipop lady, pirates, polar bears, a dancing tiger and the man-in-the-moon all appear in this funny and fantastic adventure. Enjoy a gentle and entertaining antidote to today’s world of relentless technology and quick fixes including hand puppets and live, traditionally inspired music. Suitable for children aged 3 – 9 years.Tickets: £4.50
Early Einsteins
Friday 30th May
11.00am – 3.00pm
Jewry Wall Museum
Celebrate the breakthroughs in technology that made our Stone Age ancestors amazing! See flint knapping in action, learn about stone tools, handle the real thing and try your hand at some of the techniques. £1.50 for activities.
Funky Fabrics
Friday 30th May
11.30am - 4.00pm
Belgrave Hall & Gardens
With fabric crayons, felts and paints, bring along an old t-shirt and create your own unique artwork. £1.50 for activities.
The Spirit of the Age - Part 1**
Friday 30th May
5.15pm
The Guildhall
Minstrels Gallery’s collection of instruments include lute, gittern, renaissance guitar, viols, recorders, flute, crumhorns, bagpipes, shawms, curtal, rauschpfeife, hurdy-gurdy, percussion, voices.
Tickets: £4.00
Whisky Tasting**
Friday 30th May
6.30pm - 8.30pm
The Guildhall
Sample five single malt whiskies bottled from individual casks at cask strength from all over Scotland. Tickets: £25.00, includes cheese & biscuits (whisky tasting and both concerts: £27.00)
The Spirit of the Age - Part 2**
Friday 30th May
9.00pm
The Guildhall
Minstrels Gallery’s programme reflects the changes in sacred and secular music in the period between 1450 and 1600. Tickets: £8.00 / £6.00 (includes programme and refreshments).
Hedgerow Heritage
Tuesday 3rd June
11.00am
New Walk Museum & Art Gallery
An illustrated talk covering the origin and history of Leicestershire’s hedgerows and the trees, shrubs and climbers which make them such an invaluable resource for wildlife. Not suitable for young children.
Hands-On Objects: Get Knitted
Wednesday 4th June
2.00pm & 3.30pm
New Walk Museum & Art Gallery
Discover the joys of pudding cloths, knitting for the troops and the dangers of woollen swimwear in this exploration of the world of knitting. Not suitable for children. Limited numbers, advance booking recommended.
Train Rides & Teddy Bears’ Picnic
Saturday 7th June
11.00am – 4.30pm
Abbey Pumping Station
Children can bring their teddy bears and travel free on the museums steam railway! Bring a picnic and enjoy a great day out. 50p per train ride.
Were-Rabbit (There Rabbit!)
Saturday 14th June
10.30am – 12.30pm, 1.30pm – 3.30pm
New Walk Museum & Art Gallery
Are you a fluffy bunny or a rampaging rabbit? Make a mask to bring out your inner Were-Beast at this drop-in session. Suitable for all ages.
£1.50 for activities.
The Number 17: Customs & Traditions of the Royal Leicestershire Regiment
Thursday 19th June
7.30pm
Newarke Houses Museum
What does the number 17 mean to the Regiment? What is the origin of the Green Tiger? Robert Gregory answers these and many more intriguing questions in this fascinating slide presentation. Tickets: £2.50
Roman Baths: More Than Just Good Clean Fun
Saturday 21st June
11.00am & 1.00pm
Jewry Wall Museum
Take a guided tour of the Jewry Wall and handle replica and authentic objects in this one-hour special about the Roman bath site. Suitable for all ages. Places limited, booking is recommended. £1.50
Connecting Cultures, Celebrating Diversity
Saturday 21st June
12.00- 4.00pm
Newark Houses Museum
As part of National Refugee Week, join Leicester’s new communities and share their rich cultural and musical traditions. Take part in creative workshops and tantalise your taste buds with some delicious food!
Bugs: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
Thursday 26th June
7.00pm
Belgrave Hall & Gardens
Discover the bugs in the hall’s gardens and find out what they do, where they live and how to get the good ones on your side! Limited places, advanced booking recommended. £2.50
Urban Steam & Vehicle Rally
Saturday 28th June 1.00pm – 5.00pm
Sunday 29th June 12.00noon – 5.00pm
Abbey Pumping Station
Witness the sights and sounds of steam engines and railway locomotives with train rides, preserved vehicles, old cycles, motorbikes and more. Enjoy three of the massive beam engines working in steam – the only place in the UK where this can be seen (the three engines will be steamed at approx 3.30pm each day). Free parking at the Space Centre next door. Adults: £2.50, accompanied children free. 50p per train ride.
Felt Making Workshop: 'Summer Flowers'
Sunday 29th June
1.30pm - 4.00pm
Belgrave Hall & Gardens
Use colourful dyed merino wools and threads and create a wall hanging based on the theme of summer flowers. All materials and tuition provided. Beginner’s welcome. Limited places, advanced booking recommended. £10.00, plus small charge for materials.
* Part of Spark Children’s Festival. For further details, visit: www.sparkfestival.co.uk
** Part of Leicester Early Music Festival. For further details, visit: www.earlymusicleicester.co.uk
*** The City Gallery, 90 Granby Street, Leicester. LE1 1DJ. T: 0116 223 2060 E: city.gallery@leicester.gov.uk W: www.leicester.gov.uk/citygallery