Takeover Day 2019

Posted on 26 November 2019 by EFDMLW

On Wednesday 20 November, year 8 students from King Harold Business & Enterprise Academy, took over the running of the museum as part of Takeover Day.

Visitors took part in a tour, activities and a trail all devised and led by the students, and were in charge of our Twitter and Facebook accounts for the day.

Three students were even interviewed live on BBC Essex radio – something they only found out about an hour before going on air.

Lilly live on air with Richard Smith from BBC Essex

The 10 pupils worked with staff, in a series of preparations days, to learn more about the day to day running of the museum; they were given a behind the scenes tour, handled objects from the collections, created posters and content for their tours.

Climate change

They themed their take over around climate change, linking it to the current Ice Age exhibition; this period was a natural form of climate change, comparing it to now as more manmade through global warming.

One gallery had been declared a ‘no go zone’ to represent how, through climate change, parts of the world will disappear and be submerged in the oceans. Another gallery was filled with one week’s worth of rubbish to show how much waste each household has and to encourage visitors to recycle as much as they can.

Jack, Rhiannon, Rhianna and Archie with Woolly and a small forest of handmade trees

One activity the year 8s run was to make little trees from cork, a cocktail stick, beads and ripped paper. Each tree represented a real endangered tree and was given a label with details of where the tree currently survives and why it is under threat of extinction. This small forest of trees will be on display until the beginning of December.

A word from the students

We asked the pupils what they did as part of Takeover Day, what they enjoyed and what they learnt that surprised them about working in a museum – here are their answers:

Mark: I did the tours [and enjoyed] all of it.

Rhianna: I was posting on social media updating Twitter and Facebook for the public and update our #takeoverday . I enjoyed making captions and doing the social media.

Mark and Dmithry giving their tour to the headteacher and deputy head of King Harold Academy

Obinna: I did a tour, [and enjoyed] doing tours and being on the radio.

Dmithry: I did the tours with Mark, [enjoyed] all of it and [learnt that working in a museum] is really fun.

Joni: I took part in the tree activity. I enjoyed making trees and helping others make them. I was surprised that I was going to be on the radio.

Louie: I advertised outside, I had a go at a tour, I spoke to the chairman and helped people make trees. [I enjoyed] speaking to the chairman 1 on 1 (I found that really exciting). I’m quite good at advertising and drawing people in.

Lilly: We learnt about climate change and we done tour and other jobs that people who work here do. [I enjoyed] everything. I learnt a lot about climate change and how people work in the museum.

Rhiannon: I was posting on social media updating Twitter and Facebook about our takeover day. I enjoyed making the different captions for our tweets and taking the pictures, I also enjoyed spotting our woolly mammoth. I learnt how much work, effort and time goes into the takeover day.

Archie: I made trees, helped with snakes and ladders and made a poster. [I enjoyed] making trees. [I learnt working in a museum] is easy.

Takeover Day

Takeover Day is a national celebration (created by Kids in Museums) of young people’s contributions to museums, galleries, arts organisations, archives and heritage sites. It’s a day on which they work alongside staff and volunteers to participate in the life of the organisation or venue.

To find more, visit https://kidsinmuseums.org.uk/takeoverday/

Singing in the Wilderness

Posted on 2 September 2018 by EFDMuseum

Where: St John’s C of E Primary School, High Road, Buckhurst Hill, IG9 5RX

When: Saturday 29 September

Time: 3pm – 7pm

Price: Free (some activities may be charged for; all money raised will go to the school)

Everyone welcome

Epping Forest District Council’s Museums, Heritage and Culture team and St John’s C of E Primary School, Buckhurst Hill are hosting an event to celebrate the life and work of local artist Walter Spradbery.

In 1938, Spradbery and his wife Dorothy held an ‘Open Air Social’ with stalls, sideshows, donkey rides, traditional dances and art displays. This will be recreation of that event on its 80th anniversary.

There will be a specially choreographed dance performance by Flux Dance Collective who has been working with pupils from the school to create a piece inspired by Spradbery. A historical interpreter will play the role of Walter Spradbery, leading tours into the wilderness to visit the site where the house once stood. The day will end with a fun performance by Impropera, the world’s only improvised Opera Company. Buckhurst Hill Community Association will have an art display, and there will be a small exhibition about Walter Spradbery.

The Wilderness

He lived next door to St John’s C of E Primary School, in a house known as ‘The Wilderness’ from 1929 – 1969. The site is now part of Epping Forest and a stone plaque marks where the house once stood.

This event is part of a programme of activities for the ‘Walter Spradbery, Artist in War and Peace’ exhibition, at Epping Forest District Museum, Waltham Abbey; on display from Saturday 21 July to Saturday 22 December 2018. For more information visit http://www.eppingforestdc.gov.uk/museum

Walter Spradbery
Spradbery is best known for his poster designs for London Transport, one of which was recently used on the new signboards marking the boundaries of Epping Forest. He and his wife, opera singer Dorothy D’Orsay, also held many musical and opera performances in the gardens of ‘The Wilderness’ for the local community.
Spradbery was also a committed pacifist. He served in the Royal Army Medical Corps during the First World War, receiving the Distinguished Conduct Medal for his bravery in rescuing injured comrades under intense enemy fire.

Adult art workshops at Epping Forest District Museum

Posted on 1 September 2017 by EFDMuseum

Adult art workshops at Epping Forest District Museum.

For the first time Epping Forest District Museum is offering art workshops for adults, led by professional artists this September, as part of the Paths Unseen project.

Poetry workshop

In this adult workshop you will create beautiful and powerful written works of art that will capture your thoughts, feelings and memories using poetry techniques with performance poet Keely Mills. You will also get a chance to develop written, performance and craft skills.

Where: Epping Forest District Museum, 39 – 41 Sun Street, Waltham Abbey, EN9 1EL

When: Saturday 23 September 2017

Time: 10:30am – 3pm

Price: £20 (includes materials)

Booking required

Illustration workshop

Lead by illustrator Jef Winter, in this adult workshop you will discover the fun of drawing and learn how to draw faces using just numbers to create different emotions, break down barriers of what illustration is and how ‘happy accidents’ can make works of art.

Where: Epping Forest District Museum, 39 – 41 Sun Street, Waltham Abbey, EN9 1EL

When: Saturday 30 September 2017

Time: 10:30am – 1pm

Price: £15 (includes materials)

Booking required

Three Acres and a Cow

Connecting the Norman Conquest and Peasants’ Revolt with fracking and our housing crisis via the Enclosures and Industrial Revolution, the show draws a compelling narrative through the people’s history of Britain. Part talk, part folk club sing-a-long; come and share these tales as they have been shared for generations.

Where: Lopping Hall, 189 High Road, Loughton, IG10 4LN

When: Saturday 21 October 2017

Time: 6pm (meal)

7pm (performance starts)

Price: £5 (£9 with a meal)

Booking required

Booking information

To book your place visit https://eppingforestdc.bookinglive.com/ or call 01992 564226 (Monday – Friday 10am – 4pm).

Paths Unseen project

Paths Unseen shows how poetry can be a shared sociable activity. Over the past 18 months performance poet Keely Mills and illustrator Jef Winter have engaged with many individuals and groups from across the local community enabling them to write, tell their own stories and share their work in their own voices.

Inspiration has also come from local folklore, encouraging museum audiences to consider art as a medium for rediscovering local history.

The exhibition is at Epping Forest District Museum until 30 September 2017.

Paths Unseen project has been funded by Arts Council England.

Museum on the Move reopens

Posted on 28 March 2016 by EFDMuseum

Epping Forest District Museum reopened it’s doors to the public on Saturday 19 March 2016 after a 2 year long Heritage Lottery funded redevelopment.

The bells of Waltham Abbey Church rang as reenactors from the 44th East Essex Regiment marched up Sun Street towards the museum.

Party atmosphere

A party atmosphere was enjoyed by all who came to celebrate the museum’s special day. They were treated to a jive dance demonstration and a morris dancing display by the Chingford Morris Men in Sun Street.

Over 750 people visited the museum, they enjoyed activities including decorating eggs in the new community space, and were given access to all the museum’s new galleries for the first time.

Welcome back

Museum staff were thrilled with the positive feedback they received. Comments include “Big improvement, proud to live in the Abbey” and “Welcome back! We’ve missed the museum and love the new look!”

Museum on the Move

The museum team also celebrated the reopening of the museum by making a film showing what has been going on behind the scenes. The ‘Museum on the Move’ film also features as part of the museum’s first temporary exhibition all about transport through history.

Epping Forest District Museum reopening date confirmed!

Posted on 22 January 2016 by EFDMuseum

After a two year long Heritage Lottery Funded project, the reopening of Epping Forest District Museum is on the horizon. The museum would like to welcome members of the public to the museum on Saturday 19 March 2016 from 10am to 5pm to see the fantastic improvements and changes that have taken place on site.

With a new community room for schools, groups and activities, a lift making all galleries accessible to the public for the first time and the chance to see behind the scenes the museum will be a unique offer to both local people and the wider community.

The museum team are now in the process of reinstalling the objects in the six new galleries ready for the reopening in March, with a much greater number of objects going on display than ever before.

Queen Elizabeth II and the Epping Forest District

Posted on 9 September 2015 by EFDMuseum

On 9 September 2015 Queen Elizabeth II claims the title as Britain’s longest reigning monarch, having reigned since the age of 25.

She acceded the throne in 1952 following the death of her father and has reigned during a time of great change in technology and the transformation this has had on the world.

Queen Victoria previously held the title of longest reigning monarch.

The Epping Forest District has a number of connections with Queen Elizabeth II, including a visit she made as a Princess prior to acceding the throne.

She made a visit to Grange Farm in Chigwell in 1951 and was the first person to sign the visitor book there. The Museum is lucky to have this in the collection and below you will see her signature.

Grange Farm Visitor Book

Princess Elizabeth at Grange Farm

The Museum also has a collection of images showing street parties and events for Queen Elizabeth II coronation.

Here is a small gallery of images:

Epping Street Party

Elizabeth coronation procession

Waltham Abbey church decorated for coronation

Epping Street Party

Family Events at Lowewood Museum this summer

Posted on 6 August 2015 by EFDMuseum

There are two special events coming up at Lowewood Museum this summer.

If you haven’t yet visited our sister site in Hoddesdon this is the perfect opportunity.

Visit Lowewood on Saturday 8 August for our Family Fun Day. Enjoy the puppet shows, willow weaving and other activities as well as a cup of tea and slice of cake

On Saturday 15th August Lowewood Museum is opening a brand new gallery dedicated to the artist James Ward. Ward was famous for his animal paintings so we are celebrating the opening with animal mask making activities, refreshments and a special visit from Broxbourne Paradise Wildlife Park between 12noon and 2pm.

To find out more about these events please email museum.leisure@Broxbourne.gov.uk or call Lowewood Museum on 01992 445596.

Museum Explorer Passport

Posted on 25 June 2015 by EFDMuseum

While we are closed for redevelopment Epping Forest District Museum has been involved in a project to launch a Museum Explorer Passport for museums across Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Essex.

The passport includes 21 museums across the three counties including our sister site Lowewood Museum as one of the Hertfordshire Museums.

The passport is a chance to get exploring and collect stamps at all the museums listed. There are also five exciting missions to complete.

So why not take this chance to visit your local museum or one you have never been to before and complete your Museum Explorer Passport.

Find out more about the project here:

@explorerpass

www.facebook.com/museumexplorer

www.museumexplorerpassport.com

Museums at Night – Victorian Extravaganza!

Posted on 7 May 2015 by EFDMuseum

As many of you know while Epping Forest District Museum is closed for redevelopment there is the chance to visit our sister site, Lowewood Museum.

On Friday 15th May we would like to invite you to visit Lowewood Museum and enjoy our special Museums at Night Event.

Lowewood Museum will be staying open late for a special Victorian Extravaganza to celebrate Museums at Night, a National initiative, on the 15th May 2015, 6pm – 9pm. We are inviting the community to come and take a fresh look at the museum as part of this one off FREE event.

To celebrate 200 years since the birth of beloved Victorian novelist Anthony Trollope, join us for our Victorian Extravaganza as the museum opens its doors from 6pm to 9pm for one evening only.

Explore the museum in a new light and join in the wide variety of activities we have on offer. There is the chance to enjoy our tea party with fantastic food and that all important cup of tea as well as some very special cocktail jellies! Have a go at getting dressed up in Victorian costume and get your photo taken in our Victorian photo booth and join in and try out some famous Victorian decent and profane games.

If you haven’t heard of the museum or been meaning to visit for a while this is the perfect opportunity.

Lowewood Museum
High Street, Hoddesdon, EN11 8BH
T. 01992 445596
W. http://www.broxbourne.gov.uk/lowewoodmuseum
E. museum.leisure@broxbourne.gov.uk
Twitter: @Lowewood

New Touring Exhibition – Mythical Creatures

Posted on 23 April 2015 by EFDMuseum

Mythical Creatures is a NEW regional touring exhibition produced by Epping Forest District Museum and co-curated by students from Epping Forest College. Mythical Creatures is funded by Arts Council England and Royal Opera House Bridge. This exhibition is free to hire for venues in the East of England.

Here are some photographs from the exhibition.