WHAT’S ON GUIDE SPRING SUMMER 2019
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, EDUCATION ROOM 9.4m x 6.4m (60.16m2) weekends and evenings, it has a projector, Room layout Maximum occupancy screen, induction loop and Wi-Fi available. Theatre style 66 Boardroom 30 Contact the museum to discuss your event Cabaret 40 requirements in more detail by emailing: Horseshoe 36 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
Worthing Museum & Art Gallery @WorthingMuseum worthingmuseum WorthingMuseum
H I G H Q U A L I T Y CULT URE, O N YOUR D OOR STEP… Welcome to the new season, which is jampacked with a brilliant mix of exhibitions and events; We open the main gallery with Robert Koenig; Memorial Structure. These breathtaking sculptural carvings carry strong and contemplative messages around migration and belonging are not to be missed.
weekday evening walks along with our normal Saturday sessions with our very own James Sainsbury. There will be new places to explore as well as visits to old favourites like Cissbury, Chanctonbury and Highdown. As always, James will be bringing along genuine artefacts from our collections for handling.
This will be followed by a celebration of the female artists and designers whose work has formed a lasting contribution to our museum; with a rich and vibrant history of strong female curators at WMA this is an opportunity to celebrate those female voices who have made WMA what it is today and continue to do so.
Our workshops programme is stronger than ever, ensuring we have something for everyone to enjoy; this season we have a number of adult workshops covering Lino cutting to watercolours for beginners and for families we have a range of events both drop in and booked in advance to enjoy with the whole family. All advanced workshops are now available to book online via our website www.worthingmuseum.co.uk
Running through to June we have the incredible work of Helen Barff working in partnership with Suzanne Joinson to bring us Memory of Clothes. This fascinating work explores links between autobiographical memory and clothing through Worthing Museum’s extensive clothing collection and personal memories of elderly residents at Guildcare care home. The combination of nostalgia, loss and the impact of the sculptures themselves is both heartwarming and thought-provoking. In partnership with the Friends of Worthing Museum we are excited to bring our Collected and Conserved exhibition to the Norwood Gallery; WMA has welcomed some exciting new additions to its fine art collection in recent months particularly from contemporary artists, many of whom have a local connection to Sussex. This exhibition reveals these newly accessioned works for their first showing at WMA, and explores how and why certain works are selected by the Museum’s curatorial team.
Also don’t forget our OPEN 18 exhibition has been an unprecedented success so make sure you catch the exhibition ahead of the 30th March. With over 560 entries this year we were thrilled by the interest and engagement from local artists and our community. Amanda O’Reilly Head of Culture Gerry Connolly WMA Manager
Following the increasing interest and support we are expanding our archaeology walk programme this year to include some
Cover image: Memorial Structure by Robert Koenig
P ER M A N E N T C O L L E C T I O N S Worthing Museum and 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, like 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 down, burnt down and blown up’. In spite of this the pier is still standing! Our enormous collections of local material including photographs, ephemera and threedimensional objects offer key insights into local social history. You can see selected items all year round within our permanent displays situated on the ground floor. Due to the sheer volume of our collections not all of these items will be on display at any one time. For you to view something in particular when you visit please contact us in advance. If the object is not on display we will do our best to make it available for you to view.
MAIN G ALLE RY O P E N1 8 Until Saturday 30th March The popular WMA biennial OPEN was launched once again last summer, giving all those within our community an exciting opportunity to exhibit within a distinguished gallery space. A staggering 562 works - which included examples of painting, drawing, print, sculpture, textile and mixed media works - were submitted by both amateur and professional artists of all ages. Through a tough judging process the panel narrowed down the vast number of entries to a selection based on variety and quality, all of which are currently on display in the Main Gallery exhibition and many are for sale. Look out for the judges’ shortlisted choices and prize winners in the exhibition.
MAIN GA L L E R Y R OBE RT KOENI G : MEM ORIA L STRU C T U RE Saturday 20th April to Saturday 21st September 2019 Memorial Structure is a space for contemplation, recollection, reminiscence and memory – decorated inside using differing techniques Robert has mastered over the past 40 years. Reliefs and sculptural carvings in his distinctive style tackle themes of migration, loss, discrimination, fear and collective responsibility, and explore his own heritage as the son of Polish wartime refugees. Robert Koenig is an internationally known artist and has exhibited his carved wood sculptures widely around the UK and Europe.
Image Š Memorial Structure by Robert Koenig
MAIN GA L L E R Y FEMA L E V OI C E S Launches 5th October 2019 A celebration of the female artists and designers whose work forms part of the museum collection and the lasting contribution they have created. The museum has a rich and vibrant history of strong female curators many of whom have helped shape the collection throughout the twentieth century and onwards. We revisit and reinterpret some of the better known artists and works from our collection, as well as exploring many lesser known female voices and provide a platform for their work.
Black Orchid Š Dorich House Museum
ST UD I O G A L L E RY
MEM ORY OF CL OT H ES Saturday 23rd February to Saturday 8th June 2019 Memory of Clothes is an exhibition of sculptural work and a podcast documenting research by artist Helen Barff and writer Suzanne Joinson. The research explored links between autobiographical memory and clothing through Worthing Museum’s extensive clothing collection and personal memories of elderly residents at Guildcare care home. Helen and Suzanne ran a series of workshops, handling items from the museum’s collection to residents at Guildcare. The items provoked a range of memories from the mundane domestic to WWII, and connected with local places and landscape around Worthing. Linking these with items in the museum collection Helen and Suzanne have developed a body of work that explores themes such as women’s role in the war, sea bathing and care of clothes. The podcast developed by Suzanne includes the voices of the Guildcare residents and experts on memory reflecting on the significance of clothing to memory and identity. In the Studio, Helen explores this through a series of sculptures that sit across the floor, as well as drawing, prints and cyanotypes.
Folded Stack by Helen Barff
ST UD I O G A L L E RY
A WA L K A RO U ND CISS BU RY Saturday 22nd June to Saturday 7th September This exhibition brings together five artists with the common practice of working in the local Downland landscape. Through conversations and chance meetings they discovered that they had all been working, walking and visiting similar areas on the South Downs over the past few years. They have all been drawn to Cissbury Ring for a variety of reasons - researching its historical significance, looking for the human shaping of a land that has been farmed for centuries, walking, collecting and thinking.
Their conversations prompted them to visit Cissbury Ring together and to begin sharing their different interests and interpretations of the site and to develop the work in this exhibition. These exchanges have been enriching and through this collective exhibition each of the contributing artists have developed their work in surprising ways. Emily Jolley Jane Fox Jenny Staff Tania Rutland Anna Twinam-Cauchi Instagram #walkaroundcissbury
‘Kit’ by Sir William Orpen
NOR WOOD GAL L ER Y
SCH OOL ED AT S L A DE Until Saturday 6th April 2019 Since its foundation in 1871 the Slade School of Art has been a leading influence in the education of students of contemporary fine art. Schooled at Slade provides an opportunity for WMA to explore the work of some of the early teachers at the school, and the impact they had on their students. The museum holds a variety of their works, some familiar but others less often shown to the public. In this exhibition we examine the way teaching directed the creativity of the students, influencing
developments in the field of contemporary art, particularly in view of the remarkable talents that flowed through the doors of Slade in those early years. Schooled at Slade is guest-curated by volunteer Janet Green who has been photographing the fine art collection, and in particular those parts of the collection held in store. This exhibition brings together paintings, drawings, prints and archive material of those teachers who made such a mark on the world of art and their gifted students in the context of the turbulent first half of the twentieth century.
Naughty Monkey (2016) by Gary Goodman
NO R W O O D G A LLERY
COL L E CT E D A N D CON SE RV E D Launches Saturday 4th May WMA has welcomed some exciting new additions to its fine art collection in recent months particularly from contemporary artists, many of whom have a local connection to Sussex. This exhibition
reveals these newly accessioned works for their first showing at WMA, and explores how and why certain works are selected by the Museum’s curatorial team. Alongside artworks which are completely new to the collection will be some old favourites which have recently had some professional conservation work undertaken to them, thanks to the generosity of the Friends of Worthing Museum.
N ORWOO D L AND ING GAL L ER Y
BAR K IN G, B O O T HS AND BOT T L E R S Saturday 20th July to Saturday 31st August 2019 Sussex seafront entertainers between the wars. The 1920s and 30s were a Golden Age of seaside holidays when hordes of trippers visited Sussex resorts in search of sea, sun and fun. Entertainment was on hand not only from star names topping the variety bills at local Theatres and Concert Halls but also from a host of talented performers whose makeshift stages were outdoors on the Prom or even on the beach itself. Barking, Booths and Bottlers celebrates these seafront entertainers and the novelties they provided. The Concert Parties with their soubrettes and light comedians, the Pierrots with banjo and song; the Punch and Judy Professors, Living Marionettists, Sand Scratchers, Childrens’ Corner Clowns and many more. All a part of countless holiday memories between one world war and the next. Part of The Beachcomber Project curated by The Fedora Group and supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund.
G AR D E N G A L L ERY
CAR E F OR VE T E R ANS : CELE BRA T IN G 1 0 0 YEA RS OF CA R E 30th April to 8th June 2019 Care for Veterans (formerly The Queen Alexandra Hospital Home) is a 60-bed facility based in Worthing, and provides residential nursing care, rehabilitation, respite and end of life care. It was established shortly after World War I to care for those returning from service with life-changing injuries. Since then, the charity has continued to care for physically disabled ex-Service personnel and their families. This exhibition details the charity’s history, including its conception in Roehampton in 1919, the move to Worthing in 1934, and its change of name in 2017. The exhibition also features some historic photos, which were found in the attic at Care for Veterans a few years ago.
AR CHAEOL OGY
SUSS E X D A Y AT CIS SBU RY R I N G Saturday 15th June 2019 10:30 to 15:30 Come and join us at Cissbury Ring to celebrate Sussex Day! We’re setting up a base camp at the Salvington Rise car park where we’ll be running a whole host of children’s activities based around the archaeology and history of Findon Valley! This includes making your own Iron Age coins, soap carving your own flint tools and making your own map of Cissbury (plus more on the day!) In addition to this our archaeologist James will be running walking tours up to Cissbury Ring itself throughout the day, and there will be plenty of genuine artefacts from the site available to handle by the public. A perfect outing for families, dogwalkers and everyone else! Activities - £3/child Cissbury Tour - £5/adult (children go free!)
AR C H A E O L O G Y WA LKS ‘We are all extremely lucky to live in an area that not only has outstanding natural beauty, but also outstanding archaeological remains. I hope during these walks I can communicate and share my passion for these ancient places and the peoples who once lived, walked, loved and died within the landscapes we have inherited today.’ James Sainsbury, WMA Archaeologist & Operations Officer
We’re expanding our archaeology walk programme this year to include some weekday evening walks along with our normal Saturday sessions!
The walks are graded by difficulty – some involve more climbing than others. It is advisable to bring water and a lunch to the walks. Dogs are welcome on a lead. Thursday walks begin at 18:30 and last around two hours. Saturday walks begin at 11am and are usually finished by 3pm £5/person, places are limited so pre-booking is essential. For meeting points and more details email james.sainsbury@adur-worthing.gov.uk
SAT U R DA Y A FT ERN OO N WA LKS
Saturday 4th May – Cissbury Ring Flint Mines & Ramparts (3 miles - moderate difficulty) Explore the 6000 year history of Worthing’s highest hill, and the country’s second largest hill fort. From Neolithic flint mining to Iron Age ramparts and WWII defences, Cissbury is one of the real jewels in Worthing’s crown. Saturday 8th June – Chanctonbury Ring Barrows, Temples and Vistas (3 miles - hard difficulty) Perhaps the most famous Sussex landmark, Chanctonbury Ring has fascinated locals and tourists alike for centuries. We will explore the rich archaeological landscape at the site, including cross-ridge dykes, burials mounds and of course the Ring itself, which contains not one but two Roman temples! Saturday 29th June – Bignor Hill Stane Street & Prehistoric Enclosures (3 miles - moderate difficulty) Bignor Hill hosts a plethora of archaeological remains – not least the Roman road of Stane Street, burial mounds and the Neolithic enclosure at Barkhale. On this walk we’ll explore these features, along with the preserved ancient farmsteads and fields under the woodland canopy.
Photographs Credit - Robin Bennett
There will be new places to explore as well as visits to old favourites like Cissbury, Chanctonbury and Highdown. As always our archaeologist James will be bringing along genuine artefacts from our collections for handling.
A RCHAEOL OGY WAL KS
Saturday 10th August – Highdown Hill Roman Bath & Saxon Cemetery (2 miles - easy difficulty) Highdown Hill dominates the coastal plain, with views of the Isle of Wight to the Seven Sisters. People have been drawn to this eminence for thousands of years, with archaeological finds from all eras discovered at the site. Perhaps the most famous are the remains of over 200 Anglo-Saxon settlers, who were buried with rich grave goods – some of which will be brought for handling. This is a shorter walk with a moderate climb to the top of the hill. Saturday 7th September – Patching Cross Dykes and Deserted Villages (5 miles - moderate difficulty) 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 crossridge dyke with superb views for miles around (weather permitting!)
T H UR S D A Y E VEN IN G WA LK S
Thursday 9th May – Highdown Hill (2 miles - easy difficulty) Thursday 20th June – The Burpham Downland (5 miles - hard difficulty) Thursday 11th July – Cissbury Ring (3 miles - moderate difficulty) Thursday 8th August – Clapham Woods (3 miles - moderate difficulty)
AD UL T W O R K S H O PS A N D EVEN T S 11/05/19
Lino Cutting for beginners 10am - 4pm | 14+ | £50 book online Join artist Rosemary Jones who specialises in lino prints of South Downs and Worthing on an all day workshop. Please bring an image 10 x 15 cm and a packed lunch - drinks are provided. See Rosemary’s cards on Sale in the Museum Shop.
11/5/19
Costume Store Talk and Tour 10.30am - 12pm | 14+ | £7.50 book online An exclusive talk on the history of the costume collection at Worthing Museum and tour of the store with curator Gerry Connolly.
18/5/19
Felting for beginners 10:30am - 1pm | 14+ £15 book online Learn the craft of Felting with Artist Mary Allen. Feltmaking is easy and enjoyable. Come and create something unique and colourful at this fun workshop.
1/6/19
Costume Store Talk and Tour 10.30am - 12pm | 14+ | £7.50 book online An exclusive talk on the history of the costume collection at Worthing Museum and tour of the store with curator Gerry Connolly.
20/6/19
Crocheting for beginners 10:30am - 1pm | 14+ | £15 book online Learn how to crochet with Artist Mary Allan
6/7/19
Collected and Conserved Talk and Tour 10.30am - 12pm | 14+ | £7.50 book online An exclusive talk on our exhibition Collected and Conserved, and art store viewing with Curatorial Assistant Sarah Hobson
3/8/19
Collected and Conserved Talk and Tour 10.30am - 12pm | 14+ | £7.50 book online An exclusive talk on our exhibition Collected and Conserved, and art store viewing with Curator Emma Walder
T A LKS AT
LUCY WORSLEY:
QUEEN VICTORIA:DAUGHTER, WIFE, MOTHER AND WIDOW Queen Victoria: a little old lady, spherical in shape, dressed in black, perpetually grumpy. Right? Historian Lucy Worsley wants to make you think again. Meet a complex, contradictory woman, who loved dancing, who suffered calamity and bereavement, before coming out the other side as an eccentric, powerful and rather magnificent old lady. Lucy's illustrated talk takes you into the life, the palaces, and the rich colourful age of this woman who ruled a quarter of the globe. Followed by a signing with Lucy.
Sun 19 May, 7.30pm | Connaught Theatre From £20 | 120 mins (Incl interval) Box Office: 01903 206 206 worthingtheatres.co.uk
VAN GOGH & JAPAN
THE UNTOLD STORY OF VAN GOGH’S ART (12A) Visiting the new galleries of Japanese art in Paris and then creating his own image of Japan – through in-depth research, print collecting and detailed discussions with other artists – Van Gogh’s encounter with Japanese artworks gave his work a new and exciting direction. The film travels not only to France and the Netherlands but also to Japan to further explore the remarkable heritage that so affected Van Gogh and made him the artist we know of today.
Tue 4 June, 6.30pm | Connaught Cinema From £11.50 (concs available) | 105 mins
01903 206 206 | WORTHINGTHEATRES.CO.UK
SPRING HOLIDAY WORKSHOPS
F A M I L Y W O R K S HO PS 9/4/19
11/4/19
12/4/19
16/4/19
MAY HALF TERM WORKSHOPS
19/4/19
11/5/19
30/5/19
30/5/19
31/5/19
Shellwork 10:30am - 12pm | 7-11 years | £5 book online Victorians had a passion for shell encrusted objects. Have a go at making your own. Victorian Scrapbooking 10:30am - 12pm | 7-13 years | £3.50 book online Look at our collection of Victorian cards and be inspired to make your own. Family Art Friday: Spring Fever 10:30am - 12:30pm | 1pm - 3pm | All ages | £3.50 drop in Spring has sprung, try making pop up garden cards, origami birds, bird boxes and more. Origami for beginners 10:30am - 12pm | 7-11 years | £5 book online Fun and simple step by step paper magic. Try your hand at dogs, cats, frogs, butterflys, boats, waterbombs! Family art Friday: Spring Masks 10:30am - 12:30pm | 1pm - 3pm | All ages | £3.50 drop in All kinds of masks to celebrate spring, come and use your imagination and invention to create something new!
Making History 2pm - 3:30pm | 7-11 years | £5 book online Saturday afternoon making history inspired by the Museum Collection. Memory of Clothes 10:30am - 12pm | 7-11 years | £5 book online Be inspired by a visit to the Studio Gallery Exhibition ‘Memory of Clothes’ and create your very own card mini me working from the exhibition or from your own family history using card, fabric and collage. Build a Memory 2pm - 4pm | 13+ years | £5 book online Visit the Main Gallery and see the work by Artist Robert Koeing. Be inspired and create your own artwork using collage and card. Family Art Friday: Creature Crafts 10:30am - 12:30pm | 1pm - 3pm | All ages | £3.50 drop in Come and make some fun Spring Crafts including butterflies, birds, origami and more using recycled materials.
SUMMER HOLIDAY WORKSHOPS
15/6/19
26/7/19
30/7/19 01/8/19 02/8/19
06/8/19 08/8/19
09/8/19
13/8/19 15/8/19
16/8/19 20/8/19
22/8/19 23/8/19
CIssbury Ring: Family Day 10:30am - 3:30pm | All ages | £3.50 crafts £10 guided walk, book online Come and join us on a day of historic activities, crafts, guided walks at Cissbury Ring Heritage Site. Soap carving arrow heads, foil coins, stick looms and more crafts, Storrington Rise Car Park. Family Art Friday: Summer Crafts 10:30am - 12:30pm | 1pm - 3pm | All ages | £3.50 drop in Build a boat, make a summer crown, seaside mobile and wire bubble wands and more. Planes & Gliders 10:30am - 12pm | 6-12 years | £5 book online Using recycled materials make planes and gliders and take off! Fabric & Textiles 10:30am - 12pm | 7-11 years | £5 book online Create a colourful textile collage. Family Art Friday: Weaving & Woolcrafts 10:30am - 12:30pm | 1pm - 3pm | All ages | £3.50 drop in Have a go at weaving including dream catchers, stick looms and pom poms. Wheels Workshop 10:30am - 12pm | 5-7 years | £5 book online Make a train or vehicle out of recycled materials. Barking, Booths and Bottlers Workshop 10:30am - 12pm | 7-13 years | £5 book online Discover our Barking, Booths and Bottlers exhibition and create your very own Pop up show, full of puppets, magic and more. Family Art Friday: Natural History Museum 10:30am - 12:30pm | 1pm - 3pm | All ages | £3.50 drop in Make a Natural History Museum create an exciting collection of creatures, local wildlife, plants for your own Museum. Coins: Handling and Making 10:30am - 12pm | 7-13 years | £5 book online Handle some old coins and make your own coin collection with foil. Clay Replicas 10:30am - 12pm | 7-13 years | £5 book online Look at our prehistory artefacts in the Gallery and Handling Collection and make your own clay replica with dry clay. Family Art Friday: Papercrafts 10:30am - 12:30pm | 1pm - 3pm | All ages | £3.50 drop in Collage, pop ups, spinning pinwheels, sketchbooks. Pirate Dressing Up 10:30am - 12pm | £5 book online Become a pirate or smuggler by making a hat, a patch and a hook and come and walk the plank! Oo aghh!! Hat Making 10:30 - 1pm | 12-15 years | £10 book online Invent a hat with a difference with our Resident Milliner. Family Art Friday: Making History 10:30am - 12:30pm | 1pm - 3pm | All ages | £3.50 drop in Stone Age, Romans, Anglo Saxons, Vikings...make history out of cardboard!
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.