Exhibitions

Exhibitions

What is it? 

An exhibition can be reasonably defined as a selection of items displayed for the enjoyment of the public. The specific subject of an exhibition can be almost anything, but the most popular themes tend to be art and history.

What does it involve?

Attending an exhibition mainly just involves paying attention and engaging with the show that has been put on for you! 

Why do it and what are the benefits?

The purpose of an exhibition is to display points of interest in the most effective manner, and it can be a great alternative way of learning than reading out of books in the classroom. Having a visual and tangible example of something in front of you makes it so much more interesting to learn about, especially if it's something you've only ever seen in pictures before e.g. you'll remember seeing preserved artefacts in real life much easier than when you saw it in a book. 

What equipment do we need?

Exhibitions often have guides to take you around and explain the display further, and specialist school group guides may have activities for the students to engage in during the visit - check beforehand to see if such a feature is available, and if you need to bring any equipment for it! Other than that, you shouldn't need to provide anything to enjoy an exhibition. 

Who is it suitable for?

While not all exhibitions are suitable for all ages, there is enough variety that there will be one perfectly suited to the age and interests of your student group - make sure to do your research!

Costs?

Entry to exhibitions can vary between costing nothing and a £30+ fee depending on the content and the venue!

Issues/Things to think about? (unsuitable for age groups, medical conditions etc)

Exhibition venues can often be large and confusing to navigate, so make sure younger groups of students are sufficiently supervised!

How do we include?

The variety of venues, subjects and sizes available when considering attending an exhibition means you should be able to include everyone regardless of interests or disabilities. 

Doing it abroad?

Foreign countries all have their own fascinating histories and culture which will all undoubtedly be displayed in a great exhibition somewhere! The main cities of a country are the most likely places to find an engaging exhibition, so check out whats on before you set off from the UK!

Main website: 

Consult individual venue websites to see exactly what they have on at the current time!

 

See the list below for venues and providers who deliver this activity:

Natural History Museum

Venue Type: 
Museums
Overall Rating: 
0

The Natural History Museum is home to life and earth science specimens comprising some 80 million items within five main collections: botany, entomology, mineralogy, palaeontology and zoology.

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Erddig

Atmospheric house, featuring 485-hectare (1,200-acre) country park and formal walled garden
Venue Type: 
Historic Buildings & Monuments
Overall Rating: 
0

Widely acclaimed as one of Britain's finest historic houses, Erddig is a fascinating yet unpretentious early 18th-century country house reflecting the upstairs downstairs life of a gentry family over 250 years.

The extensive downstairs area contains Erddig's unique collection of servants' portraits, while the upstairs rooms are an amazing treasure trove of fine furniture, textiles and wallpapers.

Outside, an impressive range of outbuildings includes stables, smithy, joiners' shop and sawmill.

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Hill Top

Beatrix Potter's 17th-century farmhouse: a time-capsule of her life
Venue Type: 
Historic Buildings & Monuments
Overall Rating: 
0

Enjoy the tale of Beatrix Potter by visiting Hill Top. Full of her favourite things, this house appears as if Beatrix had just stepped out for a walk. Every room contains a reference to a picture in a 'tale'.

The lovely cottage garden is a haphazard mix of flowers, herbs, fruit and vegetables. Make your way up the garden path to the front door and see for yourself why Beatrix loved this place. Bought in 1905 with proceeds from her first book, the Tale of Peter Rabbit, she used Hill Top itself and the surrounding countryside as inspiration for many of her subsequent books.

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Williamson's Tunnels Heritage Centre

Venue Type: 
Historic Buildings & Monuments
Overall Rating: 
0

In the early 19th century Joseph Williamson (1769-1840), a Liverpool businessman known as the Mole of Edge Hill, paid for a vast network of tunnels to be constructed, probably to provide employment for the poor of the area.

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Melford Hall

Discover the stories behind this eclectic home.
Venue Type: 
Historic Buildings & Monuments
Overall Rating: 
0

It’s fair to say that Melford Hall has had its share of trials and tribulations, but it’s thanks to many generations from medieval monks to the Hyde Parker family who still live here, that this home still stands.

Around every corner there’s a new twist in the story – from Beatrix Potter sketches to collections of naval paintings and Chinese porcelain – everything tells a story and everyone has left their mark.

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Emma Bridgewater Factory

Venue Type: 
Factory Visits & Industry
Overall Rating: 
0

Join us in the historic Potteries: take a tour of our atmospheric Victorian factory, see our beautiful wares being made, then try your hand at decorating your own pot in our studio. Relax in the cafe, wander in the walled garden, then shop for factory seconds or delightful gifts.

Factory Tours

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Charlecote Park

Superb Tudor House and Landscape Deer Park
Venue Type: 
Historic Buildings & Monuments
Overall Rating: 
0

Charlecote has been home to the Lucy family since the 12th century. Their stories are told throughout the house with their portraits as well as through the objects they collected from around the world. See the design influence they had on the house and parkland. Step into the house today and you will see how Mary Elizabeth Lucy spared no expense furnishing it in Victorian times.

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Newry and Mourne Museum

Venue Type: 
Museums
Overall Rating: 
0

Established in 1986, Newry and Mourne Museum aims to provide a dynamic and inclusive recreational and educational resource reflecting the rich cultural heritage of the local area. The Museum is located at Bagenal's Castle, an early example of a defended residence.

The castle was built in the 16th century in the environs of the site of a 12th century Cistercian abbey. Due to constant adaptation over the centuries, the building's exact location was concealed especially when purchased by Arthur McCann Ltd in 1894 and converted into a bakery.

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Bagenal's Castle

Venue Type: 
Castles
Overall Rating: 
0

Rediscovered in 1996, Bagenal's Castle survived enveloped in the premises of the former McCann's Bakery on Abbey Way. The rediscovery has been an exciting opportunity for Newry and Mourne to preserve and restore one of the most important aspects of local heritage. The building is of significant historical interest as original plans and elevations of the building still survive in the National Archives of the United Kingdom. It was also built in the environs of the site of the Newry Cistercian Abbey founded in the 12th Century.

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Buckland Abbey, Garden and Estate

Discovery, tranquillity and history - an ancient gem in the Dartmoor landscape
Venue Type: 
Historic Buildings & Monuments
Overall Rating: 
0

700-year-old home of Elizabethan seafarers Drake and Grenville.

​In the 13th century, Buckland Abbey was home to the Cistercian monks who built the abbey and the incredible Great Barn and farmed the then vast estate.

The Abbey, now a house with a combination of furnished rooms and interactive museum galleries, tells the story of how two seafaring adventurers - Sir Richard Grenville and Sir Francis Drake - changed the shape of the house and the fate of the country.

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