Media Centre

22 March 2024

The Bowes Museum is a charity managing a Grade 1 listed accredited museum and Grade 2 listed parkland in Barnard Castle. Founded by Joséphine & John Bowes 150+ years ago, this purpose-built Museum brings together an extraordinary, Designated collection of European fine and decorative art as a cultural resource for the people of Northern England, where today we celebrate artists, designers and makers.

The Bowes Museum receives funding from Durham County Council and, as a National Portfolio Organisation, receives support from Arts Council England. Arts Council England is the national development body for arts and culture across England, working to enrich people’s lives.
www.artscouncil.org.uk
The Bowes Museum is a member of the Discover Durham partnership of attractions, whose commitment is to promote Durham as an exciting and vibrant group travel destination and to provide the travel trade with a professional and knowledgeable service. discoverdurham.co.uk

Admission to The Bowes Museum is £13.50 for local members (residents of County Durham and Darlington), £15.50 for members (residents elsewhere), £18.00 for a day ticket, £19.80 for a day ticket including gift aid. Under 18s, full time students and carers are free.

As a registered charity (number 1079639) The Bowes Museum needs to generate more than half of its income each year to care for the historic collection, buildings and parkland. Donations are vital to its work. Visit https://thebowesmuseum.org.uk/support/ for more information.

These accessible, immersive and topical spaces have been created following a programme of activity that included workshops with more than 100 people of all ages, putting the community at the heart of the Museum. 

The Museum has brought back into use five spaces that were formerly used as stores, offices and learning suites; and redeveloped others to create these new vibrant and enthralling galleries and tourable collection vaults. 

The Curiosity Gallery displays a cross-section of the museum’s collection, curated around themes of home and landscape and will include a soundscape by the Durham based artist David de la Haye made of sounds from Teesdale. These themes link the gallery to the outside landscape, which can now be enjoyed throughout the new galleries thanks to specialist UV filters applied to the reopened windows to avoid damage to the artefacts.  The displays will change regularly to keep the space relevant and fresh and will introduce artists, designers and makers, ideas about neighbourliness and hospitality and the Teesdale landscape, all through items from the collection. 

The Create Gallery is a space visitors can investigate the making processes of collection objects; experimenting with materials through prompts and ideas set by the Museum’s Artist team.   One of our Artists, Zoe Allen, will be on hand to throughout the day on the 2nd April to help guide people’s creativity. 

The Conversation Gallery is where people can sit and relax, chat and debate, exploring artworks that link to wider ideas and challenges that the world is facing.  Through exploration of current topics, the Museum can explore local solutions to global problems with visitors and school groups. 

The Hive, on the first floor of the Museum, will act as a reminder that everyone can collect and that everyone curates.  It’s a space where visitors will be able to see objects, artefacts, documents and collections that have been curated through a collaboration of staff, volunteers and community members, inspired by the Museum’s founders’ thoughtful collecting in the nineteenth century. 

The three newly accessible collection vaults will house furniture, textiles and ceramic objects, which visitors will be able to see during specialist guided tours from April.  The objects are displayed in new ways to allow them to be more easily viewed and cared for. 

Vicky Sturrs, The Bowes Museum’s Director of Programmes and Collections said: 

“The Bowes Museum celebrates its visitors as story tellers, collectors, makers and appreciators in their own right and these new spaces champion that by really bringing the collection to life, enabling people to get up close and personal to it, to spark their curiosity, start conversations and help them explore what actually makes this Museum so special.  We listened to what people said they wanted to see, feel and do while they’re here and we hope they love it as much as we do.  We’re very thankful to our funders for supporting us in bringing this vision to reality.” 

Hannah Fox, the Museum’s Executive Director, added:  

“We’re so thrilled with these new spaces that embrace the founders, Joséphine and John Bowes’ generosity of spirit and collaboration, and helps the Museum be a place for people to explore their own creativity and curiosity. This inspirational project lays the groundwork for our future ambitions and has created link ups, findings and knowledge that we’re proud to share with other organisations and institutions throughout the country.” 

The new spaces were made possible thanks to grants from The Foyle Foundation, DCMS Wolfson and The Friends of The Bowes Museum. 

To arrange a visit to the new galleries or for photographs of the space, please contact Sarah Webster: sarah.webster@thebowesmuseum.org.uk or call 01833 690606.

The Bowes Museum is a charity managing a Grade 1 listed accredited museum and Grade 2 listed
parkland in Barnard Castle. Founded by Joséphine & John Bowes 150+ years ago, this purpose-
built Museum brings together an extraordinary, Designated collection of European fine and
decorative art as a cultural resource for the people of Northern England, where today we celebrate
artists, designers and makers.

The Bowes Museum receives funding from Durham County Council and, as a National Portfolio
Organisation, receives support from Arts Council England. Arts Council England is the national
development body for arts and culture across England, working to enrich people’s lives.
www.artscouncil.org.uk
The Bowes Museum is a member of the Discover Durham partnership of attractions, whose
commitment is to promote Durham as an exciting and vibrant group travel destination and to
provide the travel trade with a professional and knowledgeable service. discoverdurham.co.uk

Admission to The Bowes Museum is £13.50 for local members (residents of County Durham and
Darlington), £15.50 for members (residents elsewhere), £18.00 for a day ticket, £19.80 for a day
ticket including gift aid. Under 18s, full time students and carers are free.

As a registered charity (number 1079639) the Museum needs to generate more than half of its income each year to care for the historic collection, buildings and parkland. Donations are vital to this work. Visit https://thebowesmuseum.org.uk/support/ for more information.

28 December 2023

Work is well underway on exciting new spaces at The Bowes Museum

Work is well underway on the creation of four new exciting gallery spaces and accessible storage vaults at The Bowes Museum.

The Curiosity Project will see the galleries on the ground floor of the Barnard Castle Museum transformed into interactive spaces that will celebrate the collection, inspire curiosity and encourage exploration and conversation. Our visitors told us they wanted to explore the stories behind our objects, have making experiences that help them get hands-on with materials and techniques and learn more about the Artists, Designers and Makers whose works are cared for by the Museum. Our new spaces will do all of this!

Three former offices and educational spaces in the Museum’s vaults have also been stripped back ready for the rooms to be kitted out with new display systems to better store and care for our collection.  Stored furniture, textile and ceramic objects will also be accessible to visitors in specialist guided tours from April.

The galleries on the ground floor have been cleared, shutters to long-closed windows reopened and new flooring laid.  They’re being transformed into:

A Curiosity Space,  where a soundscape linking the gallery to the outside will change as visitors move around the room investigating objects and artworks.  Our displays will change regularly but in April we’ll introduce Artists, Designers and Makers, ideas about neighbourliness and hospitality and the Teesdale landscape, all through items from the collection.

A Create Space to investigate the making processes of collection objects; experimenting with materials through prompts and ideas set by our Artist team.

A Conversation Space where people relax, chat and debate, exploring artworks that link to wider ideas and key challenges our world is facing. Here we’ll explore local solutions to global problems.

Additionally, one of our first floor rooms, which until recently was used for storage, will become an area known as the Hive.  This will be a ‘hive of activity inspired by our co-founder, Josephine Bowes’ thoughtful collecting. Here, visitors will be able to see objects, artefacts, documents and collections that have been curated through a collaboration of staff, volunteers and community members; a reminder that everyone can collect and everyone curates.

Our staff and growing Volunteer Team will be on hand to guide visitors and answer any questions.  Those interested in volunteering on this exciting new adventure can find out more by contacting jess.white@thebowesmuseum.org.uk

The Museum has worked with more than 100 people of all ages from individuals to families and community groups to shape these spaces.

Vicky Sturrs, the Museum’s Director of Programmes and Collections, said: “We’re excited to be bringing new galleries to The Bowes Museum. Working with our communities, we’ve explored new ways to see and understand our collections, we’ve heard directly how people want to feel in their Museum and what kind of environments and objects help shape those experiences. I’m thrilled to say we’re able to make those happen through this refit. Being able to get more of collections on show is key for me, and our new storage vaults help us with this. This is the start of a journey of curiosity at the Museum too so we expect to redisplay these spaces regularly, reinforcing the message that there’s always something great to see and do at The Bowes Museum.”

This community co-production project has been made possible thanks to funding from DCMS Wolfson Foundation, the Foyle Foundation and the Friends of The Bowes Museum.

• Notes to editors:

The Bowes Museum is a charity managing a Grade 1 listed accredited museum and Grade 2 listed parkland in Barnard Castle. Founded by Joséphine & John Bowes 150+ years ago, this purpose-built Museum brings together an extraordinary, Designated collection of European fine and decorative art as a cultural resource for the people of Northern England, where today we celebrate artists, designers and makers.

The Bowes Museum receives funding from Durham County Council and, as a National Portfolio Organisation, receives support from Arts Council England. Arts Council England is the national
development body for arts and culture across England, working to enrich people’s lives.
www.artscouncil.org.uk
The Bowes Museum is a member of the Discover Durham partnership of attractions, whose commitment is to promote Durham as an exciting and vibrant group travel destination and to
provide the travel trade with a professional and knowledgeable service. discoverdurham.co.uk

Admission to The Bowes Museum is £13.50 for local members (residents of County Durham and Darlington), £15.50 for members (residents elsewhere), £18.00 for a day ticket, £19.80 for a day ticket including gift aid. Under 18s, full time students and carers are free.
As a registered charity (number 1079639) we need to generate more than half of our income each year to care for our historic collection, buildings and parkland. Your donations are vital to our
work. Visit https://thebowesmuseum.org.uk/support/ for more information.

7 December 2023

Thank you for helping to bring back the magic of the Silver Swan

The Bowes Museum is delighted that the Silver Swan will be able to perform again, thanks to the generosity of 198 people giving to an exciting Crowdfunding campaign.

Following a grant of £146,324 from the National Heritage Lottery Fund, the Museum needed to raise at least £18,000 to reach the conservation project target £199,142 to restore and repair the iconic 18^th century object.

It’s raised a fantastic £20,375 of that £18,000 target, 114% of its crowdfunding campaign with Art Fund’s Art Happens.

Supporters took advantage of the rewards, scooping up online mentions, Swan tote bags and t-shirts, limited edition Swan postcards and prints as well as the chance to see behind the scenes in a workshop at the restorer’s studio.  And one very lucky person has paid £2,500 to wind the Silver Swan when she performs again for the first time.

Hannah Fox, Executive Director of The Bowes Museum, said: “We did it! We are so excited and so grateful to all our supporters who helped us get over the line.  Your generosity has been truly inspiring, each and every donation means we can successfully bring back the magic of the Silver Swan ensuring that she will continue to inspire generations to come.  Thank you!”

The Silver Swan is a life size, solid silver replica of a female swan and is one of the finest examples of 18^th century automata in the world.  It was made in the workshop of James Cox in London and was first shown in his museum in 1773.  It has three clockwork mechanisms and contains more than 2,000 moving parts, with several thousand in its whole.

It performed daily until 2020 when the Museum closed during to the pandemic.

The work to restore and conserve the Silver Swan is being carried out by the Cumbria Clock Company and their interns, alongside the Museum’s in-house conservation team. Visitors are able to watch some of the conservation work in progress in the Silver Swan gallery, with volunteer swan explainers on hand to tell them more or answer any questions.

Notes to editors:

The Bowes Museum is a charity managing a Grade 1 listed accredited museum and Grade 2 listed parkland in Barnard Castle. Founded by Joséphine & John Bowes 150+ years ago, this purpose- built Museum brings together an extraordinary, Designated collection of European fine and decorative art as a cultural resource for the people of Northern England, where today we celebrate artists, designers and makers.

The Bowes Museum receives funding from Durham County Council and, as a National Portfolio Organisation, receives support from Arts Council England. Arts Council England is the national
development body for arts and culture across England, working to enrich people’s lives.
www.artscouncil.org.uk
The Bowes Museum is a member of the Discover Durham partnership of attractions, whose commitment is to promote Durham as an exciting and vibrant group travel destination and to
provide the travel trade with a professional and knowledgeable service. discoverdurham.co.uk

Admission to The Bowes Museum is £13.50 for local members (residents of County Durham and Darlington), £15.50 for members (residents elsewhere), £18.00 for a day ticket, £19.80 for a day ticket including gift aid. Under 18s, full time students and carers are free.
As a registered charity (number 1079639) we need to generate more than half of our income each year to care for our historic collection, buildings and parkland. Your donations are vital to our
work. Visit https://thebowesmuseum.org.uk/support/ for more information.

The Bowes Museum  has been awarded funding by The National Lottery Heritage Fund to carry out conservation work on the Museum’s Silver Swan.

The Silver Swan is one of the finest examples of 18^th century automata in the world, a life-size, solid silver, replica of a female Swan containing 2,000 moving parts and three clockwork mechanisms. It is a product of the Enlightenment mind, significant to the international historical, horological and scientific sectors.

2023 marks the 250^th anniversary of the Silver Swan first being exhibited in James Cox’s Museum of Mechanical Marvels in London 1773. The Silver Swan has a very special place in public hearts and memories, holding magic and fascination for visitors of all ages.

The Silver Swan performed daily until 2020 when Museum closures and reduced operations due to the pandemic stopped the Swan’s performances. Conservation and restoration are required, to conserve elements of the Swan’s mechanisms, before it can perform again.

Research showed the cost of the full restoration project to be more than £400,000. The Museum decided to focus on the most urgent elements within the 2023 Swan Conservation project and is delighted to have been awarded £146,342 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, a significant contribution towards total costs of £199,142, for this project. The Museum will be fundraising for the remaining balance throughout autumn/ winter; this includes a public crowdfunding campaign prior to Christmas.

Hannah Fox, The Bowes Museum’s Executive Director said “Thank you to The National Lottery Heritage Fund for supporting this project, we are delighted with the outcome of our grant application! The Silver Swan is incredibly important to our communities. We can’t wait to get started and inspire the next generation of artists, makers, designers and inventors.”

Helen Featherstone, Director, England, North at The National Lottery Heritage Fund said: “It’s wonderful news that, thanks to National Lottery players, we’re able to support The Bowes Museum with this project to restore the unique Silver Swan. It will be incredibly exciting to see this amazing example of automata heritage brought back to life so that local people and visitors from further afield can enjoy its magic for years to come.”

The 2023 Swan Conservation project is another stage on the Silver Swan’s fantastic journey. It follows work in 2008 that saw each of the Swan’s hundreds of parts cleaned, inspected and condition checked, measured, photographed and given a unique accession number. In 2021, the Museum conducted an extensive investigation into the Swan’s mechanism to identify what future action to take to preserve the mechanism and eliminate faults that could lead to breakdown.

The 2023 Swan Conservation project will take place from September to December 2023. Conservators will dismantle and remove the neck/head assembly, as 12 neck rings require attention. The drive units will be fully disassembled and serviced.  The neck assembly, music box and glass rods will be serviced, and the operating mechanisms will be dismantled and cleaned before minor repairs, lubrication, and re-assembly. The Museum will receive a full conservation report, a 5-year service plan, an operations and maintenance manual as well as the mechanical details of the neck, head and beak.  Following this work, the aim is for the Silver Swan to perform again, sustainably.

The Cumbria Clock Company, which has previously worked on Big Ben and the astronomical clock at Hampton Court Palace, has been appointed to undertake the specialist conservation and repair work alongside the Museum’s conservation team and conservation interns from Birmingham City University and West Dean College. Where possible, the work will take place inside the Museum and visitors will be able to watch the expert horologists in action.

The public will have the opportunity to get involved in the 2023 Swan Conservation project through a programme of public engagement; conservator talks, a Creative Heritage Residency, workshops for young people, families and schools, webcam access allowing access to the work that can’t take place in the public galleries and there will also be volunteers available to answer questions in the gallery while the work is ongoing.

The Bowes Museum’s Director of Programmes and Collections, Vicky Sturrs said: “It is fantastic that we have received this funding allowing us to bring the Silver Swan back to life. It’s only fitting that as an automaton, we should ensure that it continues to operate otherwise we risk it becoming just another object – albeit a very beautiful one but not the kind it was intended to be.  We also have to be mindful that as a delicate, fragile and old machine we must ensure that the work is carried out sympathetically and sustainably to allow future generations to enjoy it operating for another 250 years.”

Should you wish to support the fundraising campaign for conservation and restoration of the Silver Swan, please contact kelly.smith@thebowesmuseum.org.uk

Vicky Sturrs is available for interview on the morning of 13 September 2023.

• The Bowes Museum is a charity managing a Grade 1 listed accredited museum and Grade 2 listed parkland in Barnard Castle. Founded by Joséphine & John Bowes 150+ years ago, this purpose-built Museum brings together an extraordinary, Designated collection of European fine and decorative art as a cultural resource for the people of Northern England, where today we celebrate artists, designers and makers.
• The Bowes Museum receives funding from Durham County Council and, as a National Portfolio Organisation, receives support from Arts Council England. Arts Council England is the national development body for arts and culture across England, working to enrich people’s lives. www.artscouncil.org.uk
• The Bowes Museum is a member of the Discover Durham partnership of attractions, whose commitment is to promote Durham as an exciting and vibrant group travel destination and to provide the travel trade with a professional and knowledgeable service. discoverdurham.co.uk
• Admission to The Bowes Museum is £13.50 for local members (residents of County Durham and Darlington), £15.50 for members (residents elsewhere), £18.00 for a day ticket, £19.80 for a day ticket including gift aid. Under 18s, full time students and carers are free.
• As a registered charity (number 1079639) we need to generate more than half of our income each year to care for our historic collection, buildings and parkland. Your donations are vital to our work. Visit https://thebowesmuseum.org.uk/support/ for more information.

About The National Lottery Heritage Fund

Using money raised by The National Lottery, we inspire, lead and resource the UK’s heritage to create positive and lasting change for people and communities, now and in the future.

www.heritagefund.org.uk

Follow @HeritageFundUK on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and use #NationalLotteryHeritageFund

Since The National Lottery began in 1994, National Lottery players have raised over £43 billion for projects and more than 635,000 grants have been awarded across the UK. More than £30 million raised each week goes to good causes across the UK.

The Bowes Museum awarded funding from the Esmée Fairbairn Collections Fund

The Bowes Museum is one of the latest recipients of the Esmée Fairbairn Collections Fund, receiving £95,545 to embed Community Co-production participatory approaches at the Museum.

The funding, which is administered by the Museums Association,  will be used over two years to support staffing, community workshops, volunteer resources, and provide training for staff and volunteers.

It will support the Museum to work with volunteers and groups drawn from the diversity of the local area to: explore the collections and site, develop and test ideas about the purpose and potential of the collections and the stories they tell about the past and unlock for the future, using these ideas to shape the future Museum as a place for people.

The Bowes Museum’s Director of Programmes and Collections, Vicky Sturrs, said: “We know from the work we’ve carried out with the local community over the last six months that there’s a strong desire for people of all ages and backgrounds to become more involved in the Museum.  We’re delighted to have been awarded this funding, which will allow us to create a pipeline of co-production opportunities for people to engage with the Museum and play a real part in shaping its future work.”

It’s hoped that at the end of the funding period there will be more that 100 regular volunteers at the Museum and that a quarter of them will be aged 16 – 24. The Museum also hopes to be able to provide school placements, work experience and paid internships to utilise and share skills and knowledge.

The Esmée Fairbairn Collections Fund is run by the Museums Association, funding projects that develop collections to achieve social impact. Since its launch in 2011, it has awarded 178 grants totaling over £12.9 million.

Notes to editors: 

• The Bowes Museum is a charity managing a Grade 1 listed accredited Museum and Grade 2 listed parkland in Barnard Castle. Founded by Joséphine & John Bowes 150+ years ago, this purpose-built Museum brings together an extraordinary, Designated collection of European fine and decorative art as a cultural resource for the people of Northern England, where today we celebrate artists, designers and makers.
• The Bowes Museum receives funding from Durham County Council and, as a National Portfolio Organisation, receives support from Arts Council England. Arts Council England is the national development body for arts and culture across England, working to enrich people’s lives. www.artscouncil.org.uk
• The Bowes Museum is a member of the Discover Durham partnership of attractions, whose commitment is to promote Durham as an exciting and vibrant group travel destination and to provide the travel trade with a professional and knowledgeable service. discoverdurham.co.uk
• Admission to The Bowes Museum is £13.50 for local members (residents of County Durham and Darlington), £15.50 for members (residents elsewhere), £18.00 for a day ticket, £19.80 for a day ticket including gift aid. Under 18s, full time students and carers are free.

As a registered charity (number 1079639) we need to generate more than half of our income each year to care for our historic collection, buildings and parkland. Your donations are vital to our work. Visit https://thebowesmuseum.org.uk/support/ for more information.

9 August 2023

Perseus and Andromeda painting returns to The Bowes Museum as trailblazing project draws to a close.

Children from three Teesdale primary schools have taken part in a trailblazing project with The Bowes Museum.

The County Durham based Museum’s painting of Perseus and Andromeda went on tour to Japan and the Museum’s education team took the opportunity to work with a local elementary school in Kobe for pupils to find out more about the country, its culture and what happens to an object being prepared for loan.

The Museum in Barnard Castle secured funding from the Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation to work with 120 children at Butterknowle, Woodland and Frosterley Primary Schools.

The pupils worked on a range of cross curricular topics as part of the project.  They learned about sustainability, ecology, geography and art and design.   They were taught martial arts and took part in block printing workshops as well as finding out how special cargo is handled on plane journeys.  They created poetry following a trip to the Oriental Museum in Durham and discovered lots about Japanese plants at the Botanic Gardens in Durham.

They watched conservation being carried out on the 300 year old artwork by Jacob Hoet Hendrik, as it was readied for its trip to the Hyogo Prefectural Museum in Kobe, Japan, where it was on show in their exhibition Dinosaur Dreams, Imagination and Creation of the Lost World before it travelled to the Ueno Royal Museum in Tokyo.

The children also learnt Japanese songs and performed these at a Celebration Day in the Museum in July.

The painting has now returned to the Museum and will be back on show in the picture galleries from Thursday, 10 August.

The Bowes Museum’s education manager, Julia Dunn, said:  “It has been great to develop this programme in collaboration with these schools and follow the journey of one of our artworks.  It’s been a successful year for all those involved and we’re glad to have the painting back in Barnard Castle for others to be inspired by.”

There is a photocall to see the painting being rehung in the gallery on Thursday, 10 August at 11.30am.  The Bowes Museum’s education manager, Julia Dunn will also be available for interview about the project.

• The Bowes Museum was created over 100 years ago by an extraordinary couple, Joséphine and John Bowes.  Together they built up the greatest private collection of fine and decorative arts in North England and constructed a magnificent building to house them.  The collection contains thousands of objects, including furniture, paintings, sculpture, ceramics, textiles and many other items covering an extensive range of European styles and periods.
• As a registered charity (number 1079639) we need to generate more than half of our income each year to care for our historic collection, buildings and parkland. Your donations are vital to our work. You can support The Bowes Museum as an individual, company, community group or trust and foundation.
• We are a forward-thinking Museum of Artists, Designers and Makers, providing quality cultural and creative experiences for people in the North East and beyond. With your support we can continue to strive to enrich lives, unlock people’s potential and uplift our communities.
• The Bowes Museum receives funding from Durham County Council and Arts Council England.
• Arts Council England is the national development agency for creativity and culture. We have set out our strategic vision in Let’s Create that by 2030 we want England to be a country in which the creativity of each of us is valued and given the chance to flourish and where everyone of us has access to a remarkable range of high-quality cultural experiences. We invest public money from Government and The National Lottery to help support the sector and to deliver this vision. www.artscouncil.org.uk.
• Following the Covid-19 crisis, the Arts Council developed a £160 million Emergency Response Package, with nearly 90% coming from the National Lottery, for organisations and individuals needing support. We are also one of the bodies responsible for administering the Government’s unprecedented Culture Recovery Fund, of which we delivered over £1 billion to the sector in grants and loans. Find out more at www.artscouncil.org.uk/covid19.
• The Bowes Museum is a member of the Discover Durham partnership of attractions, whose commitment is to promote Durham as an exciting and vibrant group travel destination and to provide the travel trade with a professional and knowledgeable service. discoverdurham.co.uk
• Admission to The Bowes Museum is £13.50 for local members (residents of County Durham and Darlington),  £15.50 for members (residents elsewhere), £18.00 for a day ticket, £19.80 for a day ticket including gift aid and under 18s, full time students and carers are free.

Join us for a summer of play and making at The Bowes Museum with activities every day as under 18s and full time students go free.

Be curious in the County Durham Museum’s collection, discover exciting secrets and new skills in our special family friendly themed tours and artist led workshops and get active in the parkland.

It’ll feel like you’ve been transported to the seaside on the Museum’s new interactive Family Story Tours with musical instruments and puppets every Monday, Tuesday and Friday of the school holidays.

Visitors can make time for making in the Museum’s Artist Makers sessions on Wednesdays and Saturdays where they can get creative with our team of artists, makers and designers.

Stay and Play continues throughout the holidays for the Museum’s younger audiences, with time for under 5s to explore and play in the galleries in these self-led, free play ssessions.

11 to 18 year olds can take inspiration from the Museum and delve into the world of art in the free Young Creatives artist led workshops which run on the first two Saturdays of each month.

Don’t forget to visit the iconic clothing and accessories on show in A Collector’s Story: A Private Collection of VIVIENNE WESTWOOD, as well as the extraordinary works on show in The Magic of the Silver Swan exhibition, with playfulness and inventiveness at its heart and play with the automata to see what happens when you make them move.

And there’s also the opportunity to create your own automata and add it to the collection, by visiting the Cabaret Mechanical Theatre’s Ensemble Workshop in the Silver Swan gallery everyday until the end of the exhibition

Visitors can explore the Museum with our spotting and drawing activities, discover the parkland with the specially designed Play Trail and get creative with the materials around them or if they fancy burning off some energy, they can borrow games from reception to play in the grounds too.

The Museum is open every day from 10am to 5pm.  Admission to Café Bowes and the Museum shop is free.

• The Bowes Museum was created over 100 years ago by an extraordinary couple, Joséphine and John Bowes.  Together they built up the greatest private collection of fine and decorative arts in North England and constructed a magnificent building to house them.  The collection contains thousands of objects, including furniture, paintings, sculpture, ceramics, textiles and many other items covering an extensive range of European styles and periods.
• The Bowes Museum receives funding from Durham County Council and Arts Council England.
• Arts Council England is the national development agency for creativity and culture. We have set out our strategic vision in Let’s Create that by 2030 we want England to be a country in which the creativity of each of us is valued and given the chance to flourish and where everyone of us has access to a remarkable range of high-quality cultural experiences. We invest public money from Government and The National Lottery to help support the sector and to deliver this vision. www.artscouncil.org.uk.

Following the Covid-19 crisis, the Arts Council developed a £160 million Emergency Response Package, with nearly 90% coming from the National Lottery, for organisations and individuals needing support. We are also one of the bodies responsible for administering the Government’s unprecedented Culture Recovery Fund, of which we delivered over £1 billion to the sector in grants and loans. Find out more at www.artscouncil.org.uk/covid19.

• The Bowes Museum is a member of the Discover Durham partnership of attractions, whose commitment is to promote Durham as an exciting and vibrant group travel destination and to provide the travel trade with a professional and knowledgeable service. discoverdurham.co.uk
• Admission to The Bowes Museum is £13.50 for residents of County Durham and Darlington for local membership, £15.50 membership for people who live elsewhere and £18.00 day ticket, or £19.80 for a day ticket with Gift Aid.

·         A Collector’s Story: A Private Collection of VIVIENNE WESTWOOD is the result of a collaboration between The Bowes Museum and private collector Peter Smithson. It is not an institutional partnership with Vivienne Westwood Limited.

18 May 2023

Half term activities at The Bowes Museum

Be inspired by the activities on offer at The Bowes Museum in Barnard Castle this May half term holiday.

From daily spotlight tours and specialist family friendly tours, to the chance to get join in and get creative with artists and makers there’s something for everyone of all ages over the school break.

Try out new techniques, materials and experiment with our team of artists, makers and designers on Saturday, 27 May; Wednesday 31 May and Saturday, 3 June from 1 until 3pm in our Artist Makers sessions.

Our popular Family Story Tours return with Monkeying Around the Museum on Monday, 29 May; Tuesday, 30 May and Friday, 2 June at 11am and 1pm, when visitors can explore the animal inspired stories in our collections and join us to find the monkeys hiding in unexpected placed across the Museum.

For our younger visitors the Stay and Play sessions continue over the break from 10am to 2pm on Thursday, 1 June.  Time for pre-school children to discover play in the galleries, investigate materials and be creative in this self-led, free play session.

The Young Creatives Art Club for 11 to 18 year olds meets on Saturday, 3 June from 10.30am until 12.30pm.  This is a chance for young artists to explore, observe, experiment and express ideas in a creative and innovative way, inspired by the Museum’s collections and exhibitions.

And the Museum’s getting ready for its 131st birthday celebrations with a Family Day due to take place on Saturday, 10 June from 10.30am until 3.30pm.  Visitors will be able to join a day of making, creating with plenty to see and do.  With artist and drama workshops inside and out, a selection of friendly and insightful tours; Stay and Play for our younger audiences, Bright Woods Forest School, outdoor games and a trail, there’s lots to keep everyone entertained.

See how the Museum’s amazing collection has inspired future generations of artists from The Northern School of Art, Teesside, in the Modern Makers exhibition, which is open until 18 June.

Delight in the gentle rhythmical movements of Martin Smith’s works, the Kinetic Arboretum on the terrace, Bird Wave and Wishing You Well inside.

Visitors can also enjoy a capsule collection of high end everyday designer wear from the 1980s, 90s and 2000s in the Fashion and Textile gallery’s 20th Century Passion for Fashion display.

There’s also the chance to enjoy the Museum’s permanent collection across three floors of galleries including paintings, ceramics, furniture, sculpture, silver and metals as well as fashion and textiles.

Explore the 22 acres of parkland, with nature trails, woodland walks, play and picnic areas or simply enjoy the view.

Local membership is £12.50 for people living in County Durham and Darlington and £14.50 membership for people living elsewhere.  Day tickets are available for £17.50.

Entry to Café Bowes, the Museum shop and grounds is free.

• The Bowes Museum was created over 100 years ago by an extraordinary couple, Joséphine and John Bowes.  Together they built up the greatest private collection of fine and decorative arts in North England and constructed a magnificent building to house them.  The collection contains thousands of objects, including furniture, paintings, sculpture, ceramics, textiles and many other items covering an extensive range of European styles and periods.

• The Bowes Museum receives funding from Durham County Council and, as a National Portfolio Organisation, receives support from Arts Council England. Arts Council England is the national development body for arts and culture across England, working to enrich people’s lives. www.artscouncil.org.uk
• The Bowes Museum is a member of the Discover Durham partnership of attractions, whose commitment is to promote Durham as an exciting and vibrant group travel destination and to provide the travel trade with a professional and knowledgeable service. discoverdurham.co.uk

17 May 2023

Catwalking goes on tour

The Bowes Museum’s acclaimed exhibition Catwalking: Fashion Through the Lens of Chris Moore, which features more than 200 iconic images taken by the undisputed king of front row photography, has gone on tour and is due to open at Barnsley’s Cannon Hall Museum on 20th May.

The exhibition, which received critical acclaim from Vogue, wowed tens of thousands of visitors to the Barnard Castle based Museum in 2018.

Image of Photographs by Chris Moore

It presents some of the key moments the Newcastle born photographer has captured at legendary fashion shows including those at Yves Saint Laurent, Alexander McQueen, Vivienne Westwood, Balenciaga, Chanel, Dior, John Galliano, Comme des Garçons and Christopher Kane.

It gives glimpses of behind the scenes and a rare insight into the fashion world.  Charting the startling evolution of fashion over six decades, it demonstrates the impact that new designers had on fashion, the rebirth of haute couture and the rise of the supermodel.

The Museum has also lent the South Yorkshire based museum two of the stand out garments featured in the exhibition: a Christian Dior embroidered tulle top, skirt with brief designed by Maria Gruzior Chuuri for the Spring/Summer 2017 ‘Ready to Wear’ collection, which was purchased from Dior in Paris with the New Collecting Award, Art Fund in 2019; and a printed tulle overwool knitted Op art illusion dress from Jean Paul Gaultier’s Cyber Space/Mad Max,  Autumn/Winter 1995 Ready to Wear collection purchased with support from The Friends of The Bowes Museum.

Catwalking: Fashion Through the Lens of Chris Moore is open at Cannon Hall Museum in Barnsley from 20 May until 10 September.

• The Bowes Museum was created over 100 years ago by an extraordinary couple, Joséphine and John Bowes.  Together they built up the greatest private collection of fine and decorative arts in North England and constructed a magnificent building to house them.  The collection contains thousands of objects, including furniture, paintings, sculpture, ceramics, textiles and many other items covering an extensive range of European styles and periods.

• The Bowes Museum receives funding from Durham County Council and, as a National Portfolio Organisation, receives support from Arts Council England. Arts Council England is the national development body for arts and culture across England, working to enrich people’s lives. www.artscouncil.org.uk
• The Bowes Museum is a member of the Discover Durham partnership of attractions, whose commitment is to promote Durham as an exciting and vibrant group travel destination and to provide the travel trade with a professional and knowledgeable service. discoverdurham.co.uk

27 April 2023

THE BOWES MUSEUM OPENS SPECIAL CAPSULE FASHION COLLECTION

The Bowes Museum opens the first in a series of special capsule collections with a carefully curated selection of high end everyday designer wear from the late 20th century.

A beautiful pair of Christian Louboutin high heel court shoes – with their signature red soles, black strappy high heel Jimmy Choo sandals and gorgeous Versace kitten heel satin mules are all on show thanks to the retired Berwick Upon Tweed businesswoman Pamela Brewis, who has donated a number of items from her wardrobe to the Barnard Castle based Museum.

Pamela bought some of the items from boutiques and department stores in the North East and others were gifts from her husband Thomas, like the pink Moschino skirt suit with pearl bauble buttons which she wore on honeymoon in Portugal (pictured) and a Rifat Ozbek ‘City Camouflage’ jacket which was a first wedding anniversary present.

It’s hoped the displays will evoke happy memories and spark a conversation as visitors view the selection of fashion and textiles that reflect a moment in time.

20th Century Passion for Fashion includes items of clothing and shoes that Pamela bought or made in the 1980s, 90s and early 2000s.  It tells the story of the objects, how and where Pamela acquired them, the nature of how she wore them and the places she went in them.

Items on show will include (among those listed above), Gomez Rivas shoes, a Dolce & Gabbana tweed skirt suit and Liza Bruce beach dress; as well as items that Pamela made herself, influenced by the fashion trends of the moment.

Honeymoon in Portugal 1993 ©Pamela Brewis

Rachel Whitworth, Curator of Fashion & Textiles with Moschino suit ©The Bowes Museum

Pamela Brewis said: “The Bowes Museum has always been one of my favourite places to visit and particularly the Fashion and Textile gallery and the special exhibitions.

“Each item in my collection holds a special memory, which is why I kept them and wanted them to be saved. I knew that The Bowes Museum would have the skills and expertise to preserve them. When I contacted the Museum, the curator was as excited as I was about my collection and I was thrilled to learn that she wanted not only to preserve them but to put them on display.  It feels a little weird to be honest to have quietly collected these things over the last 40 years, carefully storing them away not quite knowing what would become of them, to now know they will have their time in the spotlight and be part of the magnificent Bowes collection. I will be very excited to see them on display.”

Rachel Whitworth, The Bowes Museum’s Curator of Fashion and Textiles, said: “It’s incredibly generous of Pamela to donate these clothes and accessories to the Museum.  They complement other items within the collection which are indicative of fashion in a particular era of time. It’s really lovely to start the capsule collections with a selection of clothes that were in a working woman’s wardrobe in the region.”

The display replaces the Catwalking – Fashion through the Lens of Chris Moore display which has gone on tour to Barnsley Museum’s Cannon Hall Museum in Cawthorne, and will be on show there from Saturday, 20 May until Saturday, 10 September.

Ends:

If you use the image of the woman in the pink dress please credit it:  Honeymoon in Portugal 1993 ©Pamela Brewis

If you use the image of Rachel adjusting clothing in the gallery please credit it ©The Bowes Museum

• The Bowes Museum was created over 100 years ago by an extraordinary couple, Joséphine and John Bowes.  Together they built up the greatest private collection of fine and decorative arts in North England and constructed a magnificent building to house them.  The collection contains thousands of objects, including furniture, paintings, sculpture, ceramics, textiles and many other items covering an extensive range of European styles and periods.

• The Bowes Museum receives funding from Durham County Council and, as a National Portfolio Organisation, receives support from Arts Council England. Arts Council England is the national development body for arts and culture across England, working to enrich people’s lives. www.artscouncil.org.uk
• The Bowes Museum is a member of the Discover Durham partnership of attractions, whose commitment is to promote Durham as an exciting and vibrant group travel destination and to provide the travel trade with a professional and knowledgeable service. discoverdurham.co.uk