FROM THE FOREST TO THE SEA – EMILY CARR IN BRITISH COLUMBIA / HORNIMAN MUSEUM LISTINGS SEPTEMBER 2014 TO NOVEMBER 2014
FROM THE FOREST TO THE SEA – EMILY CARR IN BRITISH COLUMBIA – Dulwich Picture Gallery 1st November 2014 – 8th March 2015
Dulwich Picture Gallery will present the first major solo exhibition in Europe dedicated to Canadian artist Emily Carr (1871–1945).
Gathering together her paintings of the aboriginal settlements she encountered during her travels up the West Coast of Canada and her formidable landscapes and seascapes, the show exemplifies Carr’s life-long artistic evolution and the eventual discovery of a freedom in style that secured her position as one of Canada’s best loved artists.
In challenging circumstances Carr’s success as both an artist and a celebrated author challenged the status quo with Georgia O’Keeffe calling her a “darling of the women’s movement”.
A pioneer of modernism, fully aware of international movements in art such as Fauvism and Post-Impressionism, Carr was fascinated by the indigenous populations of British Columbia.
She immersed herself in the people and landscape and drew upon both for inspiration and subject matter.
From the Forest to the Sea: Emily Carr in British Columbia presents a focused selection of over 140 works and indigenous artefacts as well as the recently discovered illustrated journal, Sister and I in Alaska, in which Carr documented her pivotal 1907 trip up and down the Northwest Coast.
The exhibition follows a dramatic journey from darkness to light, beginning with Carr’s dark and rhythmic forest scenes including Totem and Forest, a large and dominating work, and culminates with the euphoric skyscapes and seascapes Carr painted towards the end of her career including Untitled (Seascape).
Displayed for the first time are the ‘momentary records’ Carr left behind in her trunk with the desire for the world to see after she died, including View in Victoria Harbour.
These compositional sketches show the rigour of her process and the determination Carr had not only in researching and documenting but also in practicing and developing her artistic style.
“Working on Canada’s West Coast in relative isolation, away from the wellsprings of European culture, Emily Carr’s determined progress as an artist, travelling halfway across the world to San Francisco, London and Paris to improve her considerable skills, makes for an inspiring story of driven creativity, against the odds” says Sackler director and co-curator of the show Ian Dejardin.
“Her passionate engagement with both Northwest Coast indigenous culture and European modernism produced a body of work that is unique, rooted in the forests and landscapes of British Columbia – powerful and evocative, her late images of shimmering sea, living forest and ecstatic skies are a pinnacle of Canadian landscape painting.
“Her story is one of extraordinary determination which we will bring in to view with this show. This exhibition will be a revelation to British and Canadian audiences alike.”
Linking Carr’s paintings will be an intimate look at the artist’s explorations of the aboriginal coastal communities bringing together a carefully selected sampling of previously unseen writings and over 30 indigenous objects which follow a parallel trajectory from winter ritual to summer activity.
The display includes masks, baskets and ceremonial objects by Haida, Kwakwaka’wakw, Nuu-chah-nulth, Salish, Tsimshian and Tlingit makers as well as objects on loan from the Murderme collection and Horniman Museum and Gardens.
Building on the success of Painting Canada: Tom Thomson and the Group of Seven at Dulwich Picture Gallery in 2011, this show will focus on Carr’s equally distinctive vision of Canada.
Her encounter with the Group of Seven in 1927 validated her work, with Lawren Harris telling Carr, until then unappreciated as an artist, “you are one of us.”
With Harris’s encouragement and having witnessed the boldness of vision of the Group of Seven artists, Carr was determined to infuse her rendering of the natural world with equivalent power, emotion and spirituality and she began to explore her own profound feelings for the landscape of British Columbia – its deep rainforests and vast skyscapes.
She painted Totem and Forest which, unlike her earlier paintings, becomes more abstract and stylized, and Indian Church, painted during the most prolific period of Carr’s career and distinctly cubist in its simplification of form.
The exhibition is curated by Ian Dejardin, Sackler Director of Dulwich Picture Gallery, and Sarah Milroy, an art critic and writer based in Toronto. Ian Dejardin has presided over a varied and international exhibition programme and has continued to curate exhibitions, most recently Painting Canada: Tom Thomson and the Group of Seven.
Sarah Milroy has served as editor/publisher of Canadian Art magazine and as chief Art Critic of The Globe and Mail, Canada’s leading national newspaper. A frequent contributor to a range of periodicals and scholarly catalogues, she is one of Canada’s most respected commentators on art.
From the Forest to the Sea: Emily Carr in British Columbia has been organised by Dulwich Picture Gallery and the Art Gallery of Ontario with the generous collaboration of the National Gallery of Canada, Vancouver Art Gallery and the Royal BC Museum, BC Archives.
BIOGRAPHY
Emily Carr (1871- 1945) was born in Victoria, British Columbia. She studied in San Francisco between 1890-92, and in 1899 she travelled to England where she trained at the Westminster School of Art and was involved with the St. Ives group. She lived in France in 1910 where the work of the Fauves influenced the colourism of her work and she came into contact with J D Fergusson and Frances Hodgkins. Discouraged by her lack of artistic success on her return to Canada, she came close to giving up art altogether. However, her contact with the Group of Seven in 1927 resurrected her interest in art, and in the summer of 1928 she made another trip north to visit First Nations villages. In the 1930s she began devoting most of her attention to landscape, particularly the forest, as subject matter. These works express her profound identification with the landscape of the province and her belief that nature was a tangible expression of God.
In 1937, Carr suffered her first heart attack, which marked the beginning of a decline in her health and a lessening of the energy required for painting. She began to devote more time to writing, an activity she had commenced many years before with the encouragement of Ira Dilworth, an educator and CBC executive. Her first book, Klee Wyck, a collection of short stories based on her experiences with Aboriginal people, was published in 1941, a year that also effectively marked the end of her painting career. The book won a Governor General’s Award and was followed by the publication of six other books, four of them posthumously. Printed in more than 20 languages, they are today known in many parts of the world. All of them were autobiographical in nature, portraying a girl or a woman of enormous spirit and individuality. Written in a simple, unpretentious style, they quickly won her the popular audience that eluded her more difficult paintings, though in the end it is primarily as a painter that she has won critical acclaim.
Listings Info:
Title: From the Forest to the Sea: Emily Carr in British Columbia
Exhibition dates: 1 November 2014 – 8 March 2015
Tickets (pre-book online):
Full Price £11 (£10*)
Senior Citizens £9 (£8*)
Unemployed, disabled, students £6 (£5*)
Children and Friends Free
Audio-guide: £3
*Indicates price without gift-aid
Further information and high-res images:
Associated Public Events:
Emily Carr: A symposium
Friday 31 October, 10.00am – 4.40pm
Followed by an optional film screening of the documentary Winds of Heaven, finishing at 6.15pm
£42, £36 Friends, £32 Students
Includes refreshments and a light lunch
A lively day of talks and discussion to coincide with the opening of From the Forest to the Sea: Emily Carr in British Columbia. Speakers include anthropologists and Canadian art historians addressing the relevance of Carr’s work to a modern audience.
Emily Carr: Toss and Sway
Sunday 9 and 16 November
10.30 – 4pm
£90 / £85
This course will focus on painting techniques and approaches to trees. You will learn colour mixing, working with tone, building space and recession, composition and effective brushwork.
Swirling Light: In the Footsteps of Emily Carr
Five Tuesdays from 18 November to 16 December
10am – 12pm
£125 / £120
This course will explore Emily Carr’s approach of eliminating extraneous detail to concentrate on the swirling light and shapes of the forest trees and coastal vistas. Create your own creative responses to the exhibition using a variety of media including oil pastel, charcoal, acrylic and watercolour.
Emily Carr: Nature, Form and Mark Making
Six Saturdays from 10 January to 14 February
10am – 1pm
£150 / £145
Investigate Emily Carr’s work from still-life installations in the studio using objects reminiscent of her 1930s stylised landscapes including driftwood, houseplants, shells and stones.
What Emily Saw: Visions of British Columbia
Five Tuesdays 13 January to 10 February
10am – 12pm
£125 / £120
This course offers participants an armchair view of the sights Emily Carr would have seen when travelling to the region with her sister, before she returned to her studio to create her brooding forests and swirling seascapes. Start by making drawings inspired by the source material before experimenting with different media to investigate Carr’s approach more fully.
Emily Carr: First Nations Basketry
Sunday 11 and 18 January
10.30 – 4pm
£90 / £85
An introduction Basketry inspired by Emily Carr’s fascination with the craft and culture of First Nations peoples in British Columbia.
11-14 years
Spirits of the Forest
Five Thursdays from 15 January to 12 February
4.30 – 6pm
£60
Emily Carr was fascinated by the culture and art of the First Nation people from British Columbia in Canada. Learn about their connection to nature and coastal forests by exploring a range of fun, craft inspired activities such as batik and tie dye.
Booking details:
Book online at www.dulwichpicturegallery.org.uk
Or by phone on 020 8299 8732
Dulwich Picture Gallery
Dulwich Picture Gallery is England’s first purpose-built public art gallery, founded in 1811 and designed by Regency architect Sir John Soane. It houses one of the finest collections of Old Masters in the country, especially rich in French, Italian and Spanish Baroque paintings and in British portraits from the Tudor period to the 19th century. The Gallery’s permanent collection is complemented by its diverse and critically acclaimed year round temporary exhibitions.
HORNIMAN MUSEUM LISTINGS SEPTEMBER 2014 TO NOVEMBER 2014
LISTINGS SEPTEMBER 2014
Please visit their website www.horniman.ac.uk to check latest information.
Exhibitions
Extremes
Until 2 November 2014
Calling all budding explorers! Come on an expedition to see how animals and plants survive in extreme heat, cold, dryness and permanent darkness or with little oxygen in our new family friendly exhibition Extremes.
See some of the animals that live in these environments, watch films that make you shiver, try to keep up with the drinking speed of a camel, feel the air-conditioning inside the ostrich’s beak, or see how much fat you have compared with a seal.
Extremes mixes hands-on experiences including games and experiments, with films and taxidermy animal specimens. This exhibition is in three languages – English, Spanish and French.
Tickets: Child £3.30; Adult £6.60; Family £16.50 (prices include 10% voluntary Gift Aid donation). Horniman Members go free.
Book tickets at www.horniman.ac.uk/extremes.
At Home With Music
Visit our permanent display of keyboard instruments. This display explores domestic keyboards from the past five centuries that were brought into homes from parlours to palaces and brings together highlights of the keyboard instrument collections from the Horniman and the Victoria and Albert Museum. The display includes organs, harpsichords, pianos and clavichords and features rare and beautiful instruments.
Music Gallery
Free
Events for Adults
Behind the Scenes: Tour of the Horniman’s Off-site Store
Thursday 25 September, 6.30-8pm
A tour of our off-site storage facility, the Study Collections Centre (SCC) which houses the majority of our collections. Approximately ninety five per cent of the Anthropology and Natural History collections are stored here, and eighty percent of the Musical Instrument collections. Visitors will be taken on a tour of the stores by specialist staff who will pick out highlights from the collections and talk about the exciting day to day life of work in a museum store.
Tickets: £10
Regular Family and Weekend Events
Horniman Farmers’ Market
Every Saturday, 9am – 1.30pm
A locally sourced, locally sold farmers’ market selling vegetables, meat, fish, bread, flowers, hot food and much more in our glorious Gardens.
Free entry
Hands on Family Workshops
Every Saturday, 11.45am & 1pm
Touch real museum objects in these popular themed sessions for families.
6 Sept: Hands on Flight
13 Sept: Hands on Animals
27 Sept: BSL
Free. For families with children aged 3+.
Art Makers
Every Saturday, 1.30pm & 2.45pm
Have fun with different art techniques to create something fabulous to take home inspired by the Horniman’s collections or seasonal celebrations.
6 Sep: Hanging Bat Models
13 & 20 Sep: Owl Pencil Holders (transform a simple paper cup into a feathery owl to hold your pencils)
27 Sep & 4 Oct: Angler Fish Masks: Turn yourself into an Angler Fish by making one of these cool masks!
Tickets: £3 Child, adults free. For families with children aged 3+.
A World of Stories
Every Sunday, 2pm & 3.15pm
Our popular storytellers bring the Horniman’s collections and Gardens alive with enchanting stories from around the world.
Free. For families with children aged 5+.
Discovery for All
Every Sunday, 11.30am – 1pm
Come and visit our Hands On Base and explore its thousands of real objects from around the world with our Explainers.
Free. Everyone welcome including adults without children. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
Busy Bees
Every Tuesday and Wednesday from 16 September, except 23 Sept
10.30am, 11.15am, 12pm
Lively sessions for Under 5s and their parents/carers. Activities change each week and include creative play, stories and songs or simple art and craft.
Free. Collect tickets from the Ticket Desk or Pavilion area on the day. Please note: these sessions are not suitable for nursery school groups.
Hear it Live!
Tuesday 30 September, 3.30-4pm
On the last Tuesday of each month, enjoy an informal live session in the Music Gallery bringing to life the keyboard instruments on display in At Home with Music.
Free
Hear it Live! Harpsichord
Tues 30 Sept, 28 Oct, 25 Nov, 3.30-4pm
Join us in the Music Gallery to hear a live performance on our 1772 Kirckman harpsichord.
Free
Courses and Workshops
Shared Reading Group – with Three Cs
Monday 1 September and Monday 1 December, 2.30-4.30pm
An informal and social group gathering where a short-story is read together with an opportunity to handle Museum objects related to the story. Three Cs is a person-centred, inclusive organisation for people with learning disabilities and/or mental health challenges.
Free
Raise the Roof
Tuesdays, 23 September – 2 December (except 28 Oct)
Thursdays, 25 September – 4 December (except 30 Oct)
7-9pm
Coming and sing songs from jazz to gospel, from old crooners to contemporary pop.
Everyone is welcome.
Adults £85. Concession £75.
Music Matters
Thursdays, 25 September – 4 December (except 30 Oct)
2.30-4.30pm
An informal and relaxed opportunity to learn more about classical music and share your passion with like-minded people.
£60 for 10 sessions
Iyengar Yoga
Every Tuesday, 23 September – 2 December (except 28 Oct), 6.30-8pm
Or every Saturday, 29 September – 29 Nov (except 25 Oct), 10.30-12pm
Improve your physical fitness, posture, flexibility and strength with expert tutors who train each year with renowned Yogacharya Sri B.K.S. Iyengar. Beginners class.
£90 for 10 sessions. Concessions £79 (proof required)
LISTINGS OCTOBER 2014
Please visit our website www.horniman.ac.uk to check latest information.
HALF TERM
Community Teachsport: ParkActive
Mon 27 – Fri 31 Oct, 11-3.30pm
Enjoy some healthy drop in activities in the Gardens. Older children can have a go at sports from around the world whilst tiny tots can enjoy the soft play and baby gym.
Please check for cancellations due to bad weather. Suitable for 0-18 years.
Free
Discovery for All
Monday 27, Thursday 30 and Friday 31 Oct, 2-3.30pm
Come and visit our Hands On Base and explore its thousands of real objects from around the world.
Free. Everyone welcome.
Family Art Fun
Mon 27 to Fri 31 Aug, 11am – 2.45pm
Join free craft activities this half term inspired by Diwali and festivals of lights around the world – make a paper boat with a tissue candle (Mon and Tue) or a decorative lantern (Wed – Fri). Suitable for ages 3+.
Free
Nature Explorers: Bulb planting in the Gardens
Mon 27 and Tues 28 Oct, 11am, 1.15pm, 3pm
Take a look at some unusual seeds from around the world and help us to plant some bulbs in the Garden ready for Spring.
Suitable for ages 5+.
Tickets: Child £2. Buy on the day.
Nature Trail Discovery
Wednesday 29 October, 2-3.30pm
Discover our mile-long Nature Trail, the oldest in London. Encounter wildlife and pond, meadow and log pile habitats. Suitable for ages 3+. Not suitable for prams or pushchairs.
Free but tickets required.
Kathak Dance for All
Wednesday 29 October, 11am, 12.15pm, 1.45pm, 3pm
Learn how to tell a story through dance and find out how it is linked to Diwali – the festival of lights. Suitable for ages 5+
Free
Miss Horniman’s Halloween Tour
Friday 31 October, 11.30am, 1.15pm, 3pm
Join Miss Horniman as she tells spooky stories and mysterious myths in the darkest corners of the Museum.
Free
Adults
An Introduction to Urban Mammals
Friday 4 October, 9.45am – 4.30pm
Ideal for beginners, this one day course delivered by the Mammal Society provides a great introduction to urban mammals, how to identify and record them (including traditional trapping methods, footprint tunnels, camera traps and DNA analysis) and knowledge of the Horniman’s mammal collection.
£89. £59 (Mammal Society Members), £50 (students/concessions)
Behind the Scenes: Afghanistan and Empire: Stories of British imperial adventure told through the Horniman’s collection
Thursday 9 October
7-8pm
Afghan journalist Zia Shahreyar and historian Bijan Omrani will present the Horniman’s thought-provoking collection of relics from the Anglo-Afghan Wars using them and other objects from the region to place the current conflict in its historical and cultural context.
Tickets: £5 Over-18s only.
Regular Family and Weekend Events
Horniman Farmers’ Market
Every Saturday, 9am – 1.30pm
A locally sourced, locally sold farmers’ market selling vegetables, meat, fish, bread, flowers, hot food and much more in our glorious Gardens.
Free entry
Revisiting Romania Weekend
Sat 4 & Sun 5 Oct, 12-5.30pm
A vibrant weekend celebrating Romanian art, music, film and food including concerts by brass band Fanfara 10 Prăjini and jazz singer Irina Sârbu, a literary event with poets Ioana Ieronim and Fiona Sampson, Romanian craft demonstrations, storytelling, food stalls and more.
Free
Horniman Halloween Fair
Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 October
10.30am-4.30pm
Enjoy a spooky trail, find goodies in our arts and crafts market and take part in family craft activities – plus lots more. Come dressed in your favourite Halloween costume and join the Halloween parades taking place throughout the weekend.
Free though some activities may have a charge.
The Big Draw: Giant Hibernation Home
Sunday 25 October
11am – 3.30pm
Help us turn the Horniman’s famous bandstand into a giant Hibernation Home. Make a drawing of a leaf in the Gardens, and then stick it inside the Bandstand to add to our cosy burrow! Ages 3+.
Free
Art Makers
Every Saturday except 25 Oct, 1.30pm & 2.45pm
Have fun with different art techniques to create something fabulous to take home inspired by the Horniman’s collections or seasonal celebrations.
4 Oct: Angler Fish Masks: Turn yourself into an Angler Fish by making one of these cool masks!
11 Oct: Leafy Hedgehogs
18 Oct & 1 Nov: Day of the Dead Happy Skeleton
Tickets: £3 Child, adults free. For families with children aged 3+.
Busy Bees
Every Tuesday and Wednesday, except 28 Oct and 29 Oct
10.30am, 11.15am, 12pm
Lively sessions for Under 5s and their parents/carers. Activities change each week and include creative play, stories and songs or simple art and craft.
Free. Collect tickets from the Ticket Desk or Pavilion area on the day. Please note: these sessions are not suitable for nursery school groups.
Hands on Family Workshops
Every Saturday except 24 Oct, 11.45am & 1pm
Touch real museum objects in these popular themed sessions for families.
Free. For families with children aged 3+.
Discovery for All
Every Sunday, 11.30am – 1pm
Come and visit our Hands On Base and explore its thousands of real objects from around the world with our Explainers.
Free. Everyone welcome including adults without children. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
A World of Stories
Every Sunday except 26 Oct, 2pm & 3.15pm
Our popular storytellers bring the Horniman’s collections and Gardens alive with enchanting stories from around the world.
Free. For families with children aged 5+.
Hear it Live!
Tuesday 29 October, 3.30-4pm
On the last Tuesday of each month, enjoy an informal live session in the Music Gallery bringing to life the keyboard instruments on display in At Home with Music.
Free
Exhibitions
Last Chance!
Extremes
Until 2 November 2014
Calling all budding explorers! Come on an expedition to see how animals and plants survive in extreme heat, cold, dryness and permanent darkness or with little oxygen in our new family friendly exhibition Extremes.
See some of the animals that live in these environments, watch films that make you shiver, try to keep up with the drinking speed of a camel, feel the air-conditioning inside the ostrich’s beak, or see how much fat you have compared with a seal.
Extremes mixes hands-on experiences including games and experiments, with films and taxidermy animal specimens. This exhibition is in three languages – English, Spanish and French.
Tickets: Child £3.30; Adult £6.60; Family £16.50 (prices include 10% voluntary Gift Aid donation). Horniman Members go free.
Book tickets at www.horniman.ac.uk/extremes.
Revisiting Romania: Dress and Identity
4 October 2014 to 6 September 2015
From beaded bird motifs and embroidered metal threads to intricately carved wooden cups and patterned powder-horns made of antler, this exhibition showcases the elaborately decorated textiles, costumes and artefacts used in Romanian peasant homes in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The exhibition explores how Romanian folk art has been used to express social and political ideas in the village and on the national and international stage.
Free
Listings November 2014
Please visit our website www.horniman.ac.uk to check latest information.
Exhibitions
Last chance!
Extremes
Until 2 November 2014
Calling all budding explorers! Come on an expedition to see how animals and plants survive in extreme heat, cold, dryness and permanent darkness or with little oxygen in our new family friendly exhibition Extremes.
See some of the animals that live in these environments, watch films that make you shiver, try to keep up with the drinking speed of a camel, feel the air-conditioning inside the ostrich’s beak, or see how much fat you have compared with a seal.
Extremes mixes hands-on experiences including games and experiments, with films and taxidermy animal specimens. This exhibition is in three languages – English, Spanish and French.
Tickets: Child £3.30; Adult £6.60; Family £16.50 (prices include 10% voluntary Gift Aid donation). Horniman Members go free.
Book tickets at www.horniman.ac.uk/extremes.
Kurt Jackson: River
29 November 2014 to 25 January 2015
A unique chance to see a selection of paintings and sculpture from British artist Kurt Jackson’s different river projects from the last three decades. Including pictures of the Thames, the Dart, the Severn and the Tamar, this retrospective of riverine works features a number of very large plein-air canvases as well as film footage of the works in progress, sketches and ceramics.
Free
Revisiting Romania: Dress and Identity
Until 6 September 2015
From beaded bird motifs and embroidered metal threads to intricately carved wooden cups, this exhibition showcases elaborately decorated textiles, costumes and artefacts to explore how Romanian folk art has been used to express social and political ideas in the village and on the national and international stage.
Free
Lates
Night of Light: Youth Late
Saturday 22 November, 6.30-9.30pm
They’re back, bigger and brighter than ever! The Horniman Youth Panel take over the Museum for the 5th year running with live bands, a sparkletastic Pop-up Club and an acoustic and spoken word stage. The first 250 visitors get a free Night of Light wristband. For ages 14-25 years. No alcohol.
Free
Adults
Festival of Lights Late
Thursday 6 November, 6.30-9.30pm
Join us for a night of live music and dance celebrating Diwali, light and sound installations by contemporary artists, animation film screenings by international filmmakers, led light juggling, workshops, food and more.
Tickets: £5. Over-18s only.
Behind the Scenes: Tour of the Music Gallery
Thursday 13 November, 7-8pm
Take an after-hours tour around the UK’s largest gallery of musical instruments with music curator Margaret Birley. Learn about the history of the Horniman’s remarkable musical instrument collection which numbers over 8,000 examples, and the stories informing its display.
Tickets: £5
Regular Family and Weekend Events
Horniman Farmers’ Market
Every Saturday, 9am – 1.30pm
A locally sourced, locally sold farmers’ market selling vegetables, meat, fish, bread, flowers, hot food and much more in our glorious Gardens.
Free entry
Paprika Concert
Sun 23 Nov, 3.30-5pm
As part of the London Jazz Festival, we’re hosting a concert by Paprika who perform Eastern European, Balkan and Gypsy music, bringing rare and lost Balkan music back to life. Part of our free exhibitions and events celebrating culture from Romania and the Balkans.
Free
Hands on Family Workshops
Every Saturday except 24 Oct and 5 Dec, 11.45am & 1pm
Touch real museum objects in these popular themed sessions for families. Check website for more details.
Free. For families with children aged 3+.
Art Makers
Every Saturday except 25 Oct and 6 Dec, 1.30pm & 2.45pm
Have fun with different art techniques to create something fabulous to take home inspired by the Horniman’s collections or seasonal celebrations.
8 Nov: Leafy Hedgehogs
15 and 22 Nov: Autumn Tea Light Lamps
29 Nov and 13 Dec: Romanian Christmas Star
Tickets: £3 Child, adults free. For families with children aged 3+.
A World of Stories
Every Sunday until 14 December, 2pm & 3.15pm
Our popular storytellers bring the Horniman’s collections and Gardens alive with enchanting stories from around the world.
Free. For families with children aged 5+.
Discovery for All
Every Sunday until 14 December, 11.30am – 1pm
Come and visit our Hands On Base and explore its thousands of real objects from around the world with our Explainers.
Free. Everyone welcome including adults without children. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
Busy Bees
Every Tuesday and Wednesday from 16 September until 17 December
Except 3 Dec
10.30am, 11.15am, 12pm
Lively sessions for Under 5s and their parents/carers. Activities change each week and include creative play, stories and songs or simple art and craft.
Free. Collect tickets from the Ticket Desk or Pavilion area on the day. Please note: these sessions are not suitable for nursery school groups.
Hear it Live!
Tuesday 25 November, 3.30-4pm
On the last Tuesday of each month, enjoy an informal live session in the Music Gallery bringing to life the keyboard instruments on display in At Home with Music.
Free
The Horniman Museum and Gardens opened in 1901 as a gift to the people in perpetuity from tea trader and philanthropist Frederick John Horniman, to ‘bring the world to Forest Hill’. Today the Horniman has a collection of 350,000 objects, specimens and artefacts from around the world. Its galleries include natural history, anthropology, music and an acclaimed aquarium. Indoor exhibits link to the award-winning display gardens – from food and dye gardens to an interactive sound garden – set among 16 acres of beautiful, green space offering spectacular views across London. Our visitors come time and again to participate in our exciting range of events and activities, sample the tasty delights from our popular cafe, and shop for interesting gifts in our gift shop. We also make our spaces available for hire including our stunning Grade II listed Victorian Conservatory built in 1894 and newly built Gardens Pavilion.
The Horniman Museum and Gardens is joint winner of the Telegraph Family Friendly Museum Award 2013, run by Kids in Museums and judged by families.
The Horniman Museum and Gardens is core-funded by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and since 1990 has been governed by an independent charitable trust, registered charity no. 802725. The Horniman Museum and Gardens also receives funding from Arts Council England as one of its Major partner museums.
Opening times and admission. The Horniman Museum is open daily 10.30am-5.30pm, except 24 – 26 December, when it is closed. The Gardens open at 7.15am Monday to Saturday and 8.00am on Sunday and Bank Holidays, and close at sunset. Entry to the Museum and Gardens is free but charges apply for the Aquarium and some special exhibitions and events.
Access. The Museum and the Gardens are both wheelchair and pushchair friendly with accessible toilets. Limited on-site parking is available for disabled visitors – call 020 8699 1872.
Travel. The Horniman is situated on the South Circular Road (A205) in Forest Hill, London. It can be reached easily by train to Forest Hill from Highbury and Islington, Whitechapel and Canada Water (on the London Overground line), London Bridge (13 minutes), London Victoria, Clapham Junction and East Croydon, and by local buses (176, 185, 356, P4).
