Ditchling Museum of Art + Craft in line for top award

Ditchling Museum of Art + Craft has been shortlisted for a national award for its lockdown activities. It is in the running for the Kids in Museums Family Friendly Museum Award From Home.
Ditchling Museum of Art + CraftDitchling Museum of Art + Craft
Ditchling Museum of Art + Craft

Spokeswoman Abby Butcher said: “Kids in Museums has run a prestigious annual award for the past 15 years, recognising the most family friendly heritage sites in the UK. This year, the charity asked families and museums to vote for what they thought was the best online activity for families during lockdown. A panel of museum experts whittled down over 400 nominations to a shortlist of 26 museums.

“Ditchling Museum of Art + Craft was recognised for Virtual Museum Club, a weekly after-school video series on the museum’s IGTV. The series follows the format of the museum’s popular after-school Museum Club, but takes place online for free and is hosted by artist and teacher Claire Burns from her home (and sometimes her garden) in Ditchling.

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“Claire guides the viewers through simple craft projects, all of which are created using materials that we all have at home, encouraging us to look around and find inspiring craft materials in our homes and gardens. Virtual Museum Club is part of the museums digital programme #CreateToRelate, which was designed to provide distraction during the scary times we found ourselves in whilst offering reassurance and uniting people through the power of craft.”

Museum director Steph Fuller added: “I’m thrilled that we have been nominated for Kids in Museums Family Friendly Museum Award From Home for our digital programme. Looking after families of all shapes and sizes is always a central part of our programming, and we thought really carefully about how we could continue to offer something relevant during the lockdown period. The take-up for Virtual Museum Club was fantastic and it’s great that it’s been recognised in this nomination.”

Ditchling Museum of Art + Craft is vying against four other museums in the Best Social Media Activity.

Over the summer holidays, family judges will try out all the activities and their feedback will decide a winner and highly-commended award for each category. The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony in October.

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Follow the Family Friendly Museum Award From Home on Twitter by following @kidsinmuseums and #FamilyFriendlyMuseum.

The Family Friendly Museum Award From Home has been made possible by funding from Arts Council England.

Ditchling Museum of Art + Craft was founded by Joanna and Hilary Bourne in 1985 and holds an internationally-important collection of work by the artists and craftspeople who were drawn to the village in the early 20th century. It explores the impact of the many artists and craftspeople who came to live and work in Ditchling establishing the village as one of the most important places for the visual arts and crafts in Britain. In addition to its permanent collection, the museum presents exhibitions motivated by these inspirational arts.

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