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  Housed in the former
Higgins and Sons Brewery, Bedford Museum is situated within the picturesque
gardens of Bedford Castle mound, beside the Great Ouse Embankment.
The collections reflect
the human and natural history of Bedford and the surrounding area.
Opening Times:
Tue – Sat 11am – 5pm
Sun and Bank Holiday Mondays 2pm – 5pm
Closed on Christmas Day and Good Friday
Email
bedford.museum@bedford.gov.uk
or
chag@bedford.gov.uk
Tel: 01234 353323
Bedford
Gallery and Bedford
Museum are FREE
to visit
Download our latest leaflet here
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Exhibitions at Bedford Museum |
Upcoming
Events |
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Inspired!
1 May – 18 July
Come and be inspired by the many projects and activities undertaken by
children, young people and families led by or in collaboration with the
Art Gallery and Museum’s Learning & Access team and see how they
responded to their heritage and Bedford’s unique collections.
Star Club -
Celebrating 50 golden years of rowing 1960 - 2010
1 May - 18 July
A
display by one of Bedford's leading rowing clubs
Space and Time: An Exhibition of Work by Artists with Disabilities
24 July – 29 August
Livability Lifestyle Choices in Bedfordshire, a charity organisation
which actively promotes opportunities for adults with disabilities, is
putting together a collection of work by people in Bedford and its
surrounding areas, who have personal experience of disability and a
talent for creative arts. The exhibition will show a range of works from
people of widely differing backgrounds, in a variety of media. |
Family events
Sunday 27th June 2 – 4.30pm
Beekeeping Day
Come along
to our FREE Family Day at Bedford Museum and enjoy honey-tasting,
beeswax candle making and the chance to view some bees in their hive
with the Bedfordshire Beekeepers’ Association
Sunday 1st August 11am – 4pm
Romans,
Gardeners & Priors
At Priory
Country Park
FREE Family
Day with guided walks and activities by Albion Archaeology in
association with the Art Gallery & Museum as part of the British
Festival of Archaeology
Adult Learning
Saturday 24th
July 11am – 4.30pm
Archaeology Study Day
As part of the British Festival of Archaeology we are hosting
a study day for adults interested in archaeology. Join experts from
Albion Archaeology for demonstrations, talks and activities. £15 per
person. Booking is essential for this event. Call us on 01234 353323 to
book your place.
For a full listing of our
upcoming events click here
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Exhibitions at Bedford Gallery |
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Saturday 12th
June – Sunday 5th September 2010
In Association with Liss Fine Art
Born in 1905, Stanley Lewis was described as one of the most
important artists of his generation. From his time at the
Royal College of Art (1925 – 1930), Lewis continued to paint
everyday until his death last year at the age of 103. This
will be the first major exhibition of this talented but
little-known artist, held alongside works from the Cecil
Higgins Collection by Lewis’ tutors and contemporaries,
including William Rothenstein, Henry Moore & Augustus John.
To find out more about Stanley
Lewis and our related events click here |
Coming Soon:
R.100 & R.101:
Airships at Cardington
Saturday 2nd October – Sunday 19th
December 2010
To
coincide with the 80th Anniversary of the R.101
disaster, this exhibition will explore the development of
airships in Bedford leading up to the iconic yet fateful
R.100 and R.101, as well as the legacy that still stands in
the form of the Cardington Sheds.
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FREE
lunchtime talks |
Summer
Holiday Activities
We have
lots of activities throughout the summer holidays. All of
the activities are at Bedford Museum. Booking is required
for all activities except Friday Family Drop-In’s. Call us
on 01234 353323 to book your places.
Visit our Exhibitions
and Events Page for a full listing. Here is a taster…
| Wed 28
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Children’s Activity – ‘Tick-Tock, Tick - Tock’
Time, clocks and world-famous Bedfordshire
clockmaker, Thomas Tompion.
11.15am – 12.30pm 2 – 3.15pm Cost £2.50 -
Age: 3 – 5 yrs |
| Thurs
29 |
Children’s Activity ‘Wooden Wheels’
Design and construct a mobile wooden vehicle.
11.15am – 12.45pm Cost £5 -
Age: 5 – 7 yrs |
| Thurs
29 |
Children’s Activity ‘Wooden Wheels’
Design and construct a mobile wooden vehicle
2 –
3.30pm Cost £5 -
Age: 8+ |
| Fri 30 |
Children’s Activity ‘Present Ma’am!’
Experience life in a Victorian School - mind you
don’t misbehave!
11am – 1pm, repeated 2-4pm Cost £2
Family drop-in |
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All talks are free to attend and are held at
Bedford Gallery from 1pm until 1.30pm.
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Wed 23 June |
Stanley Lewis : An introduction |
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Wed 7 July |
An extraordinary outbreak of Talent : The
Royal College of Art in the 1920s |
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Wed 21 July |
The RCA Sketchbook - an illustrated talk |
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Wed 4 August |
Drawn to perfection – Nash,
Carrington and Spencer at The Slade |
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Wed 18 August |
Augustus John |
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|  Cecil
Higgins Art Gallery and Bedford Museum redevelopment
£3m Bedford Borough
Council grant gives Phase 2 project a major boost.
Fundraising is
going very well with confirmation of funding from Bedford Borough
Council, the Wixamtree Trust, Charles Wells Brewery and the Rotary
Clubs of Bedford taking the project over £5m, well on the way to the
£6.7m target. Fundraising is ongoing including major grants being
considered in the next few months.
Following the
refurbishment of Bedford Gallery (Phase 1) last year, Phase 2 will
involve the complete redesign and redisplay of all galleries. For
the first time, Bedford’s major collections will be united under one
roof, to create an outstanding, combined facility. The revitalised
buildings, with new galleries, collections stores, learning spaces,
shop and café, will be an excellent resource for local people, and
will bring a greater number of visitors to Bedford, contributing to
the regeneration of the town centre right in the heart of the
cultural quarter.
Architects,
engineers and exhibition designers are currently busy preparing
detailed plans for submission to the Heritage Lottery Fund and
others. Subject to approvals and grants being awarded Bedford Museum
is expected to close in the autumn, with building works starting in
spring 2011.
You can help to
support the redevelopment project by joining our Patrons’ Scheme.
You can download the
Patrons’ brochure
here.
For any other fundraising related issues please contact John Moore,
Director at
john.moore@bedford.gov.uk
Please
click here for more information. |
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 Museum
and Art Gallery Get Out and About Local
people of all ages will be able to enjoy and engage with their heritage
thanks to a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF). The
award of £199,500 to Bedford Museum and Cecil Higgins Art Gallery
is for a four year Audience Development Project starting this summer.
For more information,
please click here. |
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