Mon. Dec 23rd, 2024

National Maritime Museum and Queen’s House, Greenwich

Maritime Museum

November 2024

A full programme of events for child and adult visitors to the historic Greenwich National Maritime Museum, Queen’s House, and Prince Philip Maritime Collections Centre.

All visitors, including Members, are advised to pre-book their tickets at least 24 hours in advance. Please check rmg.co.uk for the latest information on what is open.

 Highlights this month include:

  • Bring the whole family to Greenwich for half-term science and innovation workshops in the National Maritime Museum and Queen’s House.
  • Visit the new Astronomy Photographer of the Year exhibition for free at the National Maritime Museum.
  • Discover different characters from history and hear their fascinating stories.

EXHIBITIONS AND DISPLAYS

Women of the RNLI

To mark the bicentenary of the RNLI, Royal Museums Greenwich is hosting an exhibition celebrating the vital role that women have played in saving lives at sea.

Women of the RNLI highlights the work and success of women in a variety of roles including their pioneering contributions to fundraising, campaigning, technological innovation, training and as members of onshore and offshore crew throughout the RNLI’s history. The exhibition features a series of Jack Lowe photographs taken from Lowe’s ongoing Lifeboat Station Project, an attempt to photograph every RNLI station and members of its crew. Alongside these images, the exhibition includes oral histories from some of the sitters, sharing their experiences of life with the RNLI.

Date:             2 March 2024 – 1 December 2024

Time:             10.00 – 17.00

Age:                Suitable for all ages

Location:      National Maritime Museum, Special Exhibitions Gallery

Admission:    Free    

URL:                https://www.rmg.co.uk/whats-on/national-maritime-museum/women-of-the-rnli   

Astronomy Photographer of the Year 16

The Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition is now in its sixteenth year and returns with an expert panel of judges from the worlds of art and astronomy. The winners of the competition’s nine categories, two special prizes and the overall winner will be announced on Thursday 12 September, then displayed in an exhibition at the National Maritime Museum alongside a selection of exceptional shortlisted images. The competition is run by the Royal Observatory Greenwich, supported by Liberty Specialty Markets and in association with BBC Sky at Night Magazine.

Date:             Daily from 13 September 2024

Time:             10.00 – 17.00

Age:                Suitable for all ages

Location:      National Maritime Museum, Photography Gallery

Admission:    Free

URL:                https://www.rmg.co.uk/astrophoto

Feeling Blue

A major tapestry commission is on display in the Queen’s House. Scottish-Barbadian artist Alberta Whittle’s ‘Feeling Blue’ (2023) is collaborative piece woven in Edinburgh by Dovecot Studios. The artwork has been developed in response to the large and varied collections of Royal Museums Greenwich, as well as the history and cultural significance of Greenwich. The 160 x 155 cm tapestry is filled with richly evocative textures, symbolic shapes, and tropical colours.

‘Feeling Blue’ is displayed on powder-coated steel gates in the Queen’s Presence Chamber where visitors can draw links between the cultured freshwater pearl beads woven into its design, and the jewelled gown in the nearby Armada Portrait of Elizabeth I. The tapestry’s blue colour scheme also provides a nod to the famous Tulip Stairs in the Queen’s House.

Date:             Daily

Time:              10.00 – 17.00

Age:                Suitable for all ages

Location:       Queen’s House, Queen’s Presence Chamber

Admission:    Free

URL:                https://www.rmg.co.uk/queens-house/attractions/feeling-blue

EVENTS

Remembrance Day: A Call to Mind

Visit the National Maritime Museum for talks and tours, dance performances and more to mark Remembrance Day. In partnership with Matglen International Consulting, RMG invites visitors to remember the Armed Forces and their families, from Britain and the Commonwealth, through a mix of personal narratives and performances.

Date:            17 November 2024

Time:            12.30 – 16.00

Age:              Suitable for all ages

Location:      Queen’s House, Greenwich

Admission:    Free

FAMILIES AND YOUNG PEOPLE

Half-Term Activities

There will be daily activities at the National Maritime Museum and Queen’s House during the half-term break, including creative workshops exploring the science and innovation in RMG’s collection.

Date:            26 October – 3 November 2024

Time:            11.00 – 13.00 | 14.00 – 16.00

Age:              Suitable for all ages

Location:      National Maritime Museum, Learning Space and Queen’s House

Admission:    Free

Character Actors at the Queen’s House

Discover different characters from history with their own fascinating stories to tell. Meet Mistress Babington and discover what life was like in the royal residence, or encounter Inspector Canvas and search the paintings for clues.

Dates:          26 October – 3 November 2024

Times:            12.00 | 13.00 | 14.00 | 15.00

Age:              Suitable for ages 5 and over

Location:      Queen’s House

Admission:    Free

URL:                https://www.rmg.co.uk/whats-on/queens-house/character-actors

Safe Harbour

Safe Harbour is a series of free workshops created to provide a safe space for foster and adoptive families. The sessions are an opportunity for families to have fun together in a friendly and welcoming space. Safe Harbour has been created in consultation with support organisations including We Are Family, and local foster and adoptive families.

Date:            30 November 2024

Time:            12.30 – 14.30

Age:              Suitable for families with children aged 13 or under

Location:      National Maritime Museum, Greenwich

Admission:    Free

URL:                https://www.rmg.co.uk/whats-on/national-maritime-museum/safe-harbour

SENsory Sailors

Families with children with special educational needs and disabilities are invited to a monthly session at the National Maritime Museum. Explore the collection, enjoy the opportunity to be creative together, and meet other local families.

Sessions are led by a SEND-specialist and will respond to the needs of the families participating.

Date:           9 November 2024

Time:            11.00 – 12.30

Age:              Suitable for ages 13 and under

Location:      National Maritime Museum, Group Space

Admission:    Free

URL:                https://www.rmg.co.uk/whats-on/national-maritime-museum/sensory-sailors

LGBT+ Family Network

The National Maritime Museum hosts a space bimonthly for LGBTQ+ families to meet each other and get creative. Families can join in with artist-led activities inspired by Greenwich, the maritime world, and LGBTQ+ histories.

Date:            23 November 2024

Time:            11.00 – 13.00

Age:              Suitable for all ages

Location:      National Maritime Museum, Learning Space

Admission:    Free

URL:                https://www.rmg.co.uk/whats-on/national-maritime-museum/lgbtq-family-network

Play Tuesdays

Bring your little ones along for song, stories, and sensory play as we explore the Museum together. During these sessions your facilitator will lead you in creative and playful activities that will support the development of your child, providing you with a toolkit of activities to use even outside of these sessions.

Date:            Tuesdays during term-time

Time:            10.30 | 11.30 | 13.00 | 14.00

Age:              Suitable for ages 5 and under

Location:      National Maritime Museum, Learning space

Admission:    £4 per child and accompanying adult | Under 6 months free

URL:                https://www.rmg.co.uk/whats-on/learning-space/play-tuesdays

Discover Sundays

Each week a different artist will take visiting families on a journey into the Museum’s collection. Discover objects that introduce different people, histories and cultures. Participate in different creative activities inspired by these objects before heading into the galleries to see what else can be discovered.

Date:              Sundays during term-time

Time:              11.00 – 13.00 | 14.00 – 16.00

Age:              Suitable for all ages

Location:      National Maritime Museum, Learning space

Admission:    Free

URL:                https://www.rmg.co.uk/whats-on/learning-space/discover-sundays

Family Trails and Backpacks at the National Maritime Museum

Pick up a family trail or borrow a backpack of activities from the ‘Play and Explore’ trolley at the National Maritime Museum to discover exciting objects in the galleries. Choose from seven different trails across a range of galleries, with activities suited to any age, or try the Sensory Explorer backpack.

Date:            Daily

Time:            10.00 – 17.00

Age:                Suitable for all ages

Location:      National Maritime Museum, Greenwich

Admission:    Free

URL:                https://www.rmg.co.uk/family-trails-national-maritime-museum-0

Family Trails and Backpacks at the Queen’s House

Discover art, conservation, and the stories of the Queen’s House with the Create trail and the Creative Conservator’s kit. Pick up your trail or borrow a kit from the welcome desk.

Date:           Daily

Time:            10.00 – 17.00

Age:                Recommended for ages 6 and over

Location:      Queen’s House, Greenwich

Admission:    Free

URL:                https://www.rmg.co.uk/queens-house/queens-house-family-trail

Make, Do and Maintain

Ever wondered how to keep your silver shining or how to mount a picture? Join Prince Philip Maritime Collection Centre’s community of makers and menders. This is a club for old and young to share current skills and discover new ones.

Date:            2 November 2024

Time:           15.00 – 16.30

Age:                Suitable for ages 7 and over | Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult

Location:      Prince Philip Maritime Collections Centre

Admission:    Free

URL:             https://www.rmg.co.uk/whats-on/prince-philip-maritime-collections-centre/make-do-maintain

CoderDojo

The Prince Philip Maritime Collections Centre’s CoderDojo is a free coding club for young people interested in programming. The monthly club consists of 90 minutes of programming; in which participants can take part in an array of specially designed coding activities inspired by Royal Museums Greenwich’s vast collection. In the final half an hour of the session, there will be an opportunity to share and present the projects with each other.

Date:            2 November 2024

Time:            10.30 – 12.00

Age:                Suitable for ages 7 to 17 | Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult

Location:      Prince Philip Maritime Collections Centre, Learning Space

Admission:    Free

https://www.rmg.co.uk/whats-on/prince-philip-maritime-collections-centre/coder-dojo

For updated information prior to visit:

www.rmg.co.uk or phone 020 8858 4422.

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By Fergus McCarthy

Fergus McCarthy is a seasoned publishing professional with over three decades of experience in the media industry. In 1993, he co-founded Parents News, a pioneering publication aimed at providing busy parents in Southwest London with essential information on education, entertainment, sports, and family-friendly activities. Under his leadership, Parents News quickly expanded its reach from 60,000 to 192,000 monthly printed copies, establishing additional branches in Kent, South London, Northern Ireland, and Cornwall. In 1997, recognizing the potential of digital media, Fergus helped launch Parents News UK Online, which carried digital editions of the printed publication and offered a broader range of national information. The website's popularity soared, attracting up to 700 daily hits at its peak. Although Parents News transitioned to an online-only platform in 2017, Fergus continues to play a vital role as Publisher and Advertising Manager, focusing on providing value to businesses through effective advertorials.

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