Summer of activities at city museums

Keen crafters can take part in two workshops from Yorkshire-based textiles group 6-Ply, inspired by their Lives Unravelled exhibition, which is currently on display at the Workhouse Museum.

The Rubbings and Stitch Workhouse Workshop takes place on Thursday July 22, 11am-2pm. Artist Sarah Lowe will lead the session, exploring the colours and textures of the workhouse. Using transfer crayons, rubbings on fabric will be taken of items representative of the Workhouse; the coloured fabric will be set by iron and then stitching will be used to enhance areas and a card insert produced.

On Saturday August 14, 11am-2pm, Hazel Waite for the Counted Threads Workhouse Workshop, will use motifs from features of the workhouse building, participants to create a stitched sample which could be used as a small picture, bookmark or greetings card. Tickets for each workshop cost £10 and can be booked via the Ripon Museums website.

The Lives Unravelled exhibition is on display at the Workhouse Museum until Sunday September 5.

The exhibition consists of five textile installations, located throughout the museum, inspired by the lives of women who lived and worked in Ripon Workhouse. Inspired and prompted by their research into the workhouse, textiles group six-Ply have created beautifully crafted and unique textile pieces, using a variety of techniques and materials, which reflect the real experiences and imagined emotions of women in Ripon Workhouse.

Over the summer holidays, there will also be plenty to keep families entertained, with summer activities running from Tuesday to Friday each week.

On July 27-30, August 3-6 and 10-13, the theme is Make Your Mark. Visitors can join in with the creation of a giant wall hanging depicting feelings and life during lockdown, as well as following a museum trail, baking in our Victorian kitchen and having a go at Rag Rugging.

On August 17-20, 24-27 and 30, and September 1-3, Garden Camp will enable visitors to explore the outdoors in the Workhouse Museum Garden.

“Make and decorate your own recycled plant pot holder and plant a seed: take it home and watch it grow,” said a spokesman.

“We’ll also be offering a museum trail, plus bird and bird call identification activities and a bird search game in the game. Not to mention, the little ones will be able to play in our new garden den.”

Family activities are included in the cost of museum entry.

Also this summer The Prison & Police Museum will give a creative walk through the criminal justice system with the My Path exhibition.

It showcases artworks from across Yorkshire, which were submitted to the 2020 Koestler Awards for arts in the criminal justice system.

“Every work shown was made by someone in a prison, secure hospital, young offender institution or on probation,” added the spokesman.

The exhibition runs until Sunday September 26. Entrance to the exhibition is included in the cost of museum entry.