Today, Horsham Museum & Art Gallery has announced that it will be joining The Wild Escape, a major new project uniting hundreds of museums with schools and families to find nature in museums.
Led by national art charity Art Fund and with support from Arts Council England, hundreds of museums, galleries and historic houses are coming together for the largest ever collaboration between UK museums.
Taking place from April to July 2023, The Wild Escape invites children to find a favourite animal in their local museum and create an artwork imagining its journey to a natural habitat. The pictures and stories children create will be brought together in a collective work of art that imagines a better future for the wildlife on our doorstep, launched online and in museums on Earth Day 2023.
As part of The Wild Escape, Horsham Museum & Art Gallery is inviting children to take part in our FREE Wild Escape Trail, that runs from Saturday 1st April. This will take them on a journey to discover and learn about British wildlife through our collection and inspire them to choose a favourite animal they can create an artwork of for Earth Day 2023. The Wild Worlds activity will run throughout the Easter holidays at the museum, from 4th-7th and 11th-14th April, 10:30-15:00. This activity encourages children to imagine the habitats and natural surroundings of British Wildlife through textures, collage and stencils. Children may then submit their creations by Saturday 15th April so they can be displayed collectively on Earth Day at the museum. Due to the popularity of previous events, we have introduced online booking for this event.
The Wild Escape is an opportunity to join the urgent conversation about climate crisis and biodiversity loss and look for nature positive solutions, in partnership with leading environmental charities the RSPB and WWF and cultural organisations National Trust and English Heritage.
The Wild Escape is inspired by Wild Isles, a landmark BBC series exploring the flora and fauna of the UK.
Jenny Waldman, Director, Art Fund, said:
“I'm thrilled that Horsham Museum & Art Gallery is joining hundreds of organisations from the Outer Hebrides to Folkestone to connect thousands of children with the natural world through the UK’s truly great museums. Thanks to the invaluable support of Arts Council England, The Wild Escape will empower families and children across the UK to visit and discover our wonderful museums, whilst taking positive action to picture a better future for our wildlife."
Nikki Caxton said:
We are looking forward to taking part in The Wild Escape which is a new and exciting way to bring the museum to life for families. It is a fantastic opportunity for children to explore the collections at the museum as well as thinking about the natural world in a fun and creative way. Everybody who takes part has the opportunity to submit their artwork to be a part of a group display on Earth Day, and I am anticipating that we will have some really brilliant works to unveil on the day.
About Art Fund
Art Fund is the national fundraising charity for art. It provides millions of pounds every year to help museums to acquire and share works of art across the UK, further the professional development of their curators, and inspire more people to visit and enjoy their public programmes. Art Fund is independently funded, supported by Art Partners, donors, trusts and foundations and the 130,000 members who buy the National Art Pass, who enjoy free entry to over 240 museums, galleries and historic places, 50% off major exhibitions, and receive Art Quarterly magazine. Art Fund also supports museums through its annual prize, Art Fund Museum of the Year. The winner of Art Fund Museum of the Year 2022 is Horniman Museums & Gardens. www.artfund.org.
PLEASE BOOK ONLINE IN ADVANCE FOR THE WILD WORLDS ACTIVITY: 4th-7th & 11th-14th April 10:30 - 15:00.
Published: 14 Mar 2023