Museums at Night Weekend in Pennine Lancashire

Image: 'Radial' Embroidery Thread by Susanne Davies

Five museums and galleries in Pennine Lancashire are opening their doors late into the evening this weekend of 13-15 May, as part of the national ‘Museums at Night’ campaign. Each venue will be hosting special evening events inspired by their amazing collections and fascinating industrial heritage.

Artist Sarah Lawton hosts an evening of printmaking taster sessions for all the family at Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery where people can have a go at making their own hand pulled prints using traditional printing blocks.

At the Haworth Art Gallery artist Becky Waite hosts an evening of creativity, inviting you to transform a plastic bottle into a sculptural installation of kaleidoscopic colour and pattern. This will also be the first opportunity to see the monumental new installation at the gallery by international artist Stuart Haygarth.

At Helmshore Mills Textile Museum there is a special ‘twilight’ evening tour and artist Susanne Davies will be installing a piece of thread art in the spinning floor. She will also be encouraging the audience to get creative, using the installation as inspiration for their own textile piece.

At Rossendale Museum artist Helen c Yates will be collaborating with the performer and story teller Robert Beckett, and they invite you to join them for an evening of storymaking for all the family. Helen will form a series of visual stories inspired by the curious and wonderful objects around the museum. Robert will interpret Helen’s work through stories and imaginings, encouraging everyone to look at things in a whole new light and create their own ‘story line’.

Queen Street Mill Textile Museum invites you to ‘Calico People’ - a special audio-visual and creative experience inspired by the fascinating history of cotton making in Lancashire by artist Helen c Yates. A narrated poem written by young people from Burnley will form an unforgettable background audio to the piece and young fashion designer and textile artist Sarah Hussain, will run a block printing workshop.

These events form Night Sites – Pennine Lancashire’s contribution to the national campaign ‘Museums at Night’ which takes place across the UK on the weekend of 13-15 May. Night Sites has been co-ordinated by Perspectives of Pennine Lancashire, a visual arts network with the aim of raising the profile of visual art in Pennine Lancashire.

All events are free and suitable for all the family. Dates and times for Night Sites events are:

Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery

Printmaking for all the family with artist Sarah Lawton

Fri 13 May, 6-7.30pm

Haworth Art Gallery

Help make a sculptural installation with artist Becky Waite

Fri 13 May, 6-7.30pm

Helmshore Mills Textile Museum

Lucky 13’s Twilight Mill Tour, thread art installation and activity with artist Susanne Davies - Fri 13 May, 7-9pm

Rossendale Museum

Dead Good Stuffed Stuff - an evening of storymaking with artist Helen c Yates and storyteller Robert Beckett - Sat 14 May, 6.30-8.30pm

Queen Street Mill Textile Museum

'Calico People' - art installation by artist Helen c Yates and textile printing with Sarah Hussain - Sun 15 May, 7-10pm

Night Sites is funded and supported by Arts Council England, Renaissance North West, Modern History through the European Regional Development Fund and Lancashire County Council.

For more details see POPL website