RETRO PLAY DAYS

To tie in with the Our Freedom and Yours exhibition, step back in time and have a go with our retro toys and games.

FREE ACTIVITY
Normal museum entry fees apply

1940s THEMED CRAFT ACTIVITIES

To tie in with the Our Freedom and Yours exhibition, drop in and join us with our 1940s themed craft ‘make do and mend’ activities.

PER CHILD £1.00
Normal museum entry fees apply

OUTDOOR EXPLORERS: SUMMER HOLIDAY SPECIALS

We’re opening up the Forest School area over the Summer holiday for three special  ‘Outdoor Explorers’ sessions. Explore the outdoor world through free play in our Forest School area with your little one.

We recommend this activity for 3 and 4 year olds, but younger ones are welcome also and there is no charge for younger accompanying siblings.

Please ensure clothing is suitable for the weather, and please have legs covered in all weathers. Wear waterproofs if needed, and wellies/sturdy footware.

PER CHILD £4.50

Bookings should be made in advance using the link below:

BAT WALK

Join us on a walk around the Abbey Meadows and Museum site with experts from Brum Bats.

Wear strong shoes, dress warmly and bring a torch.

ADULTS £6.00, CHILDREN £3.00

Bookings should be made in advance using the link below:

HISTORY HEROES: WWII CHILDREN’S DISCOVERY WORKSHOP

A free children’s discovery workshop including artefact handling, storytelling and activities.

An event to tie in with the Our Freedom and Yours exhibition.

FREE – Booking is essential due to limited places.

Bookings should be made in advance using the link below:

THE STORY OF MY POLISH GRANDFATHER – BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER WORLD WAR II

A talk from Sean Szmalc

World War II was one of the most devastating conflicts in history. Join Sean Szmalc, whose collection makes up the ‘Our Freedom and Yours’ exhibition, as we take a journey back to the years of 1939 to 1945.

Through storytelling of the times, including the life of Sean’s Grandfather, before, during and after the war, gain an incredible insight into a Polish soldier during World War II. Encounter rare historical artefacts from the war as you view and learn the fascinating stories attached to them. Join us for a talk where the past is always present.

Following the presentation, there will be a question and answer session and an opportunity for discussion.

An event to tie in with the Our Freedom and Yours exhibition.

PER PERSON £7.00

Bookings should be made in advance using the link below:

OUTDOOR THEATRE: TREASURE ISLAND

It’s pirate ships, pieces of eight and salty old sea dogs for Summer 2026 in Quantum Theatre’s swashbuckling new adaptation of the classic pirate adventure, Treasure Island.

Bursting with buccaneers, brouhaha and dastardly double dealings this lively new adaptation delivers an action-packed adventure for the whole family.

Gates open at 4.30pm. The performance begins at 5.00pm. Please bring your own picnics, blankets and seats to enjoy this performance in the beautiful, natural surroundings of Forge Mill.

Ice creams and light refreshments will be available from the coffee bar.

ADULTS £15.00, CHILDREN £7.00

Bookings should be made in advance using the link below:

TEXTILE WORKSHOP: FANTASY FLOWER STITCHED DOODLE

Enjoy the soothing rhythm of hand embroidery as you create a Fantasy Flower stitched Doodle with Ruth Parkinson-Johns. Begin by creating a fabric flower motif from hand dyed fabrics. Attach this to the fabric base and add hand embroidery patterns in the background space to complete your artwork.

You may wish to finish off the work at home and display the completed piece in the mini embroidery hoop supplied.

A textile workshop inspired by our Wandering Threads Exhibition.

PER PERSON £22.00

Bookings should be made in advance using the link below:

TEXTILE WORKSHOP: KATAGAMI STENCIL CUTTING

Katagami is a Japanese technique of hand cutting stencils traditionally using a washi based stencil paper. The stencils can be used to print with a resist onto fabric or paper as well as printing using pigments directly through the stencil.

On this workshop we will look at traditional Japanese Katagami stencils as inspiration, discussing the different techniques of stencil cutting before planning out your own small design and cutting it out with a scalpel.

We will test the stencil using indigo pigment on to paper and you’ll be able to take your stencil home to use for further experimentation.

A textile workshop inspired by our Wandering Threads Exhibition.

PER PERSON £22.00

Bookings should be made in advance using the link below:

END OF SUMMER SILENT DISCO

Come and enjoy a Silent Disco in the unique surroundings of our Cloisters area and grounds.

Dance the night away with family and friends. You can choose from three different channels, one of which is hosted by the DJ. It’s an event you won’t forget.

• Family disco for all ages from 5.00 to 7.00pm
• Adults only 7.30 to 11.00pm (music starts at 8.00pm)

We will be selling snacks, pizza and ice creams as well as a range of non-alcoholic and alcoholic drinks.

ALL AGE DISCO (5.00 to 7.00pm) £4.50 EACH
ADULTS ONLY DISCO (7.30 to 11.00pm) £8.50 EACH

Bookings should be made in advance using the link below:

HERITAGE OPEN DAY

A day to celebrate our local heritage, supported by local community groups. Amongst the wide range of local activities we will have:

• A range of iconic motorbikes from the Royal Enfield Owners Club.
• Meticulously built model boats from the Little Radford Model Boat Club.
• Live music from Indigo Arts, our local community charity supporting young people, with a preview of ‘The Eye of the Needle’ musical.
• AIR (Arts in Redditch), a charitable organisation promoting and supporting the arts, will be on-side with local artists and information on art in the town.
• Free entry to the current exhibition in the museum gallery.
• Free entry into the museum – the only existing water powered scouring mill.
• Tours by experienced volunteer guides of the Needle Museum and the Bordesley Abbey ruins.
• And more…

Refreshments and light lunches will be available from the Mill View Coffee Bar.

ADMISSION FREE
Includes entry into the museum

TEXTILE WORKSHOP: STITCH-SCAPES

Join Liske for a short collage and stitch workshop. Dip into our hand dyed & printed fabrics to create your own landscape or seascape. We will then enjoy some slow stitching to add details and character to your piece.

Finished landscape will be approx 12cm square and can be mounted onto a wooden block.

A textile workshop inspired by our Wandering Threads Exhibition.

PER PERSON £22.00

Bookings should be made in advance using the link below:

TEXTILE WORKSHOP: LAYERED LANDSCAPE – PRINT AND STITCH

Enjoy a taste of working in mixed media, as you create a textile layered landscape with Ruth. Begin by adding a flourish of print to your pre-painted fabric,  creating a background texture of grasses. Then embellish  the foreground area further, with hand embroidery stitches representing grasses and flowers.

You may wish to complete your Artwork at home and display it in the mini 11cm hoop supplied.

A textile workshop inspired by our Wandering Threads Exhibition.

PER PERSON £22.00

Bookings should be made in advance using the link below:

TEXTILE WORKSHOP: TIDELINE MINI EMBROIDERY

Capture the essence of the coast as you create a stitched doodle inspired by the Tideline with Ruth. Begin by stitching shells onto a fabric background (Use those provided or bring some of your own) Be guided as you create hand embroidered patterns and textures in the background space, to capture the essence of time by the sea. You may wish to complete the artwork at home and display it in the mini 11cm embroidery hoop supplied.

All materials provided (bring your own shells if you have some special ones that you would like to use).

A textile workshop inspired by our Wandering Threads Exhibition.

PER PERSON £22.00

Bookings should be made in advance using the link below:

INSPIRATION AND RECREATION: SEWING 17C STYLE CLOTHES

A talk from Caroline Vincent

Caroline Vincent joined the Sealed Knot as a student and met lovely people and had great fun, but from the start she felt the kit she wore could be improved.

Since then, she has spent time researching, ,visiting museums, going to lectures and reading books to learn how to draft patterns and sew 17th century style clothes. It has sent her down many rabbit holes of exploration and in this fascinating talk she will show you what she has learnt with examples of what she has created.

Part of Visit Worcestershire’s ‘Sew Civil War’ project.

ADULTS £7.00

Bookings should be made in advance using the link below:

COMMONWEALTH LACE

A talk from Mary Coleman

What lace did the Puritans wear between the Stuart reigns? A fascinating talk illustrated with examples of lace from the Lace Guild Museum Collection.

This talk is presented by Mary Coleman, Honorary Assistant Curator from The Lace Guild Museum.

Part of Visit Worcestershire’s ‘Sew Civil War’ project.

ADULTS £7.00

Bookings should be made in advance using the link below:

PORTRAITS, PURITANS AND PETTICOATS

A talk from Stuart Orme

Fashion in the mid-1600s. A talk by Stuart Orme, Curator of the Oliver Cromwell Museum.

The mid-1600s saw changes in fashion, forced by not only by continental influences but the impact of the Civil Wars and the Republic. What were these changes and how did people of this period dress? Did all Puritans wear black and Cavaliers wear lace? What do the portraits of the period tell us and in what way are they misleading?

Part of Visit Worcestershire’s ‘Sew Civil War’ project.

ADULTS £7.00

Bookings should be made in advance using the link below:

INSPIRED BY 17th CENTURY CASKET EMBROIDERY WORKSHOP

A workshop with Heather Lewis

As part of research for a book, Heather studied historical embroidered caskets from the V & A. The embroidery in this workshop was designed alongside a casket she made for the book and features scrolling stems of couched gold thread, a three-dimensional needlelace leaf, silk shaded strawberry and embellished with gold spangles.

Part of Visit Worcestershire’s ‘Sew Civil War’ project.

ADULTS £80.00 (including £30 class kit)

Bookings should be made in advance using the link below:

BLACKWORK EMBROIDERY WORKSHOP

A workshop with Leon Conrad

Ups and Downs: Reversible ‘Spanish Stitch’ embroidery based on Civil War period samplers.

Learn to stitch like it’s 1640: where every ending is a new beginning, and the path you map out reveals a masterpiece.

Part of Visit Worcestershire’s ‘Sew Civil War’ project.

Workshop Information Sheet

ADULTS £65.00

Bookings should be made in advance using the link below:

GOLDWORK EMBROIDERY WORKSHOP

A workshop with Leon Conrad

A Gorgeous Glimpse of Gold. Bring more bling and work more ‘wow’ into your needlework as you engage with the magnificence, glamour, and magic of embroidering with gold thread, just as stitchers did in the 16th and 17th Centuries.

Part of Visit Worcestershire’s ‘Sew Civil War’ project.

Workshop Information Sheet

ADULTS £30.00

Bookings should be made in advance using the link below:

A VEIL OF MYSTERY

A talk from Leon Conrad

English 16th and 17th Century Embroidered and Woven Textile Bookbindings.

This engaging talk reveals the often hidden and secret stories behind richly decorated textile bookbindings produced in England in the 16th and 17th centuries. Are the flowers, figures, and fastenings purely decorative — or do they hint at something more? Come and decide for yourself!

Part of Visit Worcestershire’s ‘Sew Civil War’ project.

ADULTS £7.00

Bookings should be made in advance using the link below: