Unlocking the Mysteries of Mummification
We are very excited to introduce the newest member of the Investigate Learning team – our fabulous mummification doll! Now your class can get hands on and practice embalming with our more realistic body, complete with viscera for them to carefully extract. We’ve researched and developed this new resource to ensure it gives as immersive and accurate an experience as possible.
We recently had the opportunity to spend time with visiting curator Mamdouh Farouk, Director at the Imhotep Museum in Egypt. He checked through our mummification workshop and confirmed we had all the details correct and gave us lots of new information to share with you too! It was a brilliant opportunity for our team to work with an expert.
Our doll was designed and hand crafted by the very talented Ros Lorimer of Pighill Archaeological Illustration, who we have worked with on some of our other learning resources. As well as creating the doll, she has designed a beautifully decorated cover which draws inspiration from real Ancient Egyptian tomb images. The illustrations show elements of agricultural life and food production as well as funerary scenes, providing a wealth of talking points for budding Egyptologists.
We can’t wait to share these new resources with you and your class! Book now.
Read More
Secondary school learning across our sites
We have combined our offers for older students into one leaflet so that you can easily see the full range for History and Art examination courses or case studies. We are excited to be welcoming students for their activities this summer term!
Read More
The Wild Escape workshop announcement – Stop motion animation for beginners
Friday 14th April, 10am-1pm
Museum of Lincolnshire Life
Have you always wanted to have a go at animating your own movie? Well now you can learn the basics of stop motion with Investigate Learning team animator Hannah, who has animated our museum Rusti the squirrel!
In this exciting workshop you will have the opportunity to model your own creature inspired by British wildlife and then you will learn how to bring them to life using stop motion techniques. By the end of the session you will have created your very own short animation and learned the skills to make more in your own time!
Participants will require a smart phone with the ability to take photos and download a free app called Stop Motion Studio (available on android and IOS). If this is not possible please let us know when booking.
This workshop is part of The Wild Escape, a major new project led by Art Fund uniting hundreds of museums with schools and families in a celebration of UK wildlife and creativity. 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.
How to book:
The cost of the workshop is £10 per participant and will take place at The Museum of Lincolnshire Life. The workshop is suitable for ages 7 upwards, please ensure that children under 16 are accompanied by an adult at all times.
Please reserve your place through the Investigate Learning team by emailing investigate-learning@lincolnshire.gov.uk with the subject line ‘Stop Motion Workshop’.. Please provide details of the participant’s name, age and a contact number. Alternatively you can call 01522 550501 or submit an enquiry via the website. Payment will be taken on the day at the museum reception.
Fantastic Earth Day event
We are busy planning this fantastic Earth Day event so join us at the Museum of Lincolnshire Life for a great day! There will be…
- Information stalls supporting the environment and loads of ideas about sustainability
- Demonstrations in wood turning and hedge laying
- Dancing and music
- Pottery sessions
- Creative arts collage and crafts.
- Edible flower planting – make your own plant pot!
- Rusti the Red Squirrel trail and her ideas to help you with your own Earth Day pledge
For teachers the Investigate Learning team will be on site to answer questions about our offers and projects across the Culture Service sites so you are very welcome to drop in for a chat with the team.
Schedule for the day
8.45 to 9.30 am
Dance Free will start the day with a session at Lincoln Castle – see the castle website here for that event Dance Free Event at Lincoln Castle
Start celebrating Earth Day with this unique experience….an uplifting free-movement dance in the grounds of the majestic Lincoln Castle.
Free your body and soul, let go of your mind.
A fun and welcoming space. The session starts with a short facilitated guidance into movement to help you move into your comfort zone, drop into your body and away from your thoughts and then the rest is free movement to music through a journey of ambient, euphoric and soulful beats in a mix of genres. Using silent disco headsets for an immersive music experience
Then at the Museum of Lincolnshire Life
10am – 3.30pm
All day there are opportunities to
- Visit Information stalls across the site
- Join in the creative arts collage making and crafts
- Plant some edible flower seeds for your wildlife habitats and make your own plant pot!
- Demonstrations in wood turning and hedge laying
At these times you can also see
11am, 12 noon and 1.30pm – Poacher Morris Dancing
2pm – Music from Experimental Sonic Machines plus acoustic sessions at various times.
Pottery workshops
11am – 12 noon – Clay animal making
2pm – 3pm – Clay animal design tile making
(book a place in advance – see below)
Dance Free will start the day with a session at Lincoln Castle – see the castle website here for that event Dance Free Event at Lincoln Castle
Start celebrating Earth Day with this unique experience….an uplifting free-movement dance in the grounds of the majestic Lincoln Castle.
Free your body and soul, let go of your mind.
A fun and welcoming space. The session starts with a short facilitated guidance into movement to help you move into your comfort zone, drop into your body and away from your thoughts and then the rest is free movement to music through a journey of ambient, euphoric and soulful beats in a mix of genres. Using silent disco headsets for an immersive music experience
Pottery Sessions – how to book
We have two pottery workshops for you to choose from – or even come to both!
Our learning team potter Victoria will help you to get creating with clay animals (11am session) and clay animal and habitat tile making (2pm session).
Rusti the Squirrel will inspire you or you can choose your own British wildlife animals. You will learn how to model your Wild Escape creatures and develop your pottery skills.
All ages welcome – please ensure that children under 16 are accompanied by an adult to help at all times.
Places can be reserved by emailing investigate-learning@lincolnshire.gov.uk. Please provide details of the participant’s name, age and a contact number.
Alternatively you can call 01522 550501 or submit an enquiry via the website Investigate Learning – Creative and cultural learning experiences.
£4 per participant – payment will be taken at reception on the day for those with reserved places. There may be some extra places on the day so pop along if we book up.
Our event contributors
We are excited to have a wide range of collaborators holding stalls and giving demonstrations on the day. Here’s a bit more about them…
Dance Free
Dance Free is a free-movement dance activity, held at beautiful natural locations across Lincolnshire. Experience mindful-moving through music in nature. Fun and welcoming for all. Guiding you into your comfort zone, to feel happy, release worries and stresses, and experience a connection with you, others and nature.
When we move freely in nature our hearts open and senses heighten, leading to a deep connection and appreciation for beauty.
For more on Dance Free, see www.wedancefree.com
Earthlincs
Created by some local not for profit groups, and supported by Lincoln City Council, they currently run a climate cafe at the Mint Lane Cafe on Saturday afternoons. They are also seeking larger premises. Their vision is to offer a cafe, repair workshops, library of things, education, exhibitions, craft-embellished second hand goods, information, resource sharing, skills workshops, meeting spaces. The people of Lincoln are already suffering due to our changing climate, so they will also be listening to their experiences and learning what more they can do to help. The Earthlincs stall will also provide a demonstration of seed bomb making.
Experimental Sonic Machines
Experimental Sonic Machines is a one-person-and-a-robot electronic music project based in Lincoln UK. Peter uses scrap materials & run-down cells & solar power to create original electronic & acoustic music. He uses paper disc programs & wear sci-fi style costumes. He doesn’t drive and uses a bicycle & trailer to transport my equipment, & public transport or lifts with friends for further afield events. He uses energy-efficient circuits to minimize power consumption. The music & equipment is developing from performance to performance – each one is unique, with established songs plus improvisation.
Green Synergy
Historic Places Team
Come and join Lincolnshire County Council’s Historic Places Team who will be showcasing how investigating the past can contribute to a greener future. Archaeology has enormous potential to help us understand how human forces have impacted the natural environment throughout history and how we can direct a positive change for the future based upon historic evidence!
Lincolnshire Wolds Countryside Service
They are committed to nature recovery within the Area of Natural Beauty (AONB), that is the Lincolnshire Wolds. They advise farmers on how best to look after the land for the benefit of nature, and help communities improve their local environments. Lincolnshire Wolds Countryside Service (LWCS) also publishes a large number of walk leaflets and information sheets to ensure locals and visitors alike get the best experience from their connection to the AONB.
At Earth Day, LWCS will be showcasing the importance of hedges in nature recovery. There will be clay tiles to make, a tree identification quiz and an opportunity to have a go at a hedgerow survey. Come along and grab your free ‘Hedge Hero’ badge so you can spread the word about the humble hedge.
https://www.lincswolds.org.uk/
Lincs Loves Plants
Love Lincs Plants (formally known as Lincolnshire Plants: Past & Future) is a Lottery Heritage Fund supported project to create a collection of native Lincolnshire plants. The collection is held in a number of locations including two geographically separate herbaria
Old Wood Organic CIC
Old Wood Organic CIC, began as a response to the pandemic. The owners, Ben and Atma wanted a place of refuge during these unprecedented times and retreated to a plot of land in Skellingthorpe to reconnect with an inner sense of peace and foster a loving relationship with the Earth – hoping to restore feelings of wellbeing.
The first step was to build a market garden among the trees. With the help of Ben’s trusted friend Finn and his knowledge of organic growing techniques, Ben set to work nurturing the soil and planting a diverse range of fruits and vegetables, using the No-Dig technique. The nourished soil brought abundant growth and delicious produce, which Ben and Atma now share with local restaurants and organisations.
As their family grew to include Ayla-Rose, Atma and Ben felt called to share the serenity of their woodland space with others who might be in need of the same restorative peace they had discovered while tending to the land. This is how an intensional community begun to grow around them. Land and Leaf Collective joined with Old Wood Organic CIC to provide forest school and outdoor education for Home Educated children.
In September 2022, the idea for the Woodland Wellbeing Programme was born and supported by Shine managed funding. On this programme the local community can access free holistic wellbeing courses that include, therapeutic horticulture, Yoga, Mindfulness, Sustainable Eco Crafts and most recently added Green Workworking.
Plastic Free Lincoln
Plastic Free Lincoln is part of a national campaign, Plastic Free Communities, organised by the environmental charity SAS – Surfers Against Sewage. The Plastic Free Lincoln campaign group are leading a campaign to achieve Plastic Fee community status for Lincoln.
https://www.lincoln.gov.uk/environmental-issues/green-sustainable-living-1/5
Sir Joseph Banks Natural history and Science Centre
The Joseph Banks Centre is a recently restored Grade II listed building in Horncastle, Lincolnshire. The building houses numerous curated collections including History Society archives, a Reference Library, Herbarium and Tribute Garden. There is also a variety of technical equipment, including IT systems and 3D imagers & 3D printers, used to support the Centre’s science work. See website
Joseph Banks Centre – Natural Science & Local Heritage (horncastlejbc.info)
Victoria MacDonald Pottery workshops
Victoria is a member of the learning team and has been doing pottery since she was a child and professionally since 2012. She loves both teaching and making, particularly using historically informed techniques. Her own work ranges from animal figurines to wheel thrown pots to maiolica tiles, which you can find at The Pot Shop, 16 Steep Hill, Lincoln.
The Wildlife Trusts
Providing information on local wildlife and the nature reserves they care for, with a representative on hand to chat to the public. They hope to encourage people to learn more about the wildlife on their doorstep and what they can do to help conserve it, through offering advice on wildlife gardening and current projects, volunteering and supporting the Trust by becoming a member. People are often surprised by just how many wildlife events are available to them.
https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/
Poacher Morris
Poacher Morris are the original, finest (& only remaining) Morris side based in Lincoln. We perform lively dances in the style of the Welsh Border Morris tradition. Throughout the year Poacher Morris perform at local events, festivals, pubs, and other places too.
New members are always welcome as dancers, musicians or both. No experience is necessary, all dances and steps are taught at our regular practice nights. It’s a great way to keep fit and make new friends!
Come along and see us and find out about ‘The Morris’ at the Earth Day Event at the Museum of Lincolnshire Life.
We are part of the Wild Escape project
Fantastic news!
The Investigate Learning team are excited to be part of the Wild Escape project this year. We will be hosting school groups, community groups, family events and an Earth Day extravaganza at the Museum of Lincolnshire Life.
Watch this space for more information as we release our events!!
The Wild Escape is a major new project led by Art Fund uniting hundreds of museums with schools and families in a celebration of UK wildlife and creativity.
Taking place from January 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 venues across the UK on Earth Day 2023.
The Wild Escape is led by Art Fund alongside hundreds of museums, artists and environmentalists, in partnership with WWF, the RSPB, National Trust and English Heritage.
The Wild Escape is made possible thanks to funding from Arts Council England’s National Lottery Project Grants, with additional support from Kusuma Trust, Foyle Foundation and a group of generous individuals and trusts.
The Wild Escape is inspired by Wild Isles, a landmark BBC series exploring the flora and fauna of the UK.
The Wild Escape is made possible by lead support from Arts Council England’s National Lottery Project Grants, with additional support from Art Fund and a group of generous individuals and trusts.
Read More
Sandford Award for Investigate Lincoln Castle!
Great news! We’re excited to announce that the Lincoln Castle Investigate Learning team have received the Sandford Award for heritage learning!! For each of the assessment categories, we received the highest score, which is great news for our enthusiastic learning team. We’re so pleased to share this amazing site with our learning visitors.
Sandford Award Lead Assessor wrote:
Lincoln Castle thoroughly deserves its second Sandford Award in recognition of the unique and compelling insight it offers visitors into a series of locally and nationally significant historical phenomena, ranging from the medieval world and the Magna Carta to the treatment of prisoners in Victorian England.
The learning team has demonstrated impressive creativity, resourcefulness and analytical dexterity in using the site’s long and complex story to bring into focus key historical themes that relate directly to the content of the school curriculum. In so doing, they have created both a highly stimulating and memorable learning experience delivered in the most authentic of settings.
Visitors cannot help but be captivated by the breadth of history on display here and by the site’s skill in bringing it vividly to life in a way that will resonate with learners for years to come.
This recognition builds upon our Sandford Award success last year for The Collection Museum and we enjoy meeting all of our learning participants!
The Power of the Sun Animation
We are excited to launch our new Fusion energy animation and are lucky to have Hannah Brown as a member of our learning team. Her animation brings to life this current environmental topic and encourages us to ponder both the past and the future! We even have a Tokamak physicist speaking on the film – very inspiring!
We are linking to our prehistoric gold artefacts on site and from November 10th to February 20th we also have the British Museum Spotlight loan exhibition Gathering Light: a Bronze Age golden sun. We are going all bling and showing off the amazing Shropshire Sun Pendant!
Our prehistory workshops will include a tour of the exhibition but we thought we’d showcase the importance of the sun in this new Power of the Sun learning resource.
Science teachers (primary and secondary) will find this free resource a great introduction to this physics topic too.
We hope you enjoy it.
Read More
Prehistory workshops shine bright this autumn!
The team are busily taking bookings for all our offers and will be introducing a special prehistory workshop day for Key Stage 1 & 2 in the Autumn.
We are excited to be linking new sessions to the fantastic visiting exhibition Gathering light: A Bronze golden sun – a British Museum Spotlight Loan. It will feature this 3000 year old extraordinary Shropshire Sun Pendant. Glittering objects will be on site between 11th November 2022 to 20th February 2023.
Workshops will involve museum investigations, beaker pottery making and our archaeology dig challenge.
Read More
Hidden Lindum Colonia – Visit Posterngate
We are excited to include a visit to Posterngate within our new Hidden Lindum Colonia project. The project will eventually showcase twelve sites of Roman Lincoln and form a digital and real tour of the city.
The Posterngate site was uncovered during excavations in the 1970s. It was a gateway that gave access to Roman Lincoln from the river. It is widely thought that the route was used by merchants and traders when Lincoln’s waterside was a bustling port.
For Summer 2022 we are excited to bring you our new guided tours of Posterngate:
- Guided tours will begin with a talk about the Hidden Lindum Colonia project and set the scene for Posterngate in the main gallery of The Collection Museum (10-15 minutes)
- We will then walk to Posterngate on Saltergate (5 minutes away) to enter the hidden gateway
- A talk at the Posterngate site (30 minutes)
- Guided tours will end at the Posterngate site
Please note:
- The tours involve walking from the museum to the site across two roads.
- Posterngate is situated 5 metres below ground level and can only be reached down a stone staircase.
Tour dates for Summer 2022
On the following dates there will be a guided tour at 11am and at 2pm.
Places are limited to 20 visitors per tour.
Tickets are £4.10 and require pre booking online or at the Collection reception
- Monday 24th October
- Friday 2nd December
More dates will follow for Autumn/Winter.
Read More
Get creative this summer!
Join us this summer across the sites for a variety of crafts, creative arts and you can even choose to do your Arts Award Discover mini qualification.
On each of the Get Creative days there will be something different to do linked to the exhibitions and sites e.g. Microworlds exhibition at The Collection and the Our Patch of Earth project at the Museum of Lincolnshire Life!
- Crafts £3
- Arts Award £10 – charge includes the Get Creative Discover Award pack, certificate submission plus one craft
- Free drawing and painting
All events 10am to 3.30pm
All children must have adult supervision
Arts Award Discover
If you are aged 6 to 14 you can complete your Arts Award Discover qualification during the summer.
Get Creative Arts Award Discover packs can be purchased from the learning team on any of the Get Creative event days.
You do not need to do your full award on site with us but may want our help so please pop in on any Get Creative day to find out more and we can help with ideas. You might have a preferred theme from our event days – see below.
You would then need to bring in evidence of your creative arts practice in your chosen art form (e.g. a painting, a song, a dance, a story etc) and have completed the Get Creative Arts Award Discover pack by the end of August. The learning team will liaise with you for your contact details as we will send off for your certificates to Trinity and let you know when they arrive with us to be collected at your convenience.
For each event day there is a slightly different theme for the craft activities based upon different aspects of the exhibitions to ensure that you have lots of options across the summer!
Dates, sites and themes for the Get Creative
- Wednesday 27th July – Get Creative @ Collection Museum – Microworlds and 3d modelling
- Friday 29th July – Get Creative @ Museum of Lincs Life – Our Patch of Earth exhibition, planting and creative arts flowers
- Thursday 4th August – Get Creative @ Usher Gallery – Environments, landscapes and clay tiles (using natural foraged materials)
- Friday 5th August – Get Creative @ Museum of Lincs Life – Our Patch of Earth exhibition, planting and garden creatures and birds
- Wednesday 10th August – Get Creative @ Collection Museum – Microworlds and 3d modelling
- Friday 12th August – Get Creative @ Museum of Lincs Life – Our Patch of Earth exhibition, planting and fantasy garden creatures
- Thursday 18th August – Get Creative @ Usher – Identity and portraits – clay heads and self-portraiture.
- Friday 19th August – Get Creative @ Museum of Lincs Life – Our Patch of Earth exhibition, planting and garden creatures and birds
- Wednesday 24th August – Get Creative @ Collection Museum- Microworlds and 3d modelling
- Friday 26th August – Get Creative @ Museum of Lincs Life- Our Patch of Earth exhibition, planting and fantasy garden creatures
