The popular Museums At Night series is returning from 16 to 18 May this year, when once again museums in London and elsewhere will be throwing open their doors to visitors late into the night. There are over seventy events happening in the capital – the full list can be found here.
Now while many events that take place during Museums At Night simply involve the staff sticking around for a few extra hours (and there’s no harm in that – it gives busy working people more opportunities to go along and see their local museums) some put together something really special to make them stand out from the crowd. Here’s our pick of what we think will be the most unique experiences for Londoners heading along to Museums At Night this year:
Martin Creed @ The Freud Museum – 16 May
Hampstead’s museum dedicated to the life and work of the father of psychoanalysis will be hosting Turner Prize winning artist Martin Creed during their late opening event – the evening will ‘take the format of an unconfined interaction between Martin and the audience, traversing whichever themes arise in his exploration of his and his audience’s unconscious.’
A Victorian Delight @ 18 Stafford Terrace – 16 May
A rare opportunity to look around the interior of this late Victorian townhouse in Kensington, the home of Punch cartoonist, illustrator and early photographer Edward Linley Sambourne. Visitors will be greeted by Mrs Sambourne and her housekeeper Mrs Reffell who will instruct them in Victorian manners in the Dining and Morning Rooms…
Hidden Stories Tour @ The Royal Naval College – 16 May
A night-time tour around Greenwich’s Old Royal Naval College on the Thames waterfront, which will explore its 500 years of history. There’ll also be an opportunity to sample some of the Meantime Brewery’s products for free at The Old Brewery later in the evening – don’t all sign up at once!
Curator’s Choice @ The Government Art Collection – 17 & 18 May
Taking place at the Government Art Collection’s store off Tottenham Court Rd, the service’s curators will be presenting a special selection of works for Museums At Night. There will also be a tour of the workshops and racking area. There’s an extraordinary range of art to see here from before the days of Empire all the way up to contemporary works – it’s rarely open to the public so do take the opportunity to visit during these special openings if you can.
After-Hours Family Quest @ National Army Museum – 18 May
Chelsea’s museum dedicated to this proud part of our Armed Forces opens for a family-friendly evening, where you’ll be invited to search for a ‘lost’ exhibit somewhere in the museum – characters will appear to help or hinder you along the way, hopefully not involving being chased around the galleries by the Taliban! Whether you make the Museums At Night event or not, we think that the National Army Museum is well worth a few hours of your time – it will give you a new appreciation for what these brave men and women do. You can read about what we thought when we visited here.
Arts On Ice @ The London Canal Museum – 18 May
The London Canal Museum celebrates the significance of the canal network for transportation, and particularly the ice trade which was significant in this area in the 19th century. For Museums At Night they are hosting an evening of art, poetry, film and ice sculpture in their premises on New Wharf Road behind Kings Cross – poet Simon Barraclough will be reading from his work, and visitors will also be able to pen their own verses.
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