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Category: British Motor Museum

  1. British Motor Museum to host two exclusive ‘Evening With’ series with Peter Stevens & Mike Brewer!

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    The British Motor Museum has announced two more exclusive ‘Evening With’ series, one with Peter Stevens, a name synonymous with British car design on 14 April and the other with Mike Brewer, car dealer turned presenter, on 12 May.

    Peter's distinguished design career spans a broad range of iconic vehicles, from road car design to F1 projects, with prominent brands such as Ford, Lotus, Jaguar, McLaren, Subaru, and MG Rover Group. Two-time nominee for The Prince Phillip Prize for Designer of the Year, Autocar magazine’s Designer of the Year 2002, and recipient of the British Design Council Award for the Lotus Elan SE, Peter will be bringing his knowledge and unique perspective on car design and the automotive industry to the Museum. Joining Peter to talk all things cars will be Paul Cowland - Presenter of Salvage Hunters: Classic Cars Writer, Producer, self-described car hoarder, “decidedly average” Racing Driver and friend of the Museum, who returns following his appearance at the hugely successful evening with Ian Callum, held at the Museum in January.

    On 12 May, also sharing the stage with Paul Cowland, will be Mike Brewer, providing the audience with an in-depth view into his career, and the cars he’s seen along the way. One of Britain's most prolific motoring presenters, Mike has been gracing our TV screens for over 25 years, with a wealth of TV credits including: Driven, Deals on Wheels, Pulling Power, Wrecks to Riches, Auto Trader, Wheeler Dealers,  Wheeler Dealers Trading Up, Revved Up, presenting coverage of the British Rally Championship on Sky Sports,  Remote Madness, Frontline Battle Machines and Wheeler Dealers World Tour - with a second series just announced! Mike will be talking about his life as a wheeler dealer, sharing behind the scenes stories about moments that didn't make it to the final cut, and enthusing about some of the amazing cars that did.

    Stephen Laing, Head of Collections & Engagement at the British Motor Museum, said: “We’re delighted to be hosting these two exclusive events in the coming months which are both sure to be lively, entertaining and amusing evenings in the company of two true motoring icons! Each event will include an audience Q&A as well a signing session. Not only that, guests can explore the Museum's collections, browse our latest feature exhibition 'The Gallery' and enjoy a hot buffet supper”.   

    Tickets cost £50 each, with a discounted price of £45 per person for Premium Members. As this event is outside regular Museum opening hours, Annual Passes are not valid. Limited places are available, so early booking is advised.
    For more information please visit the website https://www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk/whats-on/an-evening-with-peter-stevens 
    and https://www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk/whats-on/an-evening-with-mike-brewer 
    or call 01926 895300.

     

  2. British Motor Museum is gearing up for plenty of Easter Egg-citement!

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    The British Motor Museum has got a cracking line up of egg-cellent Easter Holiday activities to get stuck into from 5 – 27 April! Children and families can crack the code in the puzzling Family Trail, get creative with an egg-ceptional craft activity, and test their car dealing skills on a fascinating tour around the Museum. Over the Easter weekend from 18-21 April, there will also be a traditional Easter egg hunt amongst the car collection! Plus, the Museum will host their first Mellow Monday on Monday 7 April and the first Access Day of 2025 on Thursday 24 April.

    Crack the code - Family Trail is available every day and gives children a chance to put their puzzle solving skills to the test and crack the hidden code. There are codes all around us in everyday life, running everything from navigation to smart fridges, making working with codes a great skill to have! Use your skills to reveal the answer, and collect a reward sticker for your achievement!

    Hatch your own Car is a super fun craft and design-based activity in which children can “hatch”  their very own car. The hatching process starts with an egg shape made from card strips, and with some more crafty materials and a sprinkling of imagination, a unique car is hatched… all from a simple egg shape!

    Finally, children can join the Egg-straordinary Tour with resident car experts Maggie Dwyer the Car Buyer or Barry Wheeler the Car Dealer, as they hatch a plan to buy or sell a car. Children will embark on a fascinating journey through the cars in the Museum, trying their hand at being a top car seller, and picking out which cars they’d love to buy the most!

    Emma Rawlinson, Lifelong Learning Officer at the British Motor Museum, said, “Join us this Easter  for some cracking fun activities with our hat-trick of egg-cellent family fun. We have a basket brimming with activities for our younger visitors to enjoy all through the holidays, along with our classic Easter egg hunt around the Museum over the Easter weekend!”

    Visit between 3pm and 5pm on Monday 7 April to enjoy the Museum’s first Mellow Monday! Brand-new for 2025, these days will feature afternoon “Relaxed Hours”,  helping to provide a great Museum experience to those who require a quieter atmosphere.

    Discover the Museum’s latest Access Day on Thursday 24 April, too. As always, the day will showcase a wide range of accessible activities and initiatives, from extended opening hours and touch and access tours, to specially-adapted crafts and SEND & sensory bags, highlighting all of the Museum’s accessible and inclusive features and activities that help make it as welcoming and inclusive as possible.

    Museum entry is just £46 for a family in advance or £52 on the day, £17 for adults in advance or £20 on the day, £15 for concessions in advance or £18 on the day, £9 for children (5-16 years) in advance or £10 on the day and under 5s are FREE. Visitors can convert their ticket to an Annual Pass at no extra cost so they can come back again and again over the year. With activities every school holiday this makes it a great value choice for families this Easter. For more information, please visit the website at:

    www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk/whats-on/easter-holiday-activities

     

     

     

  3. British Motor Museum launches a new Young Artists Competition and teases details of The Gallery 2025!

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    The British Motor Museum is to launch a new Young Artists Competition to celebrate the opening of the exhibition, The Gallery 2025. This exclusive contest with the theme ‘The car and the environment’ gives young artists with a passion for automotive art, the rare chance to display their work at the Museum.

    There are three age categories for entry: under 11s, 12-16 years, and 17-20 years with one winner per category. Entries open on Thursday 6 February and close on Monday 28 April, giving interested applicants February Half-Term and the Easter holidays to perfect their masterpieces. The winning artwork will go on display in the Museum from Thursday 29 May - Friday 27 June as part of The Gallery 2025 exhibition. The winning artists will each receive a half day workshop with an esteemed artist featured in the exhibition, getting tips on everything from how to set the scene for their next artwork to how to succeed with art as a career. The generous sponsor of the prize is Peter Mitchell, Patron of the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust. The winner of each age category will also receive £50 worth of art vouchers, thanks to a generous donation from LifewithArt.

    The Gallery 2025 exhibition will open on Friday 4 April featuring a combination of paintings and sculptural pieces. The Gallery 2025 is a continuing collaboration with Historic Car Art and will showcase some of the UK’s most talented automotive artists including John Ketchell, Keith Woodcock, Emma Capener, Jonny Ambrose, Oliver Ray and Steve Goodwin. There will be ‘live art’ taking place where the artists continue their artwork at the Museum for visitors to see. The artists work with a variety of media, including acrylics, oil, watercolour, pen, and pastels.

    Stephen Laing, Head of Collections & Engagement at the British Motor Museum, said, "It's going to be an exciting few months for artists of all ages. The Young Artists Competition is a wonderful way to encourage artists of the future and help them begin to fulfil their creative potential. Displaying their artwork alongside established artists is an enormous opportunity and the winning artworks will add to an already stunning range in the upcoming exhibition, The Gallery 2025."

    Rupert Whyte, Historic Car Art owner, said “We are pleased to be working alongside the British Motor Museum for a third year to curate an exhibition of motoring art celebrating the depth of talent amongst British automotive artists. Each year we introduce new artists to the exhibition and 2025 will be no exception”. 

    The Young Artists Competition will be judged by a returning panel, including Rupert Whyte, owner of Historic Car Art, and Stephen Laing, Head of Collections & Engagement at the British Motor Museum. 

    Access to the exhibition is included with standard Museum admission tickets. Museum entry is just £46 for a family of 4 in advance or £52 on the day, £17 per adult in advance or £20 on the day, £15 for concessions in advance or £18 on the day, £9 for children (5-16 years) in advance or £10 on the day and under 5s are FREE. You can choose to donate your entry fee and get an Annual Pass in return at no extra cost and there is also the option to Gift Aid your donation. Being a Gift Aid visitor makes a big difference to the British Motor Museum. To find out more information about the exhibition and the Young Artists Competition, please visit the website at https://www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk/explore/the-gallery

     

     

  4. British Motor Museum to host two more exciting Museum Lates!

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    The British Motor Museum has announced two more evening Museum Late events. From Sketch to Street takes place on 11 February and Backstage Tours takes place on 11 March.

    On 11 February visitors will have the chance to see the Collections Team showcase the fascinating work they do to keep the Museum running. This exciting opportunity will enable visitors to immerse themselves in the world of car design, based around the Museum’s ground-breaking exhibition From Sketch to Street’. This insightful event will include exclusive after-hours access to the Museum and 'From Sketch to Street' exhibition as well as a brand new talk: Ciao Inghilterra! How British cars got Italian style. Visitors will be able to unpick the processes and people behind the cars and see how their own ideas meet those of other enthusiasts. 

    On 11 March visitors will have the rare opportunity to access behind-the-scenes collections areas through guided tours and supported experiences. The Archive team will be on hand to take visitors on a specialist tour of the extensive collection of historical documents, images and films, and enable visitors to learn about how Heritage Certificates are made. Visitors will also be able to explore the Museum and chat to the Curatorial team in their extensive artefact stores.

    Stephen Laing, Head of Collections & Engagement at the British Motor Museum, said: “We’re delighted to be hosting these two events. On 11 February, visitors will have the chance to gain a unique insight into the process of car design, and listen to a fascinating talk on the evolution of British automotive style and on 11 March visitors will have the rare and exclusive opportunity to explore the host of treasures within the Archive and artefact stores, from historical documents to toys of the past. Both Late events are not to be missed!”

    Tickets for ‘From Sketch to Street’ cost £20 per person and tickets for ‘Backstage Tours’ cost £25 per person. Both ticket prices include drinks and a two course meal. Discounted tickets are available for Members. As this event is outside regular Museum opening hours, Annual Passes are not valid. Limited places are available, so early booking is advised.

    For more information, please visit the website 

    and https://www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk/whats-on/museum-late-backstage-tours 

    or call 01926 895300.

     

  5. Coding & creativity lead a world of techtastic fun at the British Motor Museum this Half-Term!

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    This Half-Term from 15 – 23 February, the British Motor Museum is inviting families to dive into the world of car design and technology with a jam-packed week of fun activities. With so much to explore and discover, younger visitors can learn how design and technology shape the world around us whilst having fun at the same time!

    Brand new this February is a collaboration with ‘FUZE’, exploring the basics of coding using a Nintendo Switch® to create a car-themed game from 17 -21 February. The activity will involve ‘loading’ a race track level, selecting different vehicle 3D models and then controlling it. Children will be encouraged to change the vehicle and its attributes to affect it. The vehicle can be changed into any 3D object - a chicken, dinosaur, or a piece of cake, anything! Suitable for children aged 6 years and above, visitors can sign up for the 30 minute sessions on arrival.

    Families can also embark on a fun spotter trail as part of the Tourmaline and the Museum of Marvels Trail, organised by Kids in Museums and Little Tiger. The national trail for families is inspired by Tourmaline and the Museum of Marvels by Ruth Lauren – a fun, feminist adventure series for children aged 9 – 12. Pick up a free activity sheet to join in and search for Tourmaline, her friends and an assortment of magical objects hiding in the museum. Complete the spotter trail and get a free Tourmaline sticker! Families can also enter a national competition to win a signed Tourmaline book bundle and a National Art Pass by designing their very own Museum of Marvels!

    On top of these two exciting new collaborations, families  can also enjoy the ever popular Professor Pickle & Dr. Pumpkin performing some mind-blowing experiments in their ‘Double Trouble’ Science Show which runs from 17 - 21 February. And at the weekends there’s the  ‘Techie’ Family Tour when families can join the resident Designers for an interactive family tour, delving deeper into the collection and answering the question ‘What is Tech?’

    The craft activity for half-term is all about design and colour - children can build an ingenious ‘ArtBot’, using a cup, tape, paper and pens, weights, and a battery motor. They can they watch the completed ArtBot weave a unique and colourful artwork as it moves!

    Emma Rawlinson, Lifelong Learning Officer at the British Motor Museum, said, “Design and technology have always driven the incredible cars that make up Britain’s motoring history. We have so much on offer this Half-Term for children to learn all about car design and technology in a fun and engaging way. All our activities are included in the Museum entry costs, plus under 5s go free.”

    Museum entry is just £43 for a family in advance or £49 on the day, £16 for adults in advance or £19 on the day, £14 for concessions in advance or £17 on the day, £9 for children (5-16 years) in advance or £10 on the day and under 5s are FREE. Visitors can convert their ticket to an Annual Pass at no extra cost so they can come back again and again over the year. With activities every school holiday this makes it a great value choice for families this Half-Term.

    To find out more information about Half Term activities, please visit the website at  www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk/whats-on/february-half-term