FREE, FUN FAMILY EVENTS ! - with an Indian flavour

Sherborne Museum is delighted to be one of over 50 museums, libraries and archives to be taking part in the Festival of Storytelling - Bringing collections to life - which will be celebrated across the country to mark the start of The Cultural Olympiad on the weekend of 26 - 28 September. The four year programme of events will run right through to the end of the 2012 Olympic Games and has been funded by MLA (Museums Libraries and Archives) Council, MLA London, The British Museum Partnership UK project and Renaissance London.

Sherborne's events are linked to their exciting collection of botanical watercolour paintings by Diana Ruth Wilson. Diana's marriage to Botanist Philip Furley Fyson took her to India where she continued to paint and produced 320 of the 611 plates for her husband's "Flora of the South Indian Hill Stations."

With this in mind Curator Judy Nash and Support Team Member and Stewards Administrator Elisabeth Bletsoe, who has carried out considerable research into the Fyson story, have planned some exciting free events to celebrate her work.

Basketmaker Petra Hughes will be holding a workshop
on Friday 26th Sept 6.30 - 8.30

Indian in Bloom starts on Friday 26th September visitors will be welcomed at 6.30pm with an introductory talk by Elisabeth Bletsoe. Julia of Verbena, Sherborne's popular health food shop, will follow with a talk about Indian spices and the flavour of India will continue at 7.30 when tempting nibbles from Cinnamon's Restaurant will arrive. Throughout the evening Bridport basketmaker Petra Hughes will be tutoring a rustic basketmaking workshop exploring the craft of weaving plant materials with native hedgerow twigs, all from plants that Diana Ruth Wilson would have known well, and very much a family activity.

On Saturday 27th there will be two workshops with the Young Wriggle Valley Players choreographers, back by popular demand after their Thomas Hardy workshop during the February half term, who are planning to study Indian tea, produce art work and devise a play centred around Diana's life. Drop in at 10.30 or 2.30 to enjoy a family session - or stay all day!

At 2pm Bristol based poet Libby Houston will be reading her version of 'Hanuman and Rama' on Saturday 27th September at 2pm in the Marsden Gallery where the Diana Ruth Wilson watercolour exhibition can also be found.

Other activities will be on the ground floor.

The window display for the special weekend events has been devised by one of the museum's student volunteers Verity Elgee.