EM/31/03 NEW FAMILY COMPETITION AT KIRBY HALL FOR MUSEUMS AND GALLERIES MONTH THURSDAY 1 MAY - SATURDAY 31 MAY 2003
Families are being invited to join English Heritage in celebration of Museums and Galleries Month by taking part in a new ''Mystery Object Competition'' at Kirby Hall, from Thursday 1 May 2003.
Kirby Hall is one of over 1,500 museums and galleries across the country that will be participating in Museums and Galleries Month, encouraging visitors to discover more about the objects, exhibitions and collections just around the corner from where they live or further a field.
As part of Museums Month, younger visitors can enjoy a Mystery Object Competition where they can win prizes by correctly identifying a mystery historical object. The competition will end on 31 May and prizes will be drawn on 9 June 2003.
Rachel Bellamy, English Heritage Regional Education Officer, said: "Kirby Hall was designed to make a grand statement about its owners and is a wonderful building for children to explore. This is a fun quiz to help children think about how the building was used by the people who lived there in the past''
Admission to the Kirby Hall is free for English Heritage members, £3.50 for adults, £2.60 concessions, £1.80 for children (free for under fives) and £9.00 for a family pass (2 adults and 3 children). This entitles access to the Hall, gardens and the audio tour, which recounts the Hall''s link with Sir Francis Drake and Sir Christopher Hatton - glorified in the film, Elizabeth.
Please call Kirby Hall on 01536 203 230 for further information about the event.
Loyd Grossman, Co-Chairman of Museums and Galleries Month and Commissioner for English Heritage, said: "Museums and Galleries Month is an established national event and enjoys widespread public support as well as being a focus for fresh thinking and initiatives within the Museums and Galleries sector. So do take the plunge and join in the many special events, exhibitions and activities coming up in May."
Throughout May, museums and galleries will be organising events that illustrate the richness of their heritage and involve the local community. "Cultures - then and now" is the main theme for the Month and provides the opportunity for museums and galleries to bring to life past cultures as well as exploring the many changes and developments within their locality.
Upcoming events at Kirby Hall include: * 22 June - Guided tours ''Forsaken Village Fall to Royal Hattons'' Hall''. Hear about the Hattons and their link with the great and the good, creative carving and the village that vanished.
* 28 - 29 June - ''Elizabethan Festival''. Marking the 400th anniversary of the death of Queen Elizabeth, visitors can discover everyday courtly life and experience the sights, sounds and smells of the Tudor Ages and meet Elizabeth, her courtiers and subjects. Activities include, music, dance, folklore, falconry, archery and sword fighting.
* 12 July - ''Romeo and Juliet''. Watch Shakespeare''s most tragic love story, set in stunning historic surroundings.
[ENDS] Notes to editors: 1. Visitors wishing to join English Heritage will now benefit from the new ''Kids Unlimited'' membership scheme, which allows members to bring an unlimited number of young people along to its sites around the country for free.
2. To join English Heritage either sign up on the day, call 0870 333 1181 or visit http://www.english-heritage.org.uk
3. In 1998, Kirby Hall acted as a film location for Jane Austen''s ''Mansfield Park'', and its fine gardens play host to a number of beautiful peacocks.
4. Building began in 1570 by Sir Humphrey Stafford, but was completed by Sir Christopher Hatton, a favourite art the court of Queen Elizabeth I. Kirby Hall was one of the great Elizabethan houses built in the hope of receiving the Queen on her annual '' progresses'' round the country. The richly carved decoration shows the arrival in England of new ideas about architecture and design.
Issued on behalf of English Heritage by Government News Network East Midlands.
