All events and activities are FREE and materials are provided.

27th March 10am - 12 noon.
Come on an Egg Hunt and decorate an egg!
Lots of activities to enjoy at this drop in event. Find the egg pictures, colouring in and puzzles to do, and simple mask making.  Come and have fun!
For families with children under the age of 10 years.

1st April
APRIL FOOL'S DAY SPECIAL
A production (2pm) and workshop (3.30-4.30pm) MULTI STORY THEATRE will be performing at
ST JOHN'S HALL near TESCO
Off of Eastern Avenue, Barnstaple.

Come along  to St. John's Hall and watch this specially commissioned family show. The performance starts at 2pm and lasts approximately 45 minutes.  FREE tickets will be available from schools, the Museum, and at the door.

FREE DRAMA WORKSHOP at St. John's Hall for children over the age of 8, from 3.30 - 4.30pm.  Children who have attended the performance may remain at the hall where they will be given light refreshments and supervised by the Museum Playworkers until the drama workshop begins.
Workshop places MUST BE PRE-BOOKED.
Telephone the Museum on 01271 346747.

7th April
Wool and Fabric activities 2-4pm
A FREE family activity at the Museum
Use traditional 'Birds and Blooms' designs for inspiration and make make your own funky birds and flowers out of fabrics, feathers, card, paper and wool.

14th April
Wool and Fabric activities 2-4pm
A FREE family activity at the Museum
An opportunity to finish off projects started on the 7th April and to start a new one.

1st May
May Poles and Banners, 10am-12noon
A FREE family activity at the Museum
Find out about the history of Labour Day and May Day.  Make colourful banners or flags and have a go at May Pole dancing on the Square (weather permitting).

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Throughout the medieval period Barnstaple was a key Devon centre during the wool trade boom.  Come and discover the historical importance of wool to the local area.  See the North Devon Spinners demonstrate the various aspects of wool processing and join in the fun with our exciting family activities.

The North Devon Spinners will be comming into the Museum on different dates and times to show how to turn a shaggy fleece into a beautifly knitted or woven garment. All aspects of wool processing are covered and they have plenty of advice for beginners and even a spinning wheel for visitors to have a go on. A selection of their work is available for sale.

The North Devon Spinners will be at the Museum demonstrating lots of different processes on the following mornings;

20th March 10am - 2pm
22nd March from 10am 'til lunchtime
24th March from 11am 'til lunchtime
25th March from 10am 'til lunchtime

Keep an eye out for other dates as this page will be updated when we know that the Spinners will be here!

The group has been meeting for almost 30 years with a membership currently numbering 25. Three of its founder members are still very active within the group and still attend their regular meetings which are held at the Manor Hall in Berrynarbor on the 2^nd and 4^th Tuesday of each month.  New people are always welcome into the group - for further information contact Jo Cox, 01271 345183 or Kathy Arscott, 01271 883278.

A number of members keep their own sheep and weave the wool they spin from the fleeces. Some members keep alpacas and use their highly prized wool.

The group is always trying something new or different and has even experimented with a variety of different fibres from less common sources such as dog hair, cashmere (goat) wool and camel hair. They have even tried using Yak hair, but were not that impressed with the finished results. They do keep up with modern ideas and designs too as they also produce work using acrylics.

Their demonstrations are always a popular crowd pleaser at the North Devon Show and Arlington Court's Country Skills Day. Their resulting work of garments, fabrics and rugs has recently been on display at the National Trust's Killerton House.

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Over the years, thousands of girls and young women from North Devon, Taw & Torrodge Divisions have been pushing the boundries, enjoying new experiences and having their voices heard through guiding. The exhibition shows how guiding has always been at the forefront of providing girls with modern and relevant experiences as well as celebrating the achievements of local members from the very beginnings of the movement through to the modern day.

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Every year, an estimated 150,000 people in the UK suffer a stroke, which is the third most common cause of death in the UK and the single most common cause of severe disability.

The Stroke Association is the only UK wide charity solely concerned with combating stroke in people of all ages, funding research into prevention, treatment and better methods of rehabilitation, and helping stroke patients and their families directly through its Life After Stroke Services.

This is a small exhibition of artwork produced by people adapting to the effects of a stroke.

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Peter Passmore has worked with the last remaining
speakers of the North Devon ‘Barumite' dialect to develop an educational resource for future generations. He has produced an audio/photographic record of Barumite speakers to preserve what remains of this unique dialect.

This project has been supported by UnLtd, a charitable organisation set up by seven leading organisations that promotes, supports and develops the role of social entrepreneurs as a force for positive change in the United Kingdom.  UnLtd supports dynamic, creative people who want to make a difference to their communities.

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North Devon in Photographs is an annual exhibition of selected entries from our popular annual photographic competition which is open to both professional and amature photographers of all ages. The idea is to encourage photography of North Devon life and scenery.

Our 2009 1st Place category winners were;

Towns & Villages: Robin Mellor
Under 16s: Alice Leaman

The Coast & The Sea: Lindsey Talbert
Under 16s: Adam Wooldridge

Landscape: Michael Woodhead
Under 16s: Adam Wooldridge

Wildlife: Lindsey Talbert - overall Cup Winner
Under 16s: Alex Stapleton - overall Cup Winner

Characters: Barbara Fryer
Under 16s: Mary Sanders

Anything Goes!: Margaret Gilbert
Under 16s: Robin Tanner

Each year we have a different judge who has a photographic background. For 2009 the Museum invited two judges, Liza Owen and Ben Liddell, both of whom have been teaching photography as well as art and design at FE & HE level for many years at Petroc (North Devon College).

The Museum of Barnstaple & North Devon joins in the
celebration of the North Devon Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty Golden Anniversary

Celebrating their 50^th anniversary in 2009, the North Devon Coast Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty Partnership was delighted to be involved with the Museum of Barnstaple & North Devon's annual Heritage Photographic Competition. Any photographs entered in the competition, identified as having been taken within this specially protected area, were eligible for entry into an additional category.

AONB winners;

1st Place - Andrew Wheatley
2nd Place - Peter Fry
3rd Place - Robin Mellor
Highly Commended - Agneta Winston
Highly Commended - Mary Stokes
Commended - Keith Lowther
Commended - Adam Wooldridge
Commended - Mr Rob Thorne
Commended - Lindsey Talbert

Devon shepherd and English national sheepdog handler David Kennard, who farms at Mortehoe on our beautiful rugged North Devon coast, was the judge for this special category of the competition.

For a map of the area that the AONB covers in North Devon and their Golden Anniversary events visit www.northdevon-aonb.org.uk

Congratulations to all our award winners and a huge THANK YOU to everyone who entered the competition.

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The aim of the show is to provide a showcase for some of the freshest art from and inspired by northern Devon.

Selected work was shown at the Museum of Barnstaple & North Devon and at the Gallery Cafe, Queen's Theatre, Boutport Street, Barnstaple at the beginning of 2010.

The selection panel for the 8th Open Art Show included representatives of North Devon Arts, North Devon School of Art, Museum of Barnstaple & North Devon and North Devon Theatres Trust.

Showing at the Gallery Cafe at the Queens Theatre, Boutport Street, Barnstaple were:

Nigel Banks - collage

Janis Glover - acrylic & oils

Showing at the Museum were:

Mary Cunliffe - ceramics

Angela Read - sculpture

Jill Denton - mixed media & felt hangings

Simeon Chami - acrylic, oils and mixed media

Angela Bridgman - photography

Albert Duplock - watercolour, pen & ink

Our thanks go to the artists for allowing us the privaledge to exhibit their work.


Look out for details for the 9th North Devon Open Art Show later in the year.

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