Festival: Helston Makes It!

Join us with all the family and have a go at a range of activities that celebrate the museums collection.

Poster Pop Up is our fun craft activity inspired by our fabulous poster collection. We will be experimenting with a variety of print materials and colours . All materials supplied, suitable for all ages.

LEGO® Learning System with James Scott from nci Technologies – Construct a Lego creature then learn basic coding and make it move!

One Blue Eye – Meet Matthew Nott the man behind One Blue Eye. He shreds plastic into granulated form and moulds it to create items. Have a go at the hand crank shredder and help to make something new out of our discarded waste.

Other activities to follow…

Monday 23 September

A Dressmaker’s Tale – Workshop with Vicki Aimers

12:30 pm until 3pm

Join PhD Researcher Vicki Aimers, to create an heirloom piece inspired by the ancestral story of one of the Museum’s stitched samplers. Elizabeth Ann Bartle (1875-1926) from the Helston area created an amazing textile piece when she was only 8 years old! She grew up to become a dressmaker’s apprentice.

At this event, we will be exploring stories about inspiring women in our lives, who may have forged careers at a time when women were confined by society’s expectations to stay at home. Together, we will make decorative collars and necklaces informed by these female narratives.

Materials will be provided, but please bring along some photocopies or actual photos of female ancestors that you don’t mind cutting up and using for the workshop.

This event is limited to 15 places, so booking through Eventbrite is essential.

Cost: £20 for a place

Age Range : 18+.

Tuesday 24 September

Trade Through Helston’s History – by Patrick Carroll

Free Talk . 2pm

Join Patrick Carroll as he delves into the vibrant history of trades such as metal manufacturers, leather workers and watch and clock makers in Helston.

The talk will run for about 30 minutes.

Wednesday 25 September

Discovering Gloves – by Andrea Newall

Free Talk and Q & A   2pm – 3pm

The aim of this talk is to discuss the making of gloves, the materials used and the purpose they were used for. Andrea is our resident dress historian. She will will focus on the glove collection that we hold here at the Museum of Cornish Life giving you chance to see some of the collection that is rarely on display.
You are invited to join in this discussion by bringing along a pair of gloves that have a special significance for you to share with others at this event.

Thursday 26 September

Cornwall Wood Carvers

Free Drop In demonstration event    10am – 1pm

Cornwall Wood Carvers join us to demonstrate the skills of wood carving and share their knowledge of this ancient art form.  There will be an opportunity to ‘have a go’ at whittling or carving for adults.

Don Taylor – Serpentine Sculptor

Free Drop in demonstration plus workshop 2pm – 4pm

Don Taylor (https://taylordonj.weebly.com/cornish-serpentine.html) will demonstrate his skills in working with serpentine.  He will talk about the techniques, the history of this uniquely Cornish craft and answer your questions.

Free, drop in event with an opportunity to make a pendant (cost £10, all materials supplied) if you would like a souvenir.

Friday 27 September

 Conserving the History of Making

Free Talk, Demonstration and Q & A 11am – 1pm

Come and meet accredited museum conservator Helena Jaeschke of Museum Development South West who will give a talk about how museums conserve historic objects related to making, from the leather used by cobblers to wooden farming tools and blacksmith’s ironwork. She will talk about what museums and collectors can do to protect artefacts from damp, mould, too much light and pests like woodworm and moths, and show you how to recognise the signs of damage. Come and see a demonstration of how to clean and repair objects that have suffered, and bring your own questions and historic artefacts for advice on what you can do to protect them.

All welcome [no woodworm and moths permitted]

Saturday 28 September

Cornish Bottle Roadshow

Free Drop In event 10.30am – 2.30pm

Have you got an old bottle at home you would like to know more about or do you have a bottle story to share?
Meet the Cornish Bottle Archive Team and help us to tell the story of bottles in Cornwall.
For this event we are focusing on the Helston and Porthleven area but if you have something related to other locations in Cornwall, please do bring it along.
We will have our lightbox set up to take photographs, so we can record your bottle or item to share with the wider community.

The Cornish Bottle Archive (founded in 2023) was established to document all known, found and collected Cornish bottles dating up to 1939. Bottles recorded will include glass and ceramics such as flagons, Codd bottles, beer bottles, ginger beer bottles, medicines, pot lids and much more. This ambitious three-year project will culminate in a 50-year anniversary exhibition in 2026 to commemorate the last full scale bottle exhibition in Cornwall, hosted in Truro in 1976.
Please do bring all the family and friends as we will have craft activities for children to take part in and the museum will be open as usual for all to explore.
For any queries please message or email info@thecornishbottlearchive.com