All summer at IWM North, part of Imperial War Museums, in Manchester, events and activities will bring to life tales of loyalty, separation, excitement, survival and identity. Take your pick from the plethora of activities below…
Big Picture Show: Build The Truce (Ideal for all ages)
Daily from Saturday 21 July
Main Exhibition Space
This new 360-degree Big Picture Show, with images and footage projected onto the 20 walls throughout IWM North’s Main Exhibition Space, explores the concepts of conflict resolution and truce. Inspired by the Olympic Truce, the show has been granted the Inspire mark ahead of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The Big Picture Show
A Closer Look: Truce (Ideal for ages 14+)
Sunday 1, 8 and 15 July, 2.15pm
Meet at the Tour Point in the Foyer
At the first Olympic Games in 776BC, Greece’s warring cities called a truce allowing athletes to travel and compete without fear of violence. Reinstated at the 1992 Games, the ‘Olympic Truce’ continues today. Join IWN for a 20 minute walk and talk in the Main Exhibition Space to explore the theme of international truce.
Open Studio: Slugs, Snails and Truce Time Tales
Saturday 14 July, 1-4pm
Learning Studio
Call a truce, whatever your differences, and hear a slimy story of slug, snails and truce time tales. Find out what united the slugs and snails in this funny and inspiring tale of truce and make your own unique artwork inspired by the story.
Storytelling: Slugs, Snails and Truce Time Tales
Saturday 14, 21, 28 and Sunday 15, 22 and 29 July, 11.30am
Meet underneath the Harrier Jump Jet
Call a truce, whatever your differences, and hear a slimy story of slug, snails and truce time tales. Find out what united the slugs and snails in this funny and inspiring tale of truce.
A Closer Look: Once Upon A Wartime (Ideal for all ages)
Tuesdays 24 and 31 July, 2.15pm
Meet at the Tour Point in the foyer
Join IWN for a 20 minute walk and talk to find out more about our current special exhibition, Once Upon A Wartime. This tour will look at the five books featured in the exhibition, War Horse, Carrie’s War, The Machine Gunners, The Silver Sword and Little Soldier. It will also look at the key themes of the books as highlighted in the exhibition, loyalty, separation, excitement, survival and identity.
What A Performance (Ideal for all ages)
Saturday 21 and Wednesday 25 July
11.15am, 12.15pm, 1.15pm, 2.15pm
Main Exhibition Space
See special, family friendly performances dramatising stories of wartime adventure including the story of a First World War Tommy and the Second World War story of the evacuation of Dunkirk.
Walkabout Performances
Tuesday 24 and 31 July
11.30am, 12.30pm, 2.30pm and 3.30pm
Special Exhibition Gallery
Silent masked characters are on the loose in the Special Exhibitions Gallery. Will you spot one of these specially developed characters as you explore the Once Upon a Wartime exhibition? Inspired by the stories featured in the exhibition, the characters are brought to life through the use of full face masks and physical theatre techniques.
Open Studio: War Horse
Saturday 21, Sunday 22, Monday 23, Tuesday 24, Wednesday 25, Thursday 26, Friday 27 July, 1-4pm
Learning Studio
Are you inspired by Michael Morpurgo’s War Horse? Join IWN in the Learning Studio for this drop-in session where you can hear the stories of real life horses and donkeys from the First World War and create your own moving card model of Joey (21 – 24 July) or Albert (25 – 27 July) from War Horse.
Open Studio: Carrie’s War
Saturday 28, Sunday 29, Monday 30 and Tuesday 31 July
1-4pm, Learning Studio
Be like Carrie from Carrie’s War and ‘Make Do and Mend’. Create your own toy to take home and keep.
What Nancy Did Next (Ideal for all ages)
Wednesday 25 and Thursday 26 July, 11.30am
Meet underneath the Harrier Jump Jet
Meet Nancy and hear her tales of life in the Land Army in the Second World War. Learn about her wartime experiences away from home and making new. In this interactive family friendly session, visitors can choose what happens and each story-telling session will be different. The session uses puppets and multi-sensory resources including sounds and smells.
Billy’s War (Ideal for all ages)
Monday 30 and Tuesday 31 July, 11.30am
Meet underneath the Harrier Jump Jet
This lively and engaging session uses a range of visual materials, sound and replica objects to tell the captivating story of a young boy from Salford who was evacuated to the countryside during the Second World War.
Animals and War (Ideal for all ages)
Monday 23, Tuesday 24 and Friday 27 July, 11.30am
Meet underneath the Harrier Jump Jet
Discover the fictional story of Joey from War Horse in the Once Upon A Wartime exhibition, then join us as puppets and pictures bring to life true heroic and heart-warming tales of wartime animal bravery such as the stories of Simpson and his donkeys or Bonfire the horse owned by poet John McCrae.
War Horse
TimeStack Handling Sessions (Ideal for ages 5+)
Daily at 12.30pm
Main Exhibition Space
A great opportunity to get hands-on with objects from IWM’s collection in these themed 20-minute object-handling sessions. Join a member of staff for an opportunity to discover the stories behind the artefacts.
Reading Relay
Tuesday 3 July, 11.15am
Main Exhibition Space
As part of Manchester Children’s Book Festival, IWM North presents the work of young creative writers from Willow Tree Primary School. Hear pupils read original work from a project linking to the Once Upon a Wartime exhibition.
Open Studio: Bookworm Bookholder (Ideal for all ages)
Saturday 7 July, 1-4pm
Learning Studio
As part of Manchester Children’s Book Festival, ignite a love for reading in our special exhibition all about children’s war literature, Once Upon a Wartime. Then join IWN in this fun session to create your own colourful foam bookholder complete with bookworm character.
Oskar’s Journey (Ideal for all ages)
Suday 1 July,11.30am
Meet underneath the Harrier Jump Jet
As part of Manchester Children’s Book Festival, meet IWN’s charming cat puppet character Oskar and discover his tale of adventure on a journey across a divided city as he seeks out a friend on the other side of the Berlin Wall. The session uses puppets, multi-sensory resources including sounds and smells, and object handling including the chance to see a real piece of the Berlin Wall.
The Adventures of Able Seaman Wally Tobin (Ideal for all ages)
Saturday 7 July, 11.30am
Meet underneath the Harrier Jump Jet
As part of Manchester Children’s Book Festival, find out what a parrot, a coconut and a motorbike have in common. This event includes a special storytelling session revealing the adventures of Able Seaman Wally Tobin and looks at how people from different cultures and countries work together in times of hardship and war.
What Nancy Did Next (Ideal for all ages)
Sunday 8 July, 11.30am
Meet underneath the Harrier Jump Jet
As part of Manchester Children’s Book festival, meet Nancy and hear her tales of life in the Land Army in the Second World War. Learn about her wartime experiences away from home and making new friends. In this interactive family friendly session, visitors can choose what happens and each story-telling session will be different. The session uses puppets and multi-sensory resources including sounds and smells.
TimeStack Handling Sessions (Ideal for ages 5+)
Sundays to Friday at 12.30pm and 3.30pm (not at 3.30pm during school holidays)
Saturdays at 12.30pm ONLY
Main Exhibition Space
A great opportunity to get hands-on with objects from IWM’s collection in these themed 20-minute object-handling sessions. Join a member of staff for an opportunity to discover the stories behind the artefacts.
Hotspots (All ages)
Sunday 1, 8 and 15 July
Creative sessions using a range of art and craft materials to help you make your own unique souvenir.
Meet the Author: Bernard Ashley (Ideal for ages 7+)
Saturday 18 August, noon
Learning Studio
Meet Bernard Ashley, author of Little Solider, one of the books that feature in the Once Upon A Wartime exhibition. Learn what it is like to be a professional writer as he reveals the processes and inspirations that helped him write Little Soldier and his new book Dive Bombing. The talk will be followed by a book signing in the shop.
Illustration Workshop: The Colour of Home (Ideal for ages 6+)
Friday 24 August, 10.30am and 2.30pm
Libeskind Rooms
Join professional illustrator, Karin Littlewood and take part in a workshop where she will reveal the techniques used to create her pictures in The Colour of Home and get the chance to try your hand at some illustrations of your own.
FREE but booking is required via learningnorth@iwm.org.uk or 0161 836 4000
IWMN
Storytelling with Katrice Horsley (Ideal for all ages)
Tuesday 28 August, 1pm and 3pm
Libeskind Rooms
National Storytelling Laureate, Katrice Horsley will be asking ‘Are you sitting comfortably?…’ in this special storytelling session for all ages.
A Closer Look: Once Upon A Wartime (Ideal for all ages)
Tuesday 7, 14, 21, 28 August, 2.15pm
Meet at the Tour Point in the foyer
Join IWN for a 20 minute walk and talk to find out more about our current special exhibition, Once Upon A Wartime. This tour will look at the five books featured in the exhibition, War Horse, Carrie’s War, The Machine Gunners, The Silver Sword and Little Soldier. It will also look at the key themes of the books as highlighted in the exhibition, loyalty, separation, excitement, survival and identity.
What A Performance (Ideal for all ages)
Wednesday 1, 15, 29 August
11.15am, 12.15pm, 1.15pm, 2.15pm
Main Exhibition Space
See special, family friendly performances dramatising stories of wartime adventure and themed to the exhibition, Once Upon A Wartime. Hear the story of the women who prepared horses for their new lives on the frontline, like Joey in the story War Horse.
Wednesday 8 and 22 August
11.15am, 12.15pm, 1.15pm, 2.15pm
Main Exhibition Space
See special, family friendly performances dramatising stories of wartime adventure including the story of a daring female spy serving with the Special Operations Executive during the Second World War.
Walkabout Performances (Ideal for all ages)
Tuesday 7, 14, 21, 28 August
11.30am, 12.30pm, 2.30pm and 3.30pm
Special Exhibition Gallery
Silent masked characters are on the loose in the Special Exhibitions Gallery. Will you spot one of these specially developed characters as you explore the Once Upon a Wartime exhibition? Inspired by the stories featured in the exhibition, the characters are brought to life through the use of full face masks and physical theatre techniques.
Meet an Evacuee (Ideal for age 7+)
Thursday 2 August
11am, Learning Studio
Intrigued by the tale of separation in Carrie’s War? Meet a real Second World War evacuee; hear their true life tales of evacuation and life on the home front in the Second World War. Get hand on with real artefacts and objects, which help bring to life the themes of evacuation and the Second World War home front.
FREE but booking is required via learningnorth@iwm.org.uk or 0161 836 4000
Open Studio: Carrie’s War (Ideal for all ages)
Wednesday 1, Thursday 2 and Friday 3 August
1-4pm, Learning Studio
Be like Carrie from Carrie’s War and ‘Make Do and Mend’. Create your own elephant character to take home and keep in this drop-in creative session.
Meet a Second World War Home Front Eyewitness
Thursday 9 August
11am, Learning Studio
Excited by the action packed tale of The Machine Gunners? Meet a real Second World War eyewitness who lived through the challenges of life on the home front. Find out about rationing and the reality of a child’s life in Second World War Britain.
Open Studio: The Machine Gunners (Ideal for all ages)
Saturday 4, Sunday 5, Monday 6, Tuesday 7 August
1-4pm, Learning Studio
Be inspired by the story of The Machine Gunners, in the exhibition Once Upon A Wartime and let your imagination soar. Decorate your own model plane to take home and keep.
Open Studio: The Machine Gunners (Ideal for all ages)
Wednesday 8, Thursday 9, Friday 10 August
1-4pm, Learning Studio
Be inspired by the story of The Machine Gunners, in the exhibition Once Upon A Wartime and let your imagination soar. Decorate your own plan spotting binoculars before taking them to the Once Upon a Wartime exhibition to see if you can spot the planes above your head.
Open Studio: The Silver Sword (Ideal for all ages)
Saturday 11, Sunday 12, Monday 13, Tuesday 14 August
1-4pm, Learning Studio
Be inspired by the story of The Silver Sword and illustrate a scene using a range of colourful resources to create your own dramatic picture.
Open Studio: The Silver Sword (Ideal for all ages)
Wednesday 15, Thursday 16, Friday 17 August
1-4pm, Learning Studio
Be inspired by the story of The Silver Sword and create your own cheeky chimp door hanger to take home and keep.
Open Studio: Little Soldier (Ideal for all ages)
Saturday 18 August
1-4pm, Learning Studio
Be inspired by Kaninda’s pet in Little Soldier, one of the novels featured in the Once Upon A Wartime exhibition. Decorate your own pet Chameleon to take home and keep.
Open Studio: Little Soldier (Ideal for all ages)
Saturday 18, Sunday 19, Monday 20, Tuesday 21, Wednesday 22, Thursday 23, Friday 24 August
1-4pm, Learning Studio
Be inspired by the story of Little Solider, one of the novels featured in the Once Upon A Wartime exhibition. Discover some of the creatures from Africa and make your own animal inspired gifts and keepsakes (19 - 24 August).
Open Studio: Final Page (Ideal for all ages)
Saturday 25, Sunday 26, Monday 27, Tuesday 28, Wednesday 29, Thursday 30, Friday 31 August
1-4pm, Learning Studio
Join IWN for a summer holiday finale of creative activities and fun in our friendly drop-in sessions reflecting on the themes of our special exhibition, Once Upon A Wartime and the five books that feature within in.
What Nancy Did Next (Ideal for all ages)
Wednesday (1, 27), Thursday (2, 28), Friday 3 August, 11.30am
Meet underneath the Harrier Jump Jet
Meet Nancy and hear her tales of life in the Land Army in the Second World War. Learn about her wartime experiences away from home and making new friends. In this interactive family friendly session, visitors can choose what happens and each story-telling session will be different. The session uses puppets and multi-sensory resources including sounds and smells.
What Nancy Did Next at IWMN
Billy’s War (Ideal for all ages)
Saturday (4, 25), Sunday (5, 26), Monday 6 August, 11.30am
Meet underneath the Harrier Jump Jet
This lively and engaging session uses a range of visual materials, sound and replica objects to tell the captivating story of a young boy from Salford who was evacuated to the countryside during the Second World War. Led by a member of our friendly staff, families will follow the story of Billy (a charming rag doll character) and learn about life on the home front during the Second World War.
The Adventures of Able Seaman Wally Tobin (Ideal for all ages)
Tuesday 7, Wednesday (8, 15), Thursday (9, 16), Friday (10, 17) August, 11.30am
Meet underneath the Harrier Jump Jet
Find out what a parrot, a coconut and a motorbike have in common. This event includes a special storytelling session revealing the adventures of Able Seaman Wally Tobin and looks at how people from different cultures and countries work together in times of hardship and war.
Shaping Up (Ideal for all ages)
Saturday 11, Sunday 12, Monday 13, Tuesday 14, Wednesday 22, Thursday 23, Friday 24 August, 11.30am
Meet underneath the Harrier Jump Jet
What brings together an alien, his space craft and a playground full of friendly shapes? In this special storytelling event follow a group of shapes who discover how much better things can be when we all get along.
Animals and War (Ideal for all ages)
Saturday 18, Sunday 19, Monday 20, Tuesday 21 August, 11.30am
Meet underneath the Harrier Jump Jet
Discover the fictional story of Joey from War Horse in the Once Upon A Wartime exhibition, then join us as puppets and pictures bring to life true heroic and heart-warming tales of wartime animal bravery, such as the stories of Simpson and his donkeys or Bonfire the horse owned by poet John McCrae.
Oskar’s Journey (Ideal for all ages)
Wednesday 29, Thursday 30, Friday 31 August, 11.30am
Meet underneath the Harrier Jump Jet
Meet our charming cat puppet character Oskar and discover his tale of adventure on a journey across a divided city as he seeks out a friend on the other side of the Berlin Wall. The session uses puppets, multi-sensory resources including sounds and smells, and object handling including the chance to see a real piece of the Berlin Wall.
Hotspots (All ages)
Sunday 5, 12, 19, 26 August
Please see Daily Events sheet for details
Creative sessions using a range of art and craft materials to help you make your own unique souvenir.
TimeStack Handling Sessions (Ideal for ages 5+)
Daily at 12.30pm
Main Exhibition Space
A great opportunity to get hands-on with objects from IWM’s collection in these themed 20-minute object-handling sessions. Join a member of staff for an opportunity to discover the stories behind the artefacts.
Action Stations: The Interactive Timeline
Visit the interactive family Action Stations around the gallery with activities such as exploring the smells and creatures of the First World War trench or revealing the power of the poster during wartime.
Your History - Explore Imperial War Museum online.
Ground level.
Personal stories and intriguing facts, family quizzes and tips for tracing people’s wartime history are all available at the online access area.
