Ilfracombe Museum is ‘full of the curious and the wonderful’
Butterflies, moths, Birds, insects, bats in jars, ferns, shells and seaweed
Sadie is Creative Producer for Ilfracombe Museum’s project and is coordinating the delivery of creative elements of its Art Fund ‘Reimagine and Recover Stay Curious’ project.
Stay Curious is inspired by Ilfracombe museum’s eclectic collection whose exhibits inspire curiosity and sometimes amazement. The aim is to stimulate and encourage families to stay curious, stay with the museum whilst it is closed and deepen their engagement so they visit the museum when it opens again.
A cross between an Edwardian collector’s study and your Granny’s attic, Ilfracombe Museum houses objects you have read about and some you may remember from days gone by; it is overflowing with curiosities and memorabilia. The whole family will be intrigued by the variety of displays. Peer into drawers and peek into cupboards; wander through eight different rooms and uncover the museum’s hidden treasures.
A key purpose of the Stay Curious project is to create a sense of awe and wonder, bring the museum outside of the museum and have fun! Sadie is leading and supporting the museum team. She has commissioned a Creative Practitioner, Mandi McCormack, and is working with Mandi to facilitate the creation of digital and new artistic content for exciting community engagement based on the Natural History collection at the museum. Butterflies, moths and bugs will all feature in a range of activities from making a field notebook, to going on a bug hunt and creating a new curious creature in a jar for display in the museum.
A new artwork will be created for the museum with insects escaping from the drawers and cabinets!
Mandi McCormack is a film-maker, photographer, animator and visual artist with a wealth of experience working on community projects in the cultural heritage sector.