Winter and early spring - activities at Wednesbury Museum and Art Gallery

Visit our site pages for general visiting information

Please note we are re-dsiplaying some of the galleries so we are open for half term activities only and special groups. 

Dementia Café. Third Tuesday of the month 10.30pm-12.30pm. Connecting memories, one cup at a time. This is not a drop-in group. For more information call 0121 437 0033 or email info@ageuksandwell.org.uk

Easter Week

Easter crafts and trail. Wednesday 16 & Thursday 17 April 11am-3pm. Join us for fun trails and Easter crafts.  Make a chick or bunny decoration, Easter Bunny Basket or Bird Planter. Suitable for all ages.  Crafts 50p-£2. Drop in, no booking required

Spring Activities. Wednesday 23 April 11am – 3pm. Enjoy our spring crafts and trails. Suitable for all ages.  Crafts 50p - £2.50. Just drop in.

Also today join Healthy Sandwell for a fun family activity, suitable for ages 5-12.  More information and booking visit www.bookwhen.com/choices

Superhero Day. Thursday 24 April 11am-3pm Enjoy our superhero crafts and trails.  Make a superhero cape, mask or snap band cuff.  Visit the Crime Prevention stand, try on some police uniform and learn how to stay safe. Suitable for all ages. Crafts 50p - £2.50. No booking required, just drop in.

Homefront in Sandwell - Local history talk. Thursday 8 May 11.30am. ‘What did you do in the war Grandad?’ Join Sandwell Archives Outreach Officer Maureen Waldron to hear about Homefront in Sandwell.  Hear how the people of Sandwell coped during WWII with evacuations, rationing and much more. Free, no booking required

Picnic and Piano. Saturday 10 May 12pm-2pm. Join us for an afternoon of your favourite and popular classical hits and pieces from theatre and opera with our pianist Matt Goodwin, playing popular tunes you will know and love. Why not bring a posh picnic to enjoy in the gallery (eating at tables only). Suitable for all ages. £4 per person (includes a hot drink). Booking essential at www.ticketsource.co.uk/sandwell-museums-and-arts

The Amazing Mr Hackwood. Saturday 14 June, 12pm (museum open 11am-2pm) This is a brand new play about the Wednesbury author Frederick Hackwood by local writer Adrian Johnson performed by Grusha's Theatre Company. "It's nearly Christmas 1918 and Wednesbury's greatest writer and teacher, Frederick Hackwood, is confined to bed while his mother, wife and daughter come together and recall, with laughter, Frederick's' amazing life and times. Change, Suffragettes, sngs, celebrations, and thoughts about leaving home are considered, but will Frederick ever agree?" Suitable for adults and ages 12 years and over. Booking required via ticketsource, £5 per ticket

Local history talks coming up!

Thursday 8 May 11.30am – Homefront in Sandwell - VE Day commemorations
"What did you do in the war Grandad?"   We look at how the people of Sandwell coped during WW11.    Examining entries from school log books, to see how they managed at the beginning of the war, looking at extracts from nursery schools to find out what happened when children were evacuated.   We also look at entries in diaries of local people as well as photos from Sandwell Archives collection.  We find out how people coped with rationing and bombings, yet managed to carry on their daily lives.

Thursday 5 June 11.30am West Bromwich in Old Photos
Take a nostalgic tour around West Bromwich looking at old photos from Sandwell Archives collection

Thursday 3 July 11.30am  – When the Chance Brother came to Smethwick - The extraordinary, ordinary
Chance Brothers Ltd were glass produces based in Smethwick, they were the leaders in the manufacturing of all things glass, including lighthouses.  This talk not only looks at the beginnings of the firm in Smethwick, the different types of glass and glass objects produced, it also looks at some interesting little side stories.  The talk also looks at how the records finally came to be with Sandwell Archives from Pilkington’s the firm who took over Chance Brothers.

Thursday 11 September 11.30am – Challis. The extraordinary, ordinary
Discover the life and work of Henry Challis who painting scenes of Oldbury and Smethwick in the 1800s. You can see some of his work in our exhibition.

Thursday 9 October 11.30am – Workhouse to Hospital
What happened when you were ill before the NHS?  This talk takes you from the workhouse at West Bromwich where it all began, through to present day, looking at healthcare provision and how it developed in Sandwell.

Thursday 13 November 11.30am – Ruskin - The extraordinary, ordinary
Discover our fantastic Ruskin Pottery collection and the fascainting story of the workforce. You can then explore the pottery in our Ruskin gallery