Text-only pages from Gainsborough's House
Thomas Gainsborough || Temporary
Exhibitions || The Print Workshop
Educational Events Programme || Literacy || Sudbury Common Lands Charity
Charges and Visiting
Gainsborough's House is committed to providing education at all levels of the National
Curriculum and beyond. To this end we have an education programme covering the three
aspects of Gainsborough's House: the collection of work by Thomas
Gainsborough and his eighteenth century contemporaries, the temporary
exhibitions and the Print Workshop.
We hope that these pages will give you a good idea of what is on offer and encourage you
to bring your pupils and students to visit this unique place, containing as it does a
wealth of history and historical works of art, a thought-provoking programme of
contemporary exhibitions and a lively open-access Print Workshop.
Gainsborough's House is so called because it is the birthplace of the painter Thomas Gainsborough (1727-1788). We display here more of his
paintings, drawings and prints than any other museum in the world.
The pictures in the collection are suitable to be used by pupils and students of all ages
and visits can always be tailored to the needs of a particular group. Teachers often find
it useful to visit the Museum prior to bringing their class.
An added attraction for younger children visiting Gainsborough's House are the costumes which are replicas of the ones worn by the Girl and Boy in
the picture shown downstairs in the Parlour. As part of the school visit pupils are able
to try these on and to some extent feel what it was like to be a girl or a boy in the
eighteenth century.
These exhibitions can be used as a resource at any stage of the curriculum, and the
Education Officer is always happy to talk to teachers about how they might use exhibitions
during their visit, and then back at school in the classroom.
If a teacher would like a member of the museum staff to talk to a school group about an
exhibition this can usually be arranged.
In addition to general school visits, an Educational Events Programme
is organised throughout the year. This takes the form of workshops and talks that run
alongside the exhibitions.
School groups can book sessions in the workshop to do etching, lithography or screen
printing with a professional printmaker.
A'level classes
An out-of-school class for A'level art students takes pace during term time.
The aim of the class is to increase the breadth of work in students' examination folders.
It would be helpful if this could be organised by the school concerned well in advance.
Evening and Master Classes
Evening Classes and Master Classes are organised throughout the year, and week-long Summer
Courses covering various printmaking techniques are run during July and August.
Teachers have found these courses a convenient and enjoyable way of adding to their
skills.
For all information and booking in connection with the Print Workshop please contact
Andrew Hunter.
Educational Events
A full listing of the workshops and talks held throughout the
year is available on-line.
Specialist Teaching
As well as general access to the collection Gainsborough's House also offers Specialist Teaching for those in Further Education.
Our aim at Gainsborough's House is to use Art in the teaching of a breadth of subjects. To
date we have had an input into the following:
Art, English, History, Geography, Environmental Education and Business Studies.
We should be delighted if you think we could help you in some way in the teaching of any
of these subjects, or even add another to what we think is a fairly impressive list.
Literacy
We have recently become involved in a joint venture with Bures Primary School and Jenny
Dukes, Literacy Consultant for Suffolk County Council, to produce a publication using
pictures in the teaching of literacy. This is being designed to help teachers involved
with the Literacy Hour.
Joint initiative with the Sudbury Common Lands Charity
Schools travelling to Sudbury from outside the immediate area often need to fill the whole
day with educational activities. Gainsborough's House has devised a scheme with the
Sudbury Common Lands Charity in which the day can be divided between activities at
Gainsborough's House and environmental education on the nearby Meadows.
Please ring Adrian Walters Clerk/Ranger for the SCLS on 01787 828219 for details about
what he can offer. This scheme runs from April to September. Local schools are also very
welcome to take part.
The Sudbury Christian Youth project next door to Gainsborough's House at 45 Gainsborough's
Street have kindly said that schools can use their premises to eat packed lunches. As they
are a charity they would be grateful for a small donation in return for this service.
Please book joint visits through Gainsborough's House.
General
Gainsborough's House, 46 Gainsborough Street, Sudbury, Suffolk, UK.
Telephone: (UK) 01787 372958 Fax: (UK) 01787 376991