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Autumn & Winter 2019 - 2020
WHAT’S ON
1
SAY HELLO
TO YOUR
MUSEUMS
National Museums NI is a registered charity
(charity number 103729) that runs a group Stay up-to-date
of exceptional museums on behalf of, and in
collaboration with, the people in this part of Sign up for our regular e-newsletter
the world. and get the latest on our exhibitions
and events direct to your inbox.
Our museums play a distinct and special Subscribe at nmni.com/newsletter
role in our community. Each one cherishes
and protects all those things that are easily Contact National Museums NI
lost in a busy world – our skills, values,
stories and traditions. Call +44 (0)28 9042 8428 or email
info@nmni.com
It’s not just about looking back. Museums
are places where people of all ages
and backgrounds can learn new things,
rediscover lost interests and find inspiration
by trying something new.
Browse the events and activities in our
Autumn & Winter programme and discover
how you can get involved.
2
WHAT’S ON
Ulster American Folk Park
nmni.com/uafp Ulster Museum
Open Tue – Sun and on
Bank Holiday Mondays. nmni.com/um
pg 52 Open Tue – Sun and on
Bank Holiday Mondays
pg 8
Ulster Folk Museum
nmni.com/ufm
Open Tue – Sun and on
Bank Holiday Mondays
pg 32
Ulster Transport Museum
nmni.com/utm
Open Tue – Sun and on
Bank Holiday Mondays
pg 46
3
MEMBERSHIP
Want to visit more than once this Autumn /
Winter? Enjoy all the benefits of National
Museums NI and save money on admission
prices by becoming a member.
Visit nmni.com/Membership
for more information.
Want to get even more involved? Become a Friend
of the Ulster Museum or the Friends of Cultra and
you’ll join a group of like-minded people who are
passionate about the success of the museums.
Becoming a Friend offers a whole host of benefits.
You’ll play a part in ensuring the continued
success of our museums and will get access
to an exclusive Friends’ programme of events
including exclusive talks, tours, volunteering
opportunities and behind-the-scenes access.
Visit nmni.com/get-involved
for more information.
4
WHAT’S ON
5
HIGHLIGHTS
OCTOBER 2019 –
FEBRUARY 2020
Warm up this autumn and winter with our
programme of fascinating exhibitions, exciting
events and fun activities at each of our four
museums. We've Halloween sorted and
Christmas celebrations all wrapped up,
as well as hands-on experiences available
every day. Here's some of the highlights.
6
WHAT’S ON
Ulster Museum
Ulster Museum 90th
Anniversary Celebrations
Join us for the festivities on 22nd October
as we celebrate 90 years of preserving the
past and inspiring the future.
Masterpieces of
Ulster Transport Museum
Dutch Landscape Painting
See extraordinary artwork by the Dutch Museum Team
Masters in this stunning exhibition.
Explore the museum in a whole new way
with our fun, interactive AR app for kids of
Vice Versa all ages.
Explore the influence of menswear on
women's fashion - and vice versa!
Ulster American Folk Park
Capturing Ecology
Festive Fun
Discover the secret lives of animals
through this immersive sensory Celebrate the festive season in both the
experience led by ecologists. Old and New Worlds this Christmas.
Enjoy craft activities, traditional music
and storytelling plus special visits
Ulster Folk Museum from Santa Claus during two weeks of
celebrations between the 6th and 22nd
of December.
Folk Arts & Crafts
We've a range of traditional craft
demonstrations, classes and experiences
for you to enjoy this autumn and winter.
We'll be showcasing the skills that kept
this place working over 100 years ago.
Home of Halloween
Pluck up your courage for a week of
frights and thrills during our Samhain
and Haleve Nicht celebrations.
7
8
WHAT’S ON
ULSTER MUSEUM
Ulster Museum, Northern Ireland's treasure house of the past
and present, is celebrating its 90th anniversary! Join us on
the 22nd October to celebrate this historic milestone. Our
iconic building, set in the lush surrounds of Belfast's Botanic
Gardens, has welcomed visitors since 1929.
No other place tells our story in as much detail, nor with
as much passion. It's a place where you, your friends and
family can explore fascinating exhibitions, get involved
in workshops and find inspiration in talks and screenings.
Free. For everyone.
9
Ulster Museum Tours
What better way to get to know the museums than with one
of our experts? All but a few of our tours and trails are drop in.
There’s no booking required – just show up and set out.
Inside the Exhibits Discovery Tours
Our curators are experts who are steeped Ulster Museum’s Discovery
in knowledge about their disciplines. Tours take you on deep dives
Join them as they show you around the into different themes each month.
museum, connecting each artefact to its Walk, talk, think and question in
historical and social context. A fascinating the company of an expert member
way to see the museum. of staff.
Every other Thursday Third Friday of each month
1pm - 2pm 2pm – 2:45pm
Drop in Drop in
Wellbeing Wednesdays Slow Art Sundays
Come along for a mindful midday session Art. Experienced slowly. Allow yourself to
at Ulster Museum. Take some time be led on a mindful journey of discovery,
out of the day’s hustle and bustle for a one art piece at a time. It’s not what you
relaxed tour of one of our galleries. Take look at that matters, it’s what you see.
inspiration, recharge your batteries and
leave refreshed. Offered in association with First Sunday of the month
Queen’s University Belfast. 2pm – 3pm
Drop in
Second & fourth Wednesday of the month
12:30pm – 1:30pm
Drop in
10WHAT’S ON
Conservatours
Discover what it’s like to be a natural
science conservator. This guided tour will
reveal what goes on behind the scenes to
care for our collections. You’ll learn the
tools and techniques used to preserve
treasures like meteorites, mammoths and
T-Rex skulls for future generations to enjoy.
First Thursday of the month
2pm – 3pm
Drop in
1112
WHAT’S ON
History Galleries
The Troubles and Beyond
The Troubles & Beyond is a critically A leather jacket from punk band The
acclaimed gallery at Ulster Museum. Outcasts recalls the halcyon days
It provides a creative space to share the (and nights) of Belfast’s Good Vibrations
tangible effects of the Troubles, through counterculture. The futuristic, Ulster-built
artefacts, photographs and personal DeLorean sports car appears in a 1981
testimony. This is not just a story of Ulster Motor Show programme. The gold
political violence. medal awarded to pentathlon champion
Mary Peters at the 1972 Munich Olympics
The gallery recognises that the Troubles is evidence of a remarkable personal
did not take place in a vacuum. It is as achievement and a ray of light in the
much a social history as a political one. darkest year of the conflict.
Permanent Exhibition
Open daily (Tues - Sun)
Temporary/Permanent
Mark the 50th anniversary of
the first Belfast peace wall with
this contemplative exhibition
by Belfast photographer
Frankie Quinn. These black
and white prints document the
extent and history of Belfast’s
most divisive structures, and
surveys how the city has
changed over the decades.
Open daily (Tues - Sun)
Until 10th November
13Maps show and describe This exhibition draws on the
the shape of the world. Ulster Museum’s rich collection
of historic maps to explore how
They are products of reason, the shape and definition of
technology and invention, Ireland has been refined and
powered by artistry and represented over the centuries.
ambition. They aid travel
and exchange, confer and
Open daily (Tues - Sun)
confirm ownership, Until early February
and encourage curiosity.
Interested in learning more about mapmaking?
Catch the final two talks in our lecture series before
the exhibition comes to an end:
Speed’s View of Ireland Mapping During
Dr Catherine Porter the Irish Plantations
Queen’s University Belfast Dr Annaleigh Margey
6th October Dundalk Institute of Technology
2pm – 3pm 19th October
2pm – 3pm
14WHAT’S ON
Culture Lab is a space to explore
issues such as our identity and
culture, through the prism of
creativity and change.
Culture Lab
Culture Lab is a community engagement
programme that explores the cultural
state-of-play in Northern Ireland by
presenting new perspectives, challenging
stereotypes and asking new questions.
Part of the Making the Future project,
this exhibition explores how cultural
identity has been formed in Northern
Ireland. Come along and take part.
Open daily (Tues - Sun)
From 20th February
Making the Future is a project supported by the
European Union's PEACE IV Programme, managed by
the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB).
15ELEMENTS
Science Galleries
There’s no better way to mark Permanent Exhibition
the International Year of the Open daily (Tues - Sun)
Periodic Table than a visit to our
ever-popular Elements exhibition.
Take a journey from actinium to
zirconium – it’s an odyssey that will
take you from the rocks beneath
your feet to the most distant and
Watch out for the new
ancient reaches of the universe.
podcast “Elementary,
My Dear”, hosted by
In this unique exhibition – the only
science communicator
one of its kind in Europe – you’ll
Emer Maguire and
discover what the elements look
featuring our very
like, how they occur naturally,
own Dr Mike Simms.
how we use them and why they
can be dangerous.
16WHAT’S ON
CAPTURING
ECOLOGY
PRESENTED BY THE BRITISH ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY
Enter an immersive experience, where dramatic
images of spectacular wildlife are paired with
the sounds and smells of nature. You’ll uncover
animals’ secret lives through the lenses of
scientists themselves. Learn from ecologists
working on the front line to tackle the biggest
challenges facing the natural world and
discover how you can help.
Free
Open daily (Tues - Sun)
From 11th February
@BritishEcolSoc
Help Protect Northern
Ireland’s Wildlife
Northern Ireland’s wildlife needs your
help. The Centre for Environmental Data
& Recording (CEDaR) collects information
about Northern Ireland’s wildlife thanks
to the efforts of citizen biologists like
you. We use that information to protect
threatened species.
Want to help?
Visit nmni.com/CEDaR
for more information.
17Art Exhibitions
MASTERPIECES OF
DUTCH LANDSCAPE
PAINTING
FROM THE
NATIONAL GALLERY
OF IRELAND
Dutch landscape painters are majestic The Castle of Bentheim
famous for their depictions of the and Hendrick Avercamp's
luminous skies and low horizons enchanting winter scene of
of the Dutch countryside, but they skaters. Also on display are some
also painted the world around of the 17th century Dutch and
them with great attention to the Flemish paintings from the
detail of everyday activities and Ulster Museum collection.
the human experience.
Open daily (Tues - Sun)
The National Gallery of Ireland Until 26th January
have loaned the Ulster Museum
some of the finest examples
of Dutch landscape painting,
including Jacob van Ruisdael's
18WHAT’S ON
Left, Right and Centre Changing Views: Exploring
Cornelia Parker is one of the most critically the artist as traveller
acclaimed artists of her generation, and
this is your chance to see one of her For a long time artists have been our
most outstanding works. Left, Right & window on the wider world. This exhibition
Centre (2017) now takes pride of place looks at the changing ways that artists
in our collection of twentieth century recorded, now familiar, places and why they
and contemporary art. Parker’s work travelled where they did.
consistently challenges and subverts many
of our deeply held beliefs about modern life. Open daily (Tues - Sun)
8th November – May 2020
Open daily (Tues - Sun)
Until late February
Image: NGl.4531, Jacob van Ruisdael, The Castle of Bentheim, Oil on canvas, 110.5 x 144 cm. Photo © National Gallery of Ireland 19ROYAL ULSTER
ACADEMY
ANNUAL EXHIBITION
18th October – 5th January
The Ulster Museum is proud to host For schools:
the Royal Ulster Academy’s 138th – teachers’ preview
Annual Exhibition. Founded in 1879, – self-guided tours
the Royal Ulster Academy is the largest – guided tours & workshops
and longest established body of visual – meet the artist sessions
artists in Northern Ireland. Join us – sources & inspirations
in a diverse range of events, talks,
tours, lectures and demonstrations. For everyone:
There is also an exciting programme – guided tours
for primary and secondary schools, – two presidents in conversation
facilitated by the multi-skilled artist – senior sessions
members of the Academy, and – artist spotlight
members of the museum’s education –W ednesday lunchtime films
staff. All activities are free with the and illustrated talks
exception of the Masterclasses. – Saturday masterclasses
– family events
See royalulsteracademy.org
for full programme details.
20WHAT’S ON
VICE
VERSA #FashionFridays
Vice Versa explores how men and women An in-depth look at the outfits and
continue to redefine gender boundaries inspirations behind the Ulster Museum’s
in every sphere of life using the historic latest fashion exhibition Vice Versa –
and contemporary pieces in the Ulster the influence of menswear on women’s
Museum’s fashion collection. fashion…and vice versa!
Open daily (Tues - Sun) 2nd Friday of the month
Until June 2020 1pm - 1:45pm
Drop in
Fashion Illustration
Workshops
Learn the skills to communicate your
fashion inspiration through this workshop
with UsFolk – the folk behind Vice Versa’s
graphic illustrations. Fashion illustration was
once dominated the industry – it wasn’t until
the 1930s that Vogue featured a photograph
on its cover. Now, this neglected art form
is enjoying a revival. Try your hand at this
intimate way of interpreting fashion.
5th October & 9th November
11:00am - 12:30pm
£8 for 90 minute workshop
Book online at nmni.com
21UNLEASH
True Colours Drawing Classes
A selection of the best GCSE, AS and Pencils at the ready! This is your chance
A Level art from 2019. This exhibition to learn new techniques and enhance your
showcases the talent, imagination and skills as our experienced artists share their
dedication of young people from across skills and knowledge with you. They’ll
Northern Ireland. An unmissable source cover a variety of themes based on our
of inspiration. collections and temporary exhibitions.
Suitable for beginners and experts alike.
Open daily (Tues - Sun)
17th January - 23rd February 2020 £3 per session
Last Saturday of the month
10:30am – 12:30pm
Book online at nmni.com
22WHAT’S ON
Forget your
schedule.
Silence your
phone. It’s time
#SketchingSaturdays
to reconnect
with your inner Feeling inspired by the Museum’s
artist and create collections? Art materials are available
something for on loan from the Welcome Desk. Share
the sheer your creations on social media using the
hashtag #SketchingSaturdays.
pleasure of it.
Every Saturday
Drop in
Amanda Croft Lectures The Privilege of Distance:
Colours are powerful, emotional and
Poems of the Ulster Museum
symbolic. They illuminate the development
Join us to celebrate the art of the Ulster
of trade, politics, science and the natural
world, and are wrapped up in religion, Museum through poetry. As part of the
myth, history and personal experience. Story Festival, students from the Seamus
This series of illustrated talks will look Heaney Centre for Poetry at Queen’s
at the use of colour in fine art from University Belfast will share their reaction
poisonous yellows to emotional reds to collections in the art galleries.
and ethereal blues.
29th November
£50 Readings begin at 6.30pm
Every Tuesday from 24th September Drop in
to 3rd December
Book online at nmni.com
23TIME TO CREATE Reimagine, Remake, Replay is an exciting project that allows young people aged 16 to 25 to engage and enhance the museum’s collections using a mix of creative media and the latest digital technology. Want to get involved? Visit nmni.com/whats-on/time-to-create to sign up! 24
WHAT’S ON
Illustration Explosion –
Experimental drawing
Draw, laugh and eat some pizza with the Celtic Coppersmithing
amazing Nathan Crothers who will be
delivering a number of bonkers drawing Create your very own celtic cloak pin
games through mark-making with jewellery artist Claire Mooney as she
and illustration. teaches you coppersmithing techniques.
12 & 19th October 26th October
GIFs with Usfolk Museums & Monsters –
Ever wanted to learn how to create your
A Dungeon & Dragons
very own GIFs? Illustrator Stephen Maurice digital fabrication adventure
Graham from Usfolk Belfast will be showing
us the ropes on how to do just that! Over three weeks this course will involve
making characters, designing and making
2nd November table top gaming accessories and playing
a custom made adventure in the museum
itself.
Matchbox Museum – 16th, 23rd & 30th November
Make your own miniature
Concoct your very own miniature museum
with your very own curated collection of
curiosities with artist Sue Cathcart.
5th October
25For younger kids
DISCOVERY
Come and enjoy Ulster Museum's
interactive Discovery Centres. Each
one offers unique and exciting learning
experiences for people of all ages. Get
your hands on some of the most unusual
and fascinating items in our collections.
Discover Art
Head in the Clouds! Discover Art will look
at the role of skies in painting, with cloud
Nurture the child within, activities and installations. There will be
creepy cloud painting for Halloween and
and encourage your child’s a huge snowflake installation for Christmas.
future artist, with our
exhibitions and activities for Discover History
In Discover History, take selfies in period
all ages. You’ll witness some costume, try your skills as a museum
of the best new art in Ireland conservator to reconstruct a skull, or
and create some of your own. investigate shoes from different world
cultures. Make your own mini museum
in 3D to celebrate Ulster Museum’s 90th
birthday. Come and explore presents from
past times over the Christmas holiday –
some you'll recognise while others will
be a complete mystery! Take part in
Christmas-themed craft activities.
Discover Nature
Explore the wonders of the natural world
by handling and examining real specimens
in Discover Nature.
Daily
Drop in
26WHAT’S ON
65th Texaco Children’s Movies at the Museum
Art Exhibition Join us as we bring classic movies and
family favourites to our big screen in
See fresh new talent from across partnership with Cinemagic.
the island of Ireland with this
exhibition of Texaco Children’s Art From 1st October to 3rd November,
Prize winners. Ireland’s longest- Cinemagic's 30th anniversary Festival for
running art partnership has a track Young People returns to Ulster Museum,
record of discovering incredible with fun opportunities from the world
young artists including this year’s of film and television not to be missed.
winner, 16-year old Naoise Hennessy Highlights include family screenings of
from Wicklow. Grandpa’s Great Escape, Pete’s Dragon
and Aardman Animation’s A Grand
15 November – 5 January 2020 Day Out & A Close Shave. Accessible
Drop in screenings include The Secret Life of
Pets 2, Aladdin and Toy Story 4.
Book online via Cinemagic
Visit nmni.com for full details.
27For younger kids
Storytelling Sessions Halloween at
Bring your littlest learners along to our
Ulster Museum
free, interactive storytelling sessions
Visit the Ulster Museum for daily
and activities. Each month has a
Halloween activities all through the
different theme – bugs and beasts,
mid-term break. Make your own
dinosaurs, space travel and much more!
mask in Discover History, drawing on
Plenty of adventure, inspiration and
inspiration from world cultures. Paint
craft activities ensure that this is a fun
a creepy cloud in Discover Art, where
way to learn. They’ll love every minute!
we are exploring the art of the sky.
Check our website for dates and times
26th – 31st October
nmni.com
Drop in
28WHAT’S ON
New Year, The Romans
New Paintings are Coming!
Help us celebrate young artists Come and meet Roman soldiers from
by creating your own artwork. Legion Ireland and with the help of
This special event for kids aged CANI find out what life was like in the
4 – 11 is a great way to start the ancient world’s most formidable army!
new year. Bring along an old t-shirt Investigate real objects from Ancient
or an apron to protect your clothes. Rome, Greece and Egypt. Explore our
classical world collections with short
4th & 5th January 2020 talks in the Lecture Theatre.
2pm – 4pm
Drop in 7th & 8th February 2020
11am – 3pm
Drop in
29MUSEUM LATE NIGHT OPENING Experience the museum after hours with live music, drinks, coffee and chat. All galleries and exhibitions will remain open – an excellent opportunity to enjoy our latest displays at your leisure, and the perfect way to start the payday weekend. Free Last Thursday of the month (except December) 6pm – 9pm Drop-in 30
WHAT’S ON
Museum Shop Sunday Christmas at
Come to the Ulster Museum for our
Ulster Museum
third Museum Shop Sunday. Join
us for an international celebration The Ulster Museum comes alive
of Museums Shops. Enjoy special for Christmas. See the enormous
instore discounts and activities and snowflake floating in Discover Art.
browse our very first Ulster Museum Learn about Christmas gifts from
Print Fair. the past – some you’ll recognise,
others you won’t, none will be games
1st December consoles. Create a handmade gift
for your loved ones in our Christmas-
themed craft activities.
Carols at the Museum
Join us for an hour-long carol concert
in the spectacular surroundings of
the Ulster Museum. Hear music and
seasonal readings from ages past.
19th & 20th December
6:30pm & 8:15pm
Find out more at nmni.com
31MUSEUM Step back in time and experience what life was like in rural Ulster over 100 years ago. Ulster Folk Museum has rolling countryside and a bustling town filled with authentic, period buildings – each one meticulously transported from their original locations. You’ll find an old-time picture house, post office and corner shop on streets inhabited by people in period dress. Try your hand at basket weaving or see a blacksmith hard at work. Take a ride on an old bus into the countryside, where white- washed farmhouses dot the fields. Meet some of the horses, donkeys and hens that kept the rural world turning. Come on the unique journey through the autumn and winter seasons. The weather might be colder, but the welcome’s just as warm. Daily activities Every day, a wide variety of folk activities and demonstrations take place. All are included in your general admission ticket. – open hearth baking – linen weaving – blacksmithing – printing – tweed weaving Farming and rural life demonstrations Come and discover agriculture in a time before electricity and the internal combustion engine, when rearing livestock and growing crops was a family affair. Get involved in: – crop rotation – animal feeding – crop planting – grooming – harness cleaning – donkey driving 32
WHAT’S ON
33FOLK ARTS & CRAFTS As our world runs headlong into a technological future, the Ulster Folk Museum is a guardian of our traditional crafts - living history at its best. For most of human history, everyday tools and objects were made close to the home by people who knew each other. Communities supplied themselves with ironwork, carpentry and textiles, imprinting their culture and personality on each piece. Our buildings, activities and demonstrations showcase the skills that kept rural places working over 100 years ago. 34
WHAT’S ON
Big Cross Stitch
Join us in the schoolhouse and add your
mark to our enormous cross-stitch pattern.
Included in general admission ticket
November, January & February
Craft Demonstrations Drop in
Watch as our master craftspeople
weave cloth and set up the linen looms Large Frame Weaving
in the Ballydugan Weaver’s House.
See demonstrations of white work and Try some traditional – and not so
embroidery, Christmas textile work, traditional – weaving on our large-scale
basket making and printing. weaver’s frame. Perfect for kids!
Included in general admission ticket Included in general admission ticket
1st November – 6th December November, January & February
Drop in Drop in
Christmas Wreath Have a Go!
Making Workshops Visit the RIC barracks where our visitor
guides will show you the traditional craft
Is there anything more beautiful hanging of weaving on a table loom. Get stuck in
from your door than a traditional Christmas and try a few lines yourself. Have your own
wreath? Weave your own wreath from loom? Bring it along and chat with our
lush seasonal spruce, eucalyptus, ivy seed expert craftspeople to help you get the
heads, pinecones, dried fruits, cinnamon best out of it.
and finished off with a luxurious ribbon.
All materials and tools are provided, Get involved in our other practical craft
suitable for beginners and experienced classes. Learn to knit, crochet, embroider
wreath-makers. A great handmade and patchwork. Discover how to tie
Christmas gift. a traditional harvest knot. You're never
too old (or young!) to have a go!
£55 per person
7th December Included in general admission ticket
11am – 1pm, 2pm – 4pm November, January & February
Book online nmni.com Drop in
3536
WHAT’S ON
Slow Stitch Sundays
Would you like to slow everything down
for a few hours on a Sunday afternoon?
To take the time to relax and enjoy the
simple pleasures of hand sewing using
traditional techniques and materials? Craft Experiences
These sessions are just the thing.
Learn the skills of a master craftsman with
Each one has an emphasis on recycling, these introductory courses in traditional
a “make do and mend” attitude, and crafts. You might discover a passion you
references historic objects in the Folk never knew you had!
Museum’s extensive textiles collection.
Suitable for ages 12 and up. No sewing Experiences include:
experience necessary. – whitework and handlooms
– willow weaving
Included in general admission ticket – blacksmithing
Every Sunday in November, – tweed weaving
January & February
2pm – 5pm 2nd Thursday of November,
Drop in January & February
1pm - 4pm
Book online at nmni.com
37HALLOWEEN
The Home of Halloween
The spirits of the past walk the earth
AT ULSTER
once more at Ulster Folk Museum this
Halloween during a week of Samhain
and Haleve Nicht activities. You’re in for
a truly spooky day out every day during
FOLK
the mid-term break. Come along for
a spine-tingling journey into the past
with us. Kids – dress up in your scariest
Halloween costume and we'll let you
MUSEUM
in for free!
Included in general admission ticket
Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th October
11am - 4pm
Tuesday 29th and Wednesday 30th
October: 10am - 4pm
38WHAT’S ON
Darkside Tours: Halloween Family Day
Voices from the Past Join us for a frighteningly fun-filled day
of creepy crafts and traditional games for
Come and hear dark stories from children of all ages. Learn about Halloween
Ballycultra and meet some of our creepy traditions and the spooky stories behind
characters. There’s no scarier way to centuries-old traditions such as apple
spend a Halloween evening than on this bobbing and carving turnips to keep evil
terrifying tour. Be guided through the spirits at bay. Kids – come along in your
lamp-lit streets, where strange and ghostly scariest Halloween costume and we’ll let
happenings will occur. Hear the real voices you in for free!
of people from the past and some terrifying
tales that we don’t usually tell our visitors. Included in general admission ticket
Not for the faint of heart. 31st October
10am – 4pm
25th & 26th October
6:30pm and 8:30pm
Suitable for those aged 12 and above
Book online at nmni.com
39Step back in time this Yuletide and reconnect with the true spirit of
the festive season. Come along any day over Christmas where you're
guaranteed a warm welcome filled with traditional Christmas craft
activities and stories or book one of our extra experiences for that
extra special Christmas.
Christmas at Cultra Make the most of your visit with
the following extra experiences:
Leave the hustle and bustle of the high
street behind and enter the hush of a
candlelit Ballycultra village, to experience
Visit Santa
Christmas as it was celebrated over Have the little ones seen Santa yet?
100 years ago. Every day will be filled Why not book a visit to see him in the
with lots of Christmas activities for you. beautiful surroundings of Ballycultra.
Stroll through the cobble stone streets It’s a great highlight of a day out over
and drop in to our houses, bedecked in Christmas at Ulster Folk Museum.
vintage Christmas decorations. Sample
delicious Christmas fayre. Make your own Additional £6 each
traditional orange pomander or Christmas Includes a traditional toy to take home
cornucopia. Have a go at weaving your
own willow star. Soak up the seasonal Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th December
smells of peat fires, oil lamps, baking and Friday 13th December
spices. Only Santa’s elves will be busier! Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th December
Friday 20th December
Included in general admission ticket
To avoid disappointment, book your
Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th
timeslot online nmni.com
December: 11am – 4pm
Tuesday 10th to Thursday 12th
December: 10am – 4pm Carols by Candlelight
Friday 13th December:
What better way to get into the spirit of
10am – 4pm and 6pm – 9pm
Christmas than joining our traditional
Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th candlelit carols service? Sing along to
December: 11am – 4pm your favourite Christmas carols in the
Tuesday 17th to Thursday 19th atmospheric surroundings of the Omagh
December: 10am – 4pm Meeting House.
Friday 20th December:
10am – 4pm and 6pm – 9pm Fridays 13th & 20th December: 7:30pm
Saturday 21st and Sunday 22nd To avoid disappointment, book online
December: 11am – 4pm nmni.com
40WHAT’S ON
CHRISTMAS
AT ULSTER
FOLK MUSEUM
41Experience Irish language and culture in
this very special two-day event with An
Droichead. Explore the customs of an old
Irish wake - perhaps one of the best known
funeral traditions associated with Ireland.
Enjoy traditional Irish music, song, stories
For a fully immersive
and dance throughout the whole weekend.
experience of Irish
language and culture,
You’re invited to join us in a traditional
there is a programme
Teach Airneal (Ceili House) which was a
of classes available over
chance for everyone to get together for
the weekend. For more
some socialising in times gone by. Brush up
details and to book,
on your knowledge of the Irish language or
visit nmni.com
learn something new about the meaning
behind many of our words today and
discover where they have evolved from.
Included in general admission ticket
16th & 17th November
42LANGUAGE AND
LITERATURE
Ulster Folk Museum is a special place to connect
with our long literary history and rich linguistic
heritage. Throughout January and February,
we’ll be digging into the archives to celebrate
stories and poetry from our shared past.
STORYWEAVERS
Delve deeper into Ulster Folk Museum’s sights and sounds,
characters and stories with children’s author Myra Zepf.
Each Storyweavers session will begin with a hands-on visit
to a different place in the museum to collect threads of
history and experience. Children will then write their own
stories and poetry to take home. Suitable for kids aged
seven years and older, accompanied by an adult.
Included in general admission ticket
11th, 25th January and 8th February
12pm – 2pm
Book online nmni.com
43Burns Night Celebrations
Help us celebrate Robert Burns’ timeless
poetry on a traditional Burns Night
celebration at Ulster Folk Museum. We’ll
be following the standard order with
pipers, an address to the haggis, and
renditions of Auld Lang Syne. Step into
our houses and hear recitals of Burns’
most beloved verse.
Included in general admission ticket
25th January
12pm – 4pm
44WHAT’S ON
The Butterfly and the King Upcycling Mythology:
Discover the legend of Midhir and Étaoin,
Rewriting Old Legends
retold in the fun kids’ book The Butterfly for New Times
and the King. This fun session, led by
a master storyteller, is perfect for kids In this talk, author Myra Zepf will explore
between nine and eleven. They’ll hear the the rich tradition of Irish mythology and
story and then write their own creative its ever-changing narratives and forms,
response. charting how they evolve and renew with
each new era. She will share her recent
Included in general admission ticket experiences and the challenges faced as
22nd February she worked on a new rewriting of the story
12pm – 1pm of ‘Midhir and Etaoin’ for her latest book,
balancing the preservation of inherited
tradition with the pressing need to re-stitch
the ancient tale for contemporary gender-
balance. For adults.
Included in general admission ticket
22nd February
4546
WHAT’S ON
ULSTER
TRANSPORT
Buckle up!
The Ulster Transport Museum tells the story
of transport and social change in this part of the
world since the start of the modern era. It is the journey
of tenacious people finding more efficient ways to travel and
transport the essentials of daily life. It is a well of inspiration for
the designers, engineers and adventurers of the future. Come
and experience this incredible story for yourself. We’ve laid on a
series of new tours, including the Museum Team augmented reality
app. This experience, exclusive to Ulster Transport Museum, takes
kids on an incredible journey through time!
47TOURS Join us for a detailed look at the exhibits in
each of our galleries – Titanica, Rail, Road,
and Land, Sea & Sky.
Included in general admission ticket
Daily
2:30pm
Drop in
48WHAT’S ON
Embark on a fantastic journey through
the Ulster Transport Museum with our
augmented reality (AR) app for iOS and
Android. Meet characters from the past
and future, solve puzzles and collect
special items to reveal hidden secrets
and earn rewards. Children can access
the AR content at home and follow the
story at the Ulster Transport Museum.
Included in general admission ticket
Daily
49Christmas at Ulster Transport Museum
EXPRESS
Polar Express at Ulster Transport
Museum is back by popular demand.
We're delighted to present this unique
movie experience surrounded by the
kinds of steam locomotives that feature
in the film!
14th & 15th December
Book at nmni.com
50WHAT’S ON
DRIVEN
Driven is an exhibition where we Learn about John Boyd Dunlop who
celebrate the great and ground-breaking invented the pneumatic tyre while living
achievements associated with road and working in Belfast and see the first
transport, from the familiar and famous racing bicycle to use his new invention.
to the unusual and unexpected . You’ll
discover the stories of some of our local Isabel Woods, born in 1928, went on to
heroes of engineering and racing and their notch up an incredible eight world records
feats of endurance and innovation. while cycling for Belfast Cycling Clubs in
the 1950s. See her Mercian racing bicycle,
Find out about Rex McCandless, the iconic from 1953, in this exhilarating exhibition.
Northern Irish inventor, motorcycle racer,
constructor and designer of the legendary Permanent Exhibition
‘Featherbed’ motorbike frame. You can see Open daily (Tues - Sun)
the McCandless mule – his 1950s concept
vehicle in the gallery.
51ULSTER AMERICAN
FOLK PARK
Walk in the footsteps of the bold migrants who set
sail for the New World in the 19th century. Learn
more about the life they left behind, the hardships
they experienced on the journey and the colonial
society they helped to build.
Wander the well-trodden pathways of rural Ulster,
complete with a bustling street and welcoming
farmhouses. Become a part of family life in the
confines of a thatched cottage, learn a lesson in the
schoolhouse or browse the shelves in the shops.
Board the Brig Union ship and experience the
cramped quarters where hundreds of people
lived on their twelve week-long Atlantic crossing.
Emerge in the New World and marvel at the
ingenious solutions that these resourceful
newcomers used to adapt to life on the frontier.
Daily activities
Get involved in a range of fun activities as you explore
rural Ulster and the American frontier. See blacksmiths
craft tools and farm equipment at the forge. Taste soda
bread fresh from the open-hearth. See the flax spun
into yarn, ready for weaving. Try your hand at some
needlework. Taste the American frontier with food
cooked in a traditional log cabin. Twist a corn dolly from
the last stalks of the harvest, ready to be ploughed into
the first furrow of the new season.
52WHAT’S ON
53HALLOWEEN AT
ULSTER AMERICAN
FOLK PARK
54WHAT’S ON
The thrills and chills just don't stop at Ulster American Folk Park
this Halloween! Every day during the mid-term break is filled
with spooky happenings and daring adventures. Dress up in your
scariest costume, carve your own Jack O'Lantern and explore the
ghost-filled streets by torchlight – if you dare!
Jack O’Lantern Halloween
Halloween Festival Torchlight Tours
Celebrate an authentic Halloween at Ulster Are you brave enough to explore the
American Folk Park. Halloween traditions outdoor museum by the light of a torch
have their roots in the beliefs of Irish and as darkness falls and the chilly night air
Ulster Scots people, who carried them to creeps in? Scary screams, ghostly moans
America when they emigrated. Discover and hair-raising howls will pursue you
how pumpkin carving, fancy dress and through the streets. Watch out for the
trick-or-treating began through craft eerie pranks laying in wait. Creaky doors
making, storytelling and barn dancing. in the exhibit buildings will open to reveal
Put your artistic skills to work and carve many weird and scary characters.
your own Jack O’Lantern. A week of fun
frights for the whole family. Sample traditional foods such as
barmbrack, pumpkin and shoofly pie.
Included in general admission ticket Get into the spririt of things by dressing
26th – 31st October up in ghoulish costumes. Children over
Book online nmni.com or drop in 12 years of age are welcome if not
easily scared!
30th & 31st October
Tours at 5pm, 7.15pm and 9.15pm
Book online nmni.com
55CHRISTMAS AT
ULSTER AMERICAN
FOLK PARK
Christmas comes alive at the Ulster American Folk Park as we
celebrate the festive season over this special winter period between
6th December and 5th January. Walk around the winter landscape
of the museum and step back in time to explore a 19th century
Christmas in rural Ulster and Pioneer America. Hear the stories and
discover the origin of a number of mid-winter customs. Taste some
home-baked fruit loaf or soda bread straight off the open hearth.
Learn all about the making of traditional Christmas decorations
such as evergreen wreaths and have a go at making your own
paper and popcorn chains to decorate your tree.
Included in general admission ticket
6th December – 5th January (on the days we’re open)
Drop in
Visit Santa at the
Ulster American Folk Park
Take the family back in time to experience the magic of a traditional
Christmas this festive season. Gather around the warmth of a turf
fire and enjoy readings from The Night Before Christmas, singalong
with the Christmas Mummers, taste seasonal treats and meet Santa
and Mrs Claus in their workshop.
14th, 15th, 21st, 22nd December
11am - 6pm
17th, 18th, 19th December
4pm - 7pm
Book online nmni.com
56WHAT’S ON
57ARTS &
CRAFTS
Our arts and crafts programme Slow Stitch
is a fun and fascinating way into
another world. There’s no better In times gone by it was traditional to sit
way experience life in the past together to make and mend. Join one of
our visitor guides and be a part of the Slow
than by holding it in your hands,
Stitch movement. Bring along your needles
working with the materials and learn about this traditional craft.
and techniques once used by
everyday people. Get involved Included in general admission ticket
in these unique activities! Thursday & Friday mornings
16th, 17th, 23rd, 24th, 30th & 31st January
6th & 7th February
Indian Bead Work
Join us in the unique setting of the Rogan
House, from 1800s Tennessee, for some
traditional Indian bead work. Watch as
our skilled craftspeople bring alive one
of the best-known art forms of the Native
American people.
Included in general admission ticket
18th & 25th January
1st & 8th February
Drop in
58WHAT’S ON
Corn Dolly Making St Brigid’s Day
Corn dollies, or corn mothers, were once Celebrate the traditional Gaelic spring
an important part of harvest customs. festival! Make a Brigid’s Cross of your
It was believed that the spirit of the corn own and hear about this day’s traditional
lived in the crop and that the harvest made customs. St Brigid’s Day celebrates the
it homeless. To prevent this, the last sheaf hearth and the home and marked the
would be made into a corn dolly, where the lengthening of days and the early signs
spirit would remain over winter until it was of winter’s end.
ploughed into the first furrow of the new
season. Learn more about this wonderful Included in general admission ticket
tradition and make your own corn dolly 1st February
to take home. Drop in
Included in general admission ticket
19th & 26th January
2nd & 9th February
Kid’s Craft Month
Drop in
Ahoy! Join us in our Ship & Dockside
Gallery to experience life at sea! Learn a
traditional sea shanty before you board
the emigrant ship for America. Check out
Punch & Judy shows and learn how to
secure the rigging to survive the perilous
voyage across the Atlantic!
Included in general admission ticket
15th, 16th, 22nd & 23rd February
Drop in
59Cover Image NGI.496 Hendrick Avercamp, Scene on the Ice c.1620, oil on wood panel 20.5 x 43.8 cm (Detail) Photo © National Gallery of Ireland The work of National Museums NI is supported by the Department for Communities 60
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