St Barbe Museum’s annual Inspire weekend this Saturday and Sunday, 16th and 17th September

FAMILIES can enjoy live music, craft activities and community theatre at St Barbe Museum’s annual Inspire weekend this Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 4pm.

Admission is free for all, with dozens of hands-on activities planned at the Lymington-based museum and art gallery throughout the day. Visitors can also enjoy live music on the front terrace featuring acoustic sessions by local musicians including Megan Erika, Jim Brown and Sophie Avison.

Museum spokesperson Penny Curry said: “Visitors can have a go at a free craft activity, upcycle and embellish fabric to make their own creation or make a nature crown to wear, our volunteers will be on hand to guide their imagination.

“How about contributing to our community art installation? Let’s see if we can make our best collective mural yet – you don’t have to be arty to take part!”

On Sunday there will be two drop-in steampunk drawing masterclasses starting at 11am and midday.

The popular Treehouse Theatre company will return to present a Cinderella panto with a twist at 10.30am on Saturday, when audience members will have a chance to decide how the story plays out. The Snow Queen will also be visiting to share magical stories, and Meryn Cole will deliver fun, magic and laughter. There will also be stilt walkers, bubble masters and magicians.

The event will mark the launch of the venue’s new exhibition Parallel Lives, Eight Women Artists, which features a range of media drawing on influences of surrealism, neo- romanticism, realism, folk art and abstraction.

Penny said: “Join our curator for a special insight into this unique exhibition which includes works from private collections as well as London galleries.”

The annual open weekend also shines a spotlight on the work St Barbe Museum undertakes in the Lymington and Pennington community. For more information visit www.stbarbe-museum.org.uk