Event cancelled: Relaxed Family Session: Update Your Profile Pic

In light of the most recent government measures to control the spread of Covid-19 virus Sunderland Museum & Winter Gardens will be closed until further notice. Sunderland City Council have taken this decision in the best interests of our audiences, visitors and participants.

The city council will review the situation on a weekly basis and further updates will be posted on our social media and website channels.

Anyone who has pre-booked for activity or events between 19 March and 31 May will be contacted directly.

For those who have activity booked after 31 May, we are reviewing the situation on a weekly basis and will contact you nearer the time.

Event information:

Wednesday 8 April / 10.00am – 10.45am
Recommended age: 4+
FREE but donations for materials welcome / Booking Essential

A relaxed family session inspired by Hew Locke’s Medusa in the Received Wisdom exhibition. We’re going to explore lots of ways of creating silhouettes and using collage to create bold and colourful artworks.

Queen Elizabeth II has the most recognisable silhouette in the world – British postage stamps are the only ones that don’t need to say the country of origin because everyone knows the shape of our Queen’s head. Even though her features have been distorted by the hundreds of small plastic toys that have been attached to the silhouette of her face, she is still easily identifiable as the Queen. Hew Locke grew up in British Guiana, which was a British colony in the Caribbean. The Queen’s image was on the front cover of every child’s exercise book, and it was forbidden to deface or vandalise her image. In Medusa, Locke has used cheap plastic objects to describe the Queen’s face, but also to hide it.

This session is designed for families with children with disabilities and/or additional needs, including autistic spectrum conditions. For more information please contact the Public Engagement & Learning Team on 0191 5612323 or e-mail [email protected].

The event is part of the learning and engagement programme for Received Wisdom – An Arts Council Collection National Partners Programme Exhibition. Find out more about our Arts Council Collection partnership.