June and early July saw the first of our free School and Group Experience Days with a fortnight of visits from local schools and a home education group. We welcomed groups aged Year 1 (5-6 year olds) up to Year 9 (14-15 years old). School and Group Experience days meet multiple aspects of the Key Stage 2 and 3 curriculum including art, history, design technology, literacy, and drama.Young people were treated to a show from professional puppeteers Touched Theatre - inspired by the dramatic real histories of smuggling on the south coast. Drawing on the traditions of rhyming verse and outlandish performance perfected by the original toy theatres of the Georgian period, this uproarious and visually stunning show featured madcap puppetry, live singing, and a guest appearance from one of our own puppets from the collection.

Afterwards there was a workshop with Touched Theatre, where the young people made their own rod puppets to perform in miniature theatre sets, and an art workshop, led by our own Rebecca Ainscough, and inspired by the objects in the collection the children had come across in their tour of the museum.

The sun shone almost solidly for the whole fortnight and at lunch times there was the opportunity to enjoy the spacious grounds and outdoor games on the lawn.