New exhibition and play space opens at South Shields Museum & Art Gallery

Families are invited to discover a new exhibition and play space at South Shields Museum & Art Gallery, Let's Play: Under 7s Activities and the Experience of Being a Mam.

Images here.

Free to visit and open until Saturday 8 August, the new exhibition and play space has been developed in collaboration with local women from Bright Futures South Shields. The welcoming space invites young children and their grown-ups to play, explore, create and connect together in the museum. 

Through conversations, participants have helped shape both the content and design of the space, ensuring it reflects the needs and experiences of young parents in South Tyneside. The play space encourages learning through play, with opportunities for children to build, create and discover in a relaxed museum environment. While little ones play, parents and carers can take time to chat, reflect and engage with displays exploring women's experiences, stories and achievements. 

Museum Manager, Geoff Woodward, commented:  
“We're excited to welcome families to Let's Play: Under 7s Activities and the Experience of Being a Mam. This exhibition and play space has been created by mothers from Bright Futures in South Shields, who have shared their experiences, ideas and creativity throughout the project. We hope families will feel at home in the museum and will enjoy discovering the space together.” 

The exhibition also features special loans from the British Library, connecting local stories of motherhood, work and community with wider histories of women's lives and achievements. 

The mothers involved in the project selected objects from the Ann Oakley Archive and the Mike Braybrook Archive, on loan from the British Library. Both archives demonstrate how ordinary people can create change within their communities and influence decision-makers through collective action. By exploring these stories, participants were able to draw connections between historical campaigns and their own experiences as women, mothers and members of their local community.

Let's Play: Under 7s Activities and the Experience of Being a Mam is on display at South Shields Museum & Art Gallery until Saturday 8 August. Entry is free, the space is most suited to children aged under 7.  

South Shields Museum & Art Gallery is open Monday – Friday, 10am – 5pm, and Saturday, 11am – 4pm. The museum is closed on Sundays.