Family friendly gallery invites public support for award bid

East Devon District Council is encouraging local people and visitors to nominate its popular public gallery in Honiton for an award recognising its family-friendly status.

The Thelma Hulbert Gallery in Dowell Street, Honiton, is seeking supporters to nominate it for the Telegraph Family Friendly Museum Award, a national accolade bestowed upon the museum or gallery which is most welcoming, engaging and encouraging of children, young people and families.

Anyone can make a nomination be they visitors, staff, volunteers, trustees or supporters. While the council will be putting THG forward, it’s also keen to see nominations from local people and visitors, who can take the opportunity to let the gallery know what they do best.

To make a nomination, people just have to say why they think THG deserves to win. There’s no form-filling or word count requirements, simply email award@kidsinmuseums.org.uk or send a letter to:

Family Friendly Museum Award, Kids in Museums, 49-51 East Road, London, N1 6AH

Nominations for the Award close on 10 May. The longlist will be announced in The Sunday Telegraph and on the Kids in Museums website (www.kidsinmuseums.org.uk) later in May 2013.

The decision by the gallery and council to enter the awards follows their commitment to the ‘Kids in Museums Manifesto’, which sets out practical steps organisations can take to encourage younger visitors to cultural attractions such as museums and galleries.

THG does a vast amount of work with children and young people; with Curator Angela Blackwell winning an ‘Excellence in Gallery Education Award’ from Marsh Christian Trust last October for her work.

Angela Blackwell, Curator and Manager of the Thelma Hulbert Gallery said:

“Working at the gallery I may be biased but I feel everything from the exhibitions to the activity sheets, the art trolley through to our family drop-in days, our school workshops through to our after school club ‘Masterpieces’ help make THG a perfect candidate for the award.

“We pride ourselves on providing a welcoming and accessible gallery which engages and inspires. The fact it was a home gives the gallery a unique personal feel that is commented on by so many of our visitors of all ages, making it a less threatening and precious environment than many contemporary art galleries. It’s been said that it’s like having a gallery in your own home.”

THG is a public art gallery situated in the former home and studio of the artist Thelma Hulbert (1913 – 1985). Opened in 1998 the gallery originally occupied only the first floor of the Grade II listed Georgian town house, but with support from the Arts Council and East Devon District Council the gallery expanded in 2010 to take over the whole of Elmfield House. As well as expanding the exhibition galleries it led to the creation of a dedicated Learning Room which has proved hugely popular. Initially conceived as a workshop/hire space, it has become a room full of creativity and embraced by the local community and visitors.

A bustling hive of activity when organised groups visit, the Learning Room can also be used by anyone visiting the gallery to create their own artworks either to add to the display at the gallery or take home and exhibit to their family and friends. Young peoples’ artworks are displayed floor to ceiling in the Learning Room which contains an art trolley and boxes full of drawing and collage materials, paints and fabrics that can be used free of charge by anyone entering the room. Most of the materials are donated to the gallery or purchased from a local scrap store at very little cost, providing a lot of fun for very little outlay.

The gallery has a full learning programme which is planned alongside each new exhibition. Workshops and activities are organised for a wealth of different groups, which over the last have included schools, families, workshops with mental health charity Mind, the after school club ‘Masterpieces’, tenants from social housing and sheltered housing and a ‘Woolly Wednesday’ knitting group.

The gallery’s main exhibitions are often complimented by displays in other areas of the gallery by young people. One of its forthcoming exhibitions will highlight the artwork of pupils at Mill Water School, a community special school in Honiton.

Councillor John O’Leary, East Devon District Council’s Member Champion for Culture said:

“The Thelma Hulbert Gallery is a real local gem and I’m giving its bid for this award my whole-hearted support. Winning an accolade such as this would confirm Honiton’s spot on the map in terms of culture, placing the gallery firmly in the top tier of educational, artistic, fun and inspiring attractions in the country.

“The staff have put their heart and souls into making THG what it is today, and I would love to see this recognised and celebrated”.

Photo - Gallery Curator Angela Blackwell with some budding young artists.