Gunnersbury Park & Museum have released their upcoming event listings for February and March, with a jam-packed variety of activities to try out as we head into spring.

From Bollywood dancing for the other 50s, fun science-inspired workshops for your budding Ada Lovelaces', tours of the park and much more - it seems there's something for everyone coming up at Gunnersbury.

Free Special Exhibitions

Citizen UK: Ealing Rises Up

Hear the stories of those who stood up and resisted racism.

Citizen UK: Ealing Rises Up is an exhibition by The National Portrait Gallery in partnership with Ealing Local History Centre Archives, artists Asia Ahmed and Narvir Singh, and local volunteer Citizen Researchers.

This exhibition investigates stories of people who stood up and resisted racism and recognises some of the lesser known figures involved. Using archive material, spoken word and film, we tell the stories of Ealing activists and the movements they were part of.

Visit our outdoor exhibition to see portraits, photographs and research, access interviews from Gunnersbury Park Museum's Archive and watch the newly commissioned films.

Until Thursday 31 March, Free entry.

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For Children & Families

Little Flamingos Join us for our Little Flamingos club for under 5s. Come and have fun taking part in a range of activities that can include making music, playing games, doing crafts, interactive stories, and role play. Each of the sessions will have a chance to discover beautiful objects and interesting places within the setting of Gunnersbury Park Museum. Friday 11 and 25 February, Friday 11 and 25 March, 11am – 12pm, £5 per child, adults free Make & Take Join us for some spring themed creative drop-in sessions and make something fun to take home. Children of all ages welcome. Suggested donation £2 per child, no booking required – just turn up Monday 14, Tuesday 15, Wednesday 15 February, 12 – 4pm Artists Break Rules! Join artist Merlin Evans for a fun collage workshop inspired by the 'rule-breakingly' inspirational story of Ada Lovelace, the first ever computer programmer!

Suitable for children aged 5+, All children must be accompanied by an adult. £10

Sunday 12 March, 11am – 12.30pm

The return of the Toys & Games Gallery!

Stay and play in our new-look Toys & Games gallery! Explore toys of the past: from spinning tops to Star Wars. Dress up and host a tea party, race each other with toy cars on our selection of fun playmats, curl up with a good book and draw on our chalkboard wall. A perfect place to keep the kids entertained.

Open during museum opening hours, Free

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Adult Workshops

Indigo Dyeing

Join Jess Chan, a designer specialising in Printed Textiles and Natural dyes in exploring natural indigo vat dyeing using shibori (tie dye) resist techniques of folding, clamping, and gathering to create repeat patterns. At the end you'll head home with your own hand dyed cotton tea towel.

Sunday 6 February, 2 – 4pm

To find out more about Jess Chan, visit her website

Bollywood Dance for over 50's

4all2Envy entertainment brings you Bollywood dance classes for over 50's. Whether you have danced before or not, it really doesn't matter. All you need to do is smile and move to the music and you will fit right in!

Sundays 6, 13, 20, 27 February, 2 – 4pm, £5, booking essential

These sessions will also be adapted to those who might need to sit on chairs.

Stitch, Knit and Natter

Join us for our friendly fortnightly textile group - bring a project to work on, learn from others, and have a good old natter over a cuppa.

£2, including refreshments. No booking required, just turn up.

Thursdays 3, 17, 31 March 2022, 10.30am – 12pm

Ada Lovelace: Poetical Science & the Anatomy of Self

Celebrating Women in STEM, join Merlin Evans on a talk on Art-Science/STEM exploring Gunnersbury's links to Ada Lovelace and the concept of poetical science.

You will then have an opportunity to get involved in a hands-on activity - Lexicon of Elements - 26 letters, 26 marks, randomly generate an algorithm that allows you to create an illustration based on this Lexicon, inspired by Lovelace's work.

Sunday 13 March, 11am – 12.30pm, £15

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Tours & Talks

Love in the Archives

Through archived photographs, receipts, letters, and cards, we can piece together love stories of those long gone.

From Beatrice Estelle Ashton's teenage poetry, the flamboyant Valentine's cards of Victorians to wedding photos old and new, join archivist Kathryn Rooke for a short talk sharing some of the love stories boxed-up in Gunnersbury Park Museum's archive.

£7, online - the link will be in the confirmation email

Friday, 11 February 2022, 6.30 – 7.15pm

Introduction to Gunnersbury Park Museum

Join our free volunteer led tours where you will get to discover more about Gunnersbury Park Museum, its people and fascinating collections.

Every Sunday throughout March, 2 – 3pm

Free, suggested donation £2 per person

Archives Tour

Gunnersbury Park Museum's Archive and Library room holds a fascinating local history collection including photographs, maps, scrapbooks, and more.

These items were collected by curators past and present over nearly 100 years of Gunnersbury Park Museum. Join Archivist Kathryn Rooke for a show-and-tell of some of these items and discover how to use them.

£10, Thursday 10 March, 11.30am – 12.30pm, 1.30 - 2.30pm

Head Gardener's Spring Walk

Join Head Gardener Chris Ellis in a tour looking at all the spring bulbs, orchard, & community veg garden and then explore some of Gunnersbury's iconic trees.

Wednesday 23 March, 11am – 12pm, £10

Spring in the Vegetable Garden: What to Sow Now and How

Would you like to grow your own vegetables but don't know where to start? Come and see how we do it in our Community Vegetable Garden here at Gunnersbury Park.

Veg grower Monika will show you around our vegetable beds and will explain what we grow and how. As part of the experience, you will be sowing veg seeds in pots to take home with you to start your growing adventure.

This is a great introduction to growing your own vegetables, whether you have an allotment, small garden or just a few pots by the front door.

£5, including compost, pot and seeds to take home

Friday 25 March, 10.30 – 11.30am

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Special Events

Open Mic Nights

We'll be holding monthly open mic sessions from March 2022. Sessions are led by Edwin Addis, an experienced open mic host with a flair for making everyone feel welcome and supported.

Friday 4 March, Friday 1 April, Friday 6 May, Friday 3 June, 7 – 9pm

£5, free for children aged 5-11

Please email [email protected] if you would like to perform. Book early to avoid disappointment because slots will be allocated on a first come first served basis.

Swap Shop

Clear out the clothes jammed at the back of your wardrobe and dust them off for the clothes swap hosted by Gunnersbury's Youth Forum. You can also take part in an upcycling workshop, giving scrap fabrics new life to create your very own tote bag!

Friday 18 February, 2 – 4.30pm, Free, suitable for ages 14-19

Ealing Rise up: Screening & Talk

Join us to see the new film produced by Asia Ahmed and Narvir Singh.

Including interviews and archive material (some from Gunnersbury Park Archives) the film tells the story of anti-racist activism in Ealing from the mid-1950s to the early 1990s. It features Eric Huntley and Gurinder Chadha amongst other people connected to the borough. After the screening, stay for a conversation with some of the contributors to discuss the impact and aftermath of the Southall riots in 1979. Wednesday 23 March, 7pm, Free Visit the Ealing Rises Up outdoor display at Gunnersbury Park until 31 March 2022. Ealing Rises Up is part of Citizen UK.