If you live in the North East then I’m sure at this point you will have heard about Great Northumberland this summer. Over 56 days of summer in 2018, Northumberland County Council has curated a range of family friendly events that show the very best of the arts, heritage, innovation and creativity that the county has to offer. Great Northumberland runs from 7th July to 1st September 2018. Most of the events are family friendly and the majority are free, although some admission prices do apply.
Being a feminist family lifestyle blog (and a History graduate), I was asked to tell you all about an event taking place in Hexham on the weekend of Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th August: Roman Women, Women Today.
What is Roman Women, Women Today?
Vindolanda and The Sill is working in partnership with Hexham Book Festival to deliver events and activities focusing on women, both during the Roman occupation of Britain and on those who live and work along The Wall today.
Free family workshops
There will be free, fun workshops held at The Sill and Vindolanda on Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 August. These will be led by Chloe Daykin and Michelle Wood and are for ages 5 and older.
Writing competitions
Two writing competitions are being offered, inspired by the discovery at Vindolanda of what is believed to be the earliest surviving female handwriting from Britain; in the form of tablets with the unique birthday party invitation from Claudia Severa to Sulpicia Lepidina. Lepidina was the wife of the Vindolanda garrison’s commander in AD100 (erm, how cool is that?!):
- A short story competition for students from Middle Schools across Northumberland to be judged by author Caroline Lawrence – creator of The Roman Mysteries series. A linked digital exhibition of the young people’s work will be on display at The Sill and Vindolanda.
- Flash Fiction – a 300 word competition for all aged over 16, judged by renowned classicist Natalie Haynes at The Sill, followed by an event at Vindolanda.
You can find details for both competitions and how to enter here.
Digital Landscapes
From Sunday 2 July to Sunday 30 September visitors to The Sill National Landscape Discovery Centre can experience Digital Landscapes. This is an interactive exhibition and events programme celebrating the role of digital innovation in engaging people with landscapes.
Useful Information
Contact Vindolanda: www.vindolanda.com/trust/contact-us or 01434 344 277
Contact The Sill: [email protected] or 01434 341200
Websites:
Addresses:
The Sill, National Landscape Discovery Centre, Bardon Mill, Hexham, Northumberland, NE47 7AN
Vindolanda, Chesterholm Museum, Bardon Mill, Hexham, Northumberland, NE47 7JN
Please visit the event page for the most up to date information about the event.
Summary
As you can see, if you are interested in history and the arts and educational family activities, there is loads on in Hexham this weekend. I hope you get to pop along to make the most of it. As always, if you do, please let me know how you found it in the comments.
Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post. For more information about my disclosure policy, please see my about page.
