WHAT'S ON AT THE MUSEUM

Event category: Exhibition

Price: Free
Location: South-west Transept, Ely Cathedral
This touring exhibition of stained glass panels celebrates the Centenary of the British Society of Master Glass Painters (BSMGP), founded in 1921. Members of the society were asked to create a new exhibition panel measuring 30cm x 30cm on any theme of their choice.

Over 80 artists from across the UK and overseas contributed to the exhibition. This collection of artworks, created especially for their centenary year, celebrates the unique art of glass. The panels have been created using both traditional and modern glass techniques, demonstrating the extraordinary range of stained glass currently practiced. The artists explore a variety of subjects with a few recurring themes, such as the environment, the pandemic and the beauty of nature. The exhibition builds a fascinating insight into the concerns of glass artists a hundred years after the society was established to help stained glass remain relevant.

The Stained Glass Museum in collaboration with Ely Cathedral will launch the Centenary tour. Selected works will be on display in the south-west transept of Ely Cathedral, by the entrance to the museum between 17 September and 31 October 2021. Entry to the exhibition is free.

Founded in 1921, the British Society of Master Glass Painters is the UK's only organisation devoted exclusively to the art and craft of stained glass. Membership is open to everyone and they offer a professional qualification for accredited Associates and Fellows of the society.

More information and a complete virtual gallery of all the panels submitted can be seen here

Suitable for ages: All
details...

Event category: Talk /Tour

Price: £5.00 (Friends: £4.00)
Location: Online
Book tickets
This summer, stained glass made headline news as new scientific research confirmed that four figures from the ‘Ancestor series’ of Canterbury Cathedral pre-date the 1174 fire, as first argued by stained glass historian Madeline Caviness in 1987. Dr Laura Ware Adlington was one of the leading scientists involved in this research, which made use of a few well-measured heavy trace elements and a 3D-printed attachment for a pXRF spectrometer that facilitated in situ analysis of the glass, leading to the conclusion that the glass actually dated to c.1130-60 and are therefore amongst the oldest stained glass in the UK.

Laura’s talk will introduce these techniques and the findings of this important research, recently published in a paper co-authored with Along with Prof. Ian Freestone and Leonie Seliger. Scientific results will be explained and placed in context of what we know about the development of Canterbury Cathedral and its extensive medieval glazing schemes, revealing exciting possibilities for future analysis of medieval glass.

Dr Laura Ware Adlington is a materials scientist who specialises in the use of elemental analysis to study historic and archaeological materials, especially glass. She is currently a Technical Specialist for Strainoptics, in North Wales, USA. She completed her PhD in Archaeological Materials Science at the UCL Institute of Archaeology in 2019, after which she worked as a postdoctoral research scientist at the Centre national de la recherche scientifique in Orléans, France.
Suitable for ages: All
Contact: 01353 660347
details...

Event category: Children's Workshop

Price: £3.50
Location: The Stained Glass Museum
SG Mini Mornings is an interactive, multi-sensory session for Under 5s and their grown-up friends.

At the Stained Glass Museum we believe imagination and creativity are a vital part of a child’s early life and these sessions are designed to stimulate both.

Through story-telling, dancing, singing and craft making, SG Mini's is designed to provide parents and carers with an opportunity to explore creative play and to also allow for a little respite.

Each session is theatrically delivered by our Learning Manager.

£3.50 per child which includes a drink, biscuit for adults and children, craft materials and an interactive story.

TIME: 10:00-11:30, Last admittance 10:15.

Free-play and Craft Time (10:00-11:00)
StoryTime (11:00-11:30)

The session takes place in the museum gallery which is accessed via a stone spiral staircase of approximately 40 steps. Buggy park and toilet facilities available on the ground floor of the Cathedral.

Attendance limited to one child/one parent per ticket.

Children must be accompanied by an adult.
Suitable for ages: 5 and under
Contact: learning@stainedglassmuseum.com
details...

Event category: Exhibition

Location: Museum shop, The Stained Glass Museum
Exhibition of architectural glass panels submitted as competition entries for the 2021 Stevens Architectural Glass Competition, organised annually by the Worshipful Company of Glaziers & Painters of Glass’ (‘The Glaziers’ Company’). Open to international student glass artists and designers and those who have commenced their vocation in glass within the last eight years, the competition gives emerging stained glass artists an opportunity to compete for a real-life commission.
 
The 2021 competition was to design an architectural glass screen for the newly remodelled Senior School Reception Area at the Haberdasher’s School for Girls in Elstree, Hertfordshire. The new glass screen will be dedicated to the memory of Penelope Penney, Headmistress of the school from 1991 to 2005. She was an inspirational Head who believed passionately in the idea of strong, confident women.

Some of the full-scale sample glass panels submitted for the competition, made by artists from across the UK and Europe, are featured in this exhibition.

The exhibition is in the museum shop and can be seen without paying admission to the main gallery.

Suitable for ages: All

Event category: Talk /Tour

Price: £5.00 (Friends: £4.00)
Location: Online
Book tickets
Ireland has always been exceptional in its regard for stained glass, the art having been seen as central to the national cultural revival of the early twentieth century. - Peter Cormack, author of Arts & Crafts Stained Glass (Yale UP, 2015).

In this illustrated talk David Caron will shed light on Ireland’s celebrated stained glass, from the foundation of An Túr Gloine (The Glass Tower) studio in the early 20th century to contemporary artists working in the medium today. David’s talk will give an insight into the preparation of the new edition of the Gazetteer of Irish Stained Glass (Irish Academic Press, June 2021). This publication is a significantly updated and expanded edition of the original 1988 gazetteer.

David Caron was born in Dublin and studied Visual Communication at the National College of Art and Design, Dublin, to which he returned in due course as lecturer and was subsequently appointed as Head of Department. He was one of the three original compilers of the first edition of the Gazetteer of Irish Stained Glass in 1988. David's PhD research at Trinity College Dublin focused on the stained glass artist Michael Healy and the artists of An Túr Gloine (Tower of Glass) studio. He has written articles on various aspects of Irish stained glass over the years, most often for the Irish Arts Review.

Suitable for ages: All
Contact: 01353 660347
details...

Event category: Family Activity

Price: FREE (Friends: FREE)
Location: Ely
Window Wanderland is a fun family-friendly event where communities create illuminated displays in windows. You can use the street-facing windows of your home, business, school, nursery, car, shop, or even your door, or front garden. A map showing the locations of illuminated window displays is then created to form an after-dark walking trail and community event, transforming local streets into galleries.

Ely’s second Window Wanderland, organised by The Stained Glass Museum and Babylon ARTS will take place over the evenings of Friday 22, Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 October 2021. Everyone is encouraged to get involved by illuminating their street-facing windows between 6pm and 9pm, creating an after-dark walking trail of glowing windows.

How to get involved
Taking part is FREE and everyone is welcome. We would especially encourage resident families, local businesses, and community groups such as guides, brownies, scouts, to take part by creating an illuminated window display for this special event.

If you’re planning on transforming a window for Ely Window Wanderland please sign up on our Window Wanderland event page so that we can map participants on our website and create a local trail. Then get planning your window display!
Suitable for ages: All
details...

Event category: Family Activity

Price: Free + Museum Entry
Location: The Stained Glass Museum
Short 30 min tours as part of your general admission.

(Children go free)

Tour Times
13:30, 14:30, 15:30

Full description
We will be running 30 min tours for young people and families during October half-term. These will be free in addition to your general ticket admission (Children go free)

Children's Tours


Suitable for ages: 5+
Contact: learning@stainedglassmuseum.com
details...

Event category: Children's Workshop

Price: £3.50
Location: The Stained Glass Museum
SG Mini Mornings is an interactive, multi-sensory session for Under 5s and their grown-up friends.

At the Stained Glass Museum we believe imagination and creativity are a vital part of a child’s early life and these sessions are designed to stimulate both.

Through story-telling, dancing, singing and craft making, SG Mini's is designed to provide parents and carers with an opportunity to explore creative play and to also allow for a little respite.

Each session is theatrically delivered by our Learning Manager.

£3.50 per child which includes a drink, biscuit for adults and children, craft materials and an interactive story.

TIME: 10:00-11:30, Last admittance 10:15.

Free-play and Craft Time (10:00-11:00)
StoryTime (11:00-11:30)

The session takes place in the museum gallery which is accessed via a stone spiral staircase of approximately 40 steps. Buggy park and toilet facilities available on the ground floor of the Cathedral.

Attendance limited to one child/one parent per ticket.

Children must be accompanied by an adult.
Suitable for ages: 5 and under
Contact: learning@stainedglassmuseum.com
details...

Event category: Children's Workshop

Price: 10.00
Location: The Stained Glass Museum
The session leader will explain the principles and theory of glass cutting, fusing and firing, explaining the various terms and stages used in fusing glass. The techniques you will be introduced to will include fusing clear and coloured glass using fritt, confetti, stringers, noodles and some metal inclusions, with special emphasis on the construction of designs. Young people will get to work on their design and make small glass items of their choice, such as tiles, coasters, jewellery or decorative hangings. The session leader will provide examples of the different techniques, processes, fittings and results for students to handle and examine, but the emphasis of the workshop will remain on the creative designs that the young people can achieve by themselves, ensuring that everyone will have a rewarding time.

Your glass will need to be kiln-fired after the workshop is finished. This process takes 24 hours and will usually takes place on the following day because someone needs to be on the premises during firing. Once your fused artwork has been kiln-fired and cooled, we will contact you to let you know it is ready for collection.

All young people must be accompanied by an adult for the duration of the workshop.

DATE

Friday 29th October - Spooky Glass Fusing
Suitable for ages: 7+
Contact: learning@stainedglassmuseum.com
details...

Event category: Family Activity

Price: 36.00 (pays for 3 places)
Location: The Stained Glass Museum
The session leader will explain the principles and theory of glass cutting, fusing and firing, explaining the various terms and stages used in fusing glass. The techniques you will be introduced to will include fusing clear and coloured glass using fritt, confetti, stringers, noodles and some metal inclusions, with special emphasis on the construction of designs. Young people will get to work with family members on their design and make small glass items of their choice, such as tiles, coasters, jewellery or decorative hangings. The session leader will provide examples of the different techniques, processes, fittings and results for participants to handle and examine, but the emphasis of the workshop will remain on the creative designs that the young people and their family members can achieve by themselves, ensuring that everyone will have a rewarding time.

Your glass will need to be kiln-fired after the workshop is finished. This process takes 24 hours and will usually takes place on the following day because someone needs to be on the premises during firing. Once your fused artwork has been kiln-fired and cooled, we will contact you to let you know it is ready for collection.

All young people must be accompanied by an adult for the duration of the workshop.

Ticket Price allows for unit of 3 people: that could be an adult and 2 children or 2 adults and a child.
Suitable for ages: 7+ (All the family)
Contact: learning@stainedglassmuseum.com
details...