Weston Museum

A Decade Since Dismaland
2025-09-27 10:00 - 16:00, 2025-09-30 10:00 - 16:00, 2025-10-01 10:00 - 16:00, 2025-10-02 10:00 - 16:00, 2025-10-03 10:00 - 16:00, 2025-10-04 10:00 - 16:00, 2025-10-07 10:00 - 16:00, 2025-10-08 10:00 - 16:00 (Europe/London) and 10 more dates | Weston Museum, Burlington Street, Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, BS23 1PR, United Kingdom
A Decade Since Dismaland
Weston Museum
Saturday 13 September 2025 – Saturday 22 November 2025 (The Museum is CLOSED on a Sunday and Monday, as well as closing for a private function on Saturday 11 October 2025 and Saturday 18 October 2025)
Weston Museum will be home to a dismal exhibition this September
The 21st August marks 10 years since Banksy’s Dismaland opened in the Tropicana. After weeks of speculation, visitors were invited in to experience the bemusement park, a swipe at consumerism and the way theme parks brush away reality. The art installation curated by Banksy included over 50 international artists including Damien Hirst, Julie Burchill and Jimmy Cauty. Over the next five weeks 150,000 visitors passed through the gates.
Photographer Barry Cawston visited the site over fifteen times during these five weeks. The visits resulted in his project ‘Are We There Yet?’ documenting both Dismaland and Weston’s town centre. The collection of images highlighted how many of the conversations raised in the park were being experienced in the town itself.
Opening on the 13th September, Weston Museum will be home to the exhibition ‘A Decade Since Dismaland` showcasing some of the images from Barry Cawston’s project, a decade after they were first taken. Also on display will be a small collection of memorabilia from a private collection.
Barry Cawston’s photography has both sociological and architectural elements. His images capture the beauty of otherwise passed over scenes and places with a cinematic quality that is enhanced by Cawston’s attention to detail and brilliant use of colour.
His exhibitions have toured museums in Europe as well as being shown in the Marble Palace in St Petersburg. Cawston also had a six month solo exhibition in Völklingen Ironworks in Germany which attracted 200.000 visitors
Cawston has won numerous awards and competitions including the British Open Art Award, The Nikon BJP Endframe Award, The Black Swan Open Art Prize and the Exeter Contemporary Open. In 2023 he was the choice of Fiona Robinson, the new Chairman of the RWA to become an honourary RWA academician.

Glass Engraving Workshop
2025-09-27 13:30 - 15:30 (Europe/London) | Weston Museum, Burlington Street, Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, BS23 1PR, United Kingdom
🍷 Get Crafty with Art in Mind: Glass Etching Workshop! 🥛
Join us for a brand new workshop where we’ll try our hand at glass etching! Whether you choose to keep it for yourself or gift it to someone special, this workshop promises a delightful crafting experience. Please note due to the nature of the workshop and tools involved, this workshop is for over 16’s only.
Workshop Times:
13:30 – 14:30
14:30 – 15:30
Cost:
£12.00 per person (accompanying adults do not need a ticket)
✂️ All Equipment Provided: We will supply all the necessary materials and equipment for the workshop.
🎟️ Limited Spots Available: Click the link below to book your tickets. Advanced booking is recommended to avoid disappointment!
Ticket Link:
https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/westonmuseum/e-vzvqkx

Craft Café
2025-09-30 10:30 - 12:30, 2025-10-07 10:30 - 12:30, 2025-10-14 10:30 - 12:30, 2025-10-21 10:30 - 12:30 (Europe/London) | Clara’s Café
Discover the joy of learning a new craft as our friendly volunteers guide you through the exciting world of creativity. Unleash your inner artist, and let your creativity flow in the company of like-minded individuals who share your love for all things handmade.
If you’re a seasoned crafter, we invite you to showcase your skills and be a part of our vibrant community. Bring your own craft to the museum and watch as your talent inspires others to embark on their creative journey. Craft Café celebrates the beauty of sharing knowledge and the magic of learning from one another.
Whether you’re a curious beginner or a seasoned pro, Craft Café is the place where inspiration thrives and friendships blossom. Every Tuesday from 10:30 – 12:30 in term time. See you there!

Amazing Artefacts - Home Educators Monthly Sessions
2025-10-08 10:30 - 13:00 UTC | Weston Museum, Burlington Street, Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, BS23 1PR, United Kingdom
Welcome to the Autumn Season of Amazing Artefacts – Home Educators Monthly Sessions!
Each month, we will take part in a variety of different hands on activities inspired by one or more items from the collections or our wider history. Monthly sessions will be organised in pairs, with our September and October sessions focussing on our upcoming exhibition curated by the children themselves.
In our September session, we will explore how and why we make displays and what exhibitions have previously been displayed in our Community Gallery. Then in our October session, children will be invited to bring in items (objects, photos, drawings, writing etc) that share their favourite bits of history. Along with items from members of our Young Archaeologists’ Club, the children’s favourite bits of history will be on display in the Community Gallery from November to the Spring.
Dates and Times
Autumn season dates and times are as follows:
Wednesday 10th Sept (10:30-11:30 Juniors, 12-1 Seniors)
Wednesday 8th Oct (10:30-11:30 Juniors, 12-1 Seniors)
Ages and Abilities
Sessions are designed to be active and accessible for a mix of ages and abilities with 2 separate sessions for younger or older children. The morning session will be aimed at slightly younger children aged approximately 5-8 or approximately key stage 1, nicknamed our Juniors, and the afternoon session will be aimed at the slightly older children aged approximately 9+ or approximately key stage 2, nicknamed our Seniors. If you would like to attend as a family group with mixed ages, then just pick whichever session you feel would be most suitable for the group as a whole.
If you would like to let us know about any specific considerations for your children then we would welcome this, just get in touch.
Accompanying Adults
Tickets need to be purchased for each child attending, but grown ups do not need to purchase a separate ticket. It usually works best for the children who need that extra bit of support (such as those who are younger, less confident or need extra help with engaging), if grown ups stay and join in with activities. Whereas for older, more confident and more self-directed children it is usually fine for grown ups to not stay in the session if they prefer, although they will need to stay within the museum building whilst the session is taking place.
Price and How to Book
Tickets cost £13 per child for the 2 month paired block and can be booked via Ticketsource or by popping into or phoning the museum directly.
Attendees will be encouraged to continue their learning at home between sessions by utilising links and resources emailed out.
Rusty Club (YAC) Membership – Please note that we do some of the same crafts or activities in Rusty Club sessions as we do in Home Educator sessions, so if you decide to join in with both programmes there may be some sessions with duplicated topics, so we tend to advise choosing one programme or the other.

Dinosaur Toddler Crafts
2025-10-10 10:00 - 12:00 (Europe/London) | Weston Museum, Burlington Street, Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, BS23 1PR, United Kingdom
🦕 Art in Mind presents our Toddler Crafts! Our theme this month is roarsome dinosaurs! 🦖
With a range of sensory and crafty activities, we guarantee you’ll have the best time! The best part? You get to take some of your crafty creations home with you to display and show off!
Workshop Times:
10:15 – 11:00
11:15 – 12:00
Cost:
£5.00 per child (parents go free)
🎟️ Limited spots available: We highly recommend securing your spot in advance. Don’t miss out on the chance to experience this exciting and engaging activity!
Ticket Link:
https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/westonmuseum/dinosaur-toddler-crafts/e-dyapyp

WESTON MUSEUM CLOSED FOR THE DAY
2025-10-11 | Weston Museum, Burlington Street, Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, BS23 1PR, United Kingdom
On Saturday 11 October 2025, Weston Museum will be closed to the public for a private function. We will reopen Tuesday 14 October 2025.
We thank you for your understanding.
For more information about Weddings at Weston Museum, click here.

50 Years of Rock and Pop Music Quiz
2025-10-15 19:30 - 22:00 (Europe/London) | Weston Museum, Burlington Street, Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, BS23 1PR, United Kingdom
🎸 Whether you’re a musician yourself or simply love listening to the greats, you probably know a lot about the classic rock era, or the classic pop era! Here we combine the two for a special one off event. 🎵
🎙️ Join us our for 50 Years of Rock and Pop Quiz, here to test your knowledge of both classic rock and pop music AND bands! It will let you know, for sure, whether you’re a pro musician or just an amateur! 🥁
📅 Date: Wednesday 15 October 2025
⌚ Time: Doors open at 19:00 for a 19:30 start
💰 Cost: £5.00 per team (maximum 5 members per team)
😂 Mini Games too!: Our pub quiz isn’t just about questions, it’s about fun too! In the middle of the Quiz, we have our own version of Bingo. Costs £1.00 to enter, cash preferred.
🎟️ Prebook your tables now: To ensure you secure a spot, we highly recommend pre-booking your tables. Don’t miss out on the chance to be part of the ultimate pub quiz experience!
Ticket Link:
https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/westonmuseum/t-momlarj

CANCELLED Woodland Friends: Bats
2025-10-17 10:30 - 11:15 (Europe/London) | Weston Museum, Burlington Street, Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, BS23 1PR, United Kingdom
Please note this event has been cancelled.
🍃 Flower and Doe Theatre Co presents another fantastic event; Woodland Friends: Bats! 🦇
Prepare for a sensory-filled, exciting time exploring the world of bats. You can expect scrap materials, stories, and play!
Please note: Safety guidelines and precautions will be followed throughout the workshop to ensure a clean and enjoyable experience for all participants.
Workshop Times:
10:30 – 11:15
Cost:
£5.00 per child (accompanying adults do not need a ticket)
Limited spots available: We highly recommend securing your spot in advance. Don’t miss out on the chance to experience this exciting and engaging activity!
Ticket Link:
https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/westonmuseum/t-zzevzpy

WESTON MUSEUM CLOSED FOR THE DAY
2025-10-18 | Weston Museum, Burlington Street, Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, BS23 1PR, United Kingdom
On Saturday 18 October 2025, Weston Museum will be closed to the public for a private function. We will reopen Tuesday 21 October 2025.
We thank you for your understanding.
For more information about Weddings at Weston Museum, click here.

Halloween Messy Play
2025-10-24 10:00 - 13:00 (Europe/London) | Weston Museum, Burlington Street, Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, BS23 1PR, United Kingdom
🎃 Art in Mind presents Messy Play! Our theme this month is Halloween! 👻
Prepare for a fun-filled session, with a different range of sensory and messy play activities for your little ones to build, imagine, experience, investigate, explore, and create. Please bring a towel and a change of clothes, we will get messy!
Workshop Times:
10:00 – 11:00
12:00 – 13:00
Cost:
£8.00 per child (maximum 1 adult per child)
💥 Messy Fun: During this sensory session, you will have the opportunity to get messy with a range of 7 activities.
🎟️ Limited spots available: We highly recommend securing your spot in advance. Don’t miss out on the chance to experience this exciting and engaging activity!
Ticket Link:
https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/westonmuseum/halloween-messy-play/e-qmojml
