Kids in Museums Takeover Day at Bourne Hall Museum with local Brownies from Girlguiding UK

In November, 1st Ewell Village (St Mary's) Brownies enjoyed an evening at Bourne Hall Museum in Ewell, as part of a national Kids in Museums Takeover Day. The Brownies discovered what it means to be a Learning and Engagement Officer, Museum Curator and Graphic Design/Marketing Officer in a museum. They welcomed (imaginary) VIP guests to the museum - including Taylor Swift and others - creating a personalised map and a tour of the museum for each VIP.

Kids in Museums, supported by Arts Council England, was established to help historic institutions like Bourne Hall Museum empower young people and give them meaningful roles in their organisations. Over 5,000 people, from toddlers to 25-year-olds, now take part each year, and Kids in Museums has held an annual digital takeover since 2014.

Participation in this project forms part of Epsom & Ewell Borough Council’s Arts, Culture and Heritage Strategy which aims to increase access to arts, culture and heritage within the borough, as well as nurture local, creative talent.

Councillor Clive Woodbridge, Chair of the Community & Wellbeing Committee, said:

“Bourne Hall Museum is a valuable community asset, beloved by residents of all ages. It has a wonderful collection that shines a light on our local area and its past. The Kids in Museums Takeover Day is fantastic - it gives young people the chance to experience the museum in a new way, encouraging them to think about curation, customer experience and programming. I am so pleased that we can invite community groups to experience Bourne Hall Museum in this way.”

Speaking about the takeover, Mary Zoeller from 1st Ewell Village (St Mary’s) Brownies said:

“The Brownies really enjoyed looking round the exhibits and deciding which their chosen celebrities would find the most interesting. They also loved anything that related to the local area and there was much excitement whenever Ewell was mentioned!

Thank you for inviting us to come in for an interesting and enjoyable evening.”

Brownies added,

“I enjoyed looking at all the old things. I loved the shoes, toys, tech and mini models and the old loo”, “I liked the whole experience, but my favourite part is when we did the celebrity museum tour. 10/10!”, “I enjoyed seeing the miniature models and reading about certain people.”

Follow the conversation on social media using the hashtag #TakeoverDay and following @KidsInMuseums.