Swindon's Richard Jefferies Museum teams up with The Wild Escape to host a week of exciting events

By Jessica Durston - 17 April 2023

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Swindon's Richard Jefferies Museum has announced that it is taking part in The Wild Escape - a major new project uniting hundreds of museums with schools with families to find nature in museums.

Led by national art charity Art Fund, and with support from Arts Council England, hundreds of museums, galleries and historic houses are coming together for the largest ever collaboration between UK museums.

The Swindon museum - which celebrates Victorian nature writer Richard Jefferies - has a week of events lined up, culminating in a free, fun-filled Family Day next Saturday (22 April) which is also international Earth Day.  

The Wild Escape week is said to offer something for everyone, with Nature Tots on Tuesday and Thursday, activities with schools and Fantastic Pheasants home education group, and free adult writing and art workshops on Wednesday and Thursday.

Additionally, Saturday’s free event, from 1pm - 5pm, invites children to join in with nature hunts, arts and crafts, meet the Dinky Ponies, bug hunting, plus prizes, medals and certificates.

The day will also include live folk music from local band SGO, and the café will be selling the season’s first cream teas.

Organisers say The Wild Escape is an opportunity to join the urgent conversation about climate crisis and biodiversity loss and look for nature positive solutions, in partnership with leading environmental charities the RSPB and WWF and cultural organisations National Trust and English Heritage.

The Wild Escape is inspired by Wild Isles - a landmark BBC series exploring the flora and fauna of the UK.

Jenny Waldman, Director, Art Fund, said: “I'm thrilled that Richard Jefferies Museum is joining hundreds of organisations, from the Outer Hebrides to Folkestone, to connect thousands of children with the natural world through the UK’s truly great museums. 

"Thanks to the invaluable support of Arts Council England, the Wild Escape will empower families and children across the UK to visit and discover our wonderful museums, whilst taking positive action to picture a better future for our wildlife."

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