New RAMM initiative invites people to get arty in their home
Published: 24 April 2020
An exciting new artistic challenge has been launched by Exeter’s popular Royal Albert Memorial Museum and Art Gallery (RAMM).
RAMM at Home will invite people to create their very own RAMM collections based on the museum’s stunning objects.
The museum is currently closed due to the Coronavirus outbreak but people are still being encouraged to engage with museum via its collections and activities online.
Starting on Friday 24 April, RAMM at Home will be looking to inspire budding artists and those who just want to have fun with weekly challenges. The initiative kicks off with a video tutorial on how to draw giraffes, in homage to Gerald, RAMM’s most famous resident.
RAMM is well loved within Exeter and across Devon and at the current time is being missed by many people. This exciting project will give people the opportunity to connect with and continue to be inspired by the museum and our collections; whilst tapping into everybody’s creative skills, whatever level of artistic ability.
With a focus on areas of the museum such as Romans, Natural History, Egyptian mummies and World Cultures, a different challenge will be set every Friday. Drawing sessions, animated creations, origami, costume designing and model making are just some of the artistic ideas that will feature.
For those interested in taking part, challenges will be released on the RAMM website, across its social media accounts and via e-newsletters every Friday. Visit www.rammuseum.org.uk/getting-involved/rammhome/to find out more.
The Museum is encouraging participants in RAMM at Home to share their creations. This could simply be by placing them in windows for others to see or sending them to family and friends to show them you are thinking of them.
RAMM would also love to be able to share people’s artwork with the museum’s audience and ask that people tag RAMM using #RAMMatHome on social media or email pictures through to ramm.events@exeter.gov.uk. The museum will then share them on their website.
Rachel Sutton, Lead Councillor for Climate and Culture, said: “This is a very difficult time for many people and we know that engaging with culture can help people who are feeling lonely, isolated or afraid. These activities are relevant to anyone who wants some creative inspiration, whether they are families, looking for some activities to do with children, away from the screen, or adults who still want to connect with the museum in a creative way.”
RAMM at Home is just one of the ways people can engage with the Royal Albert Memorial Museum online. Those missing the museum can explore the galleries whilst the doors are closed with Google Arts & Culture, where people can browse a range of online exhibits and virtually step inside with Google Street View. Budding curators or intrigued members of the public can see over 14,000 objects from the collections, and curate and share their discoveries using Collections Explorer
Minecraft fans can roam the streets of the past and there are some great ideas to keep the children entertained by discovering the world of fearsome Vikings and ruthless Romans with RAMM’s online resources. People can find out more about the Roman mosaics unearthed in Exeter and Devon, learn how they were made and have a go at creating their own using the entertaining interactive tool Mosaic Maker. Visit www.rammuseum.org.uk to discover all of this and more.