This summer visit The Herbert Art Gallery for an exciting discovery of Coventry’s diverse and inspiring past.

Summer Holidays: Crafting Coventry’s History | Events in Coventry

Saturday 24 July – Friday 3rd September 10.30am - 12.00pm & 2.00pm - 3.30 pm

It is designed for age 5+, but all are welcome!

£5.98 per child including one accompanying adult!

Featuring Lady Godiva, Medieval Coventry, the Tudor Times, the Victorians, World War II and 2 Tone. Coventry is the UK City of Culture 2021, making this an even greater and exciting time to learn about the city’s thriving past and pioneering people.

These popular workshops are fantastic for encouraging creative minds and enhancing the skills of budding artists. A member of our Learning Team will be on hand to help, give advice and encourage your children during this 90-minute workshop. All creations can be taken home with you on the day.

Daily Activities:

Week 1: Lady Godiva Coventry

• Saturday 24 July and Monday 26 July: Stained Glass Window Scene: Create a stunning stained glass window scene using colourful tissue paper, black card and contact paper as a sticky canvas. Design an amazing scene by reimagining the City’s heroin Lady Godiva, riding through the streets of Coventry, or another favourite historic event. The finished scenes can be hung on your windows at home to allow the natural light to shine through and illuminate the colourful creations you have made.
• Wednesday 28 July and Friday 30 July: Lady Godiva’s Hobby Horse: Reimagine socks, buttons, a piece of felt, cloth and a stick by turning them into a fabulous Hobby Horse to ride away on. What adventures will you go on as you gallop around our galleries and Coventry City?

Week 2: Medieval Coventry

• Saturday 31 July and Monday 2 August: Medieval Mystery Play Mask: In the Middle Ages actors wore the most amazingly fashioned masks to perform in mystery plays. Craft an ingenious mask by collaging pieces of fabric and cardboard shapes onto a base. Be sure to embellish with gold and silver pens, and feathers. Take your masterpiece home and perform your own mystery play for your friends and family.
• Wednesday 4 August and Friday 6 August: Orange Pomanders & Posies: In the spirit of Medieval Coventry join us in making pomanders, which were carried around by people to hide the stink of the waste filled streets. Get creative by studding patterns into oranges with cloves, finally embellished with a ribbon. Also try your hand at making decorative posies with colourful pipe cleaners and straws, inspired by the sweet-smelling herbs which were often carried to hide smells in medieval times.

Week 3: Tudor Times

• Saturday 7 August and Monday 9 August: Craft the Coventry Sword: After almost 500 years the Coventry sword has returned and is temporarily resting in the History Gallery. The years have not been kind to it; can you shape and design a new sword and hilt using cardboard, tinfoil, string and tissue paper? Finally embellish your sword with a decorative pommel using an array of resources.
• Wednesday 11 August and Friday 13 August: Perfect Paper Tudor Roses: The Tudor rose, an unmistakable flower in England; both red on the outside and white in its centre. Make your own variation with modern day materials, such as doilies, paper plates, felt tips, water colours, ribbon, yarn, skewers and masking tape. Take home your amazing creations to display in a jug full of water and enjoy.

Week 4: The Victorians- Playthings

• Saturday 14 August and Monday 16 August: Zooming Zoetropes & Spinning Tops: Spin away with your imagination whilst handcrafting mesmerising cylinders and moving images hand drawn by you. Spin your finished Zoetrope and enjoy watching your very own amazing animation. Also try your hand at upcycling materials, cork cones and wooden skewers into a collection of colourful spinning tops.
• Wednesday 18 August and Friday 20 August: Wooden Clothespin People: Try your hand at making fun and quirky figures using wooden clothespins. Let your imagination spin away whilst decorating your figure using layers of fabric, yarn, ribbon, colourful pipe cleaners, felt tips and other resources. Will you be inspired to make a famous person from the past, your family members or even a traditional Victorian doll? Take home and display your amazing textile art pieces.

Week 5: World War II- Make do and Mend 

• Saturday 21 August and Monday 23 August: Splendid Soap Sculptures: A simple commodity transformed into the most splendid gift. Have a go at some soap carving and create beautiful abstract art. Make it extra special and take it home gift wrapped in some simple cloth and ribbon, just like the old 'make do and mend' times.
• Wednesday 25 August and Friday 27 August: Decorative Glass Jars: During World War II people in Coventry had to keep their lights turned off in the evening, and they used candles to see in the dark. Make your own colourful candle holders out of glass jars. Decorate your glass jar with acrylic paints and adorn with embellishments to play with a colourful array of light illuminations. A battery operated tealight will also be provided to go inside your wonderful creation.

Book online in advance!