November 2011

A full programme of events for children and family visitors to the historic Greenwich National Maritime Museum (NMM) and Queen’s House (QH). For Royal Observatory, Greenwich and Peter Harrison Planetarium events please contact the Press Office on 020 8312 6790/ 6732/ 6545

November highlights

Diwali Celebrations

Saturday 12 November 2011

A family-friendly day of Diwali celebrations takes place this month as part of the National Maritime Museum’s Traders Unpacked season. Celebrate the Festival of Lights and explore British Asian heritage with a colourful mix of music, workshops, performances and film, culminating in a lantern-lit outdoor procession in Greenwich Park and live music from Parapar.

• Join in with making an alternative rangoli to welcome your family and friends to the Museum.
• Meet South Asian lascar, John Morgan, who worked on-board an East India Company ship bringing fabrics, spices and tea to Britain.
• Watch a screening of David Kaplan’s acclaimed film Today’s Special – a feel-good comedy about a young chef in New York who rediscovers his heritage through cooking Indian food.
• Make a lantern and take part in an outdoor procession at dusk through in Greenwich Park.
• Hear music from renowned singer songwriter Moushumi Bhowmik, as she performs Bengali river folk songs with her band Parapar.
• Come along and discover more about how trade by sea brought ideas, culture, language and people from Asia to Britain. This event is in collaboration with Tara Arts, film curator Cary Rajinder Sawhney and Emergency Exit Arts.

Dates: 12 November
Times: 11.30–18.00
Venue: National Maritime Museum
Ages: Suitable for all ages
Admission: Free

Traders Unpacked, sponsored by Sharwood’s, is a wide-ranging season of music, film, fashion, debate and spoken word celebrating the opening of a new gallery at the National Maritime Museum: Traders: The East India Company and Asia. The gallery opens on 28 September and the season of events runs from October until February 2012.

Weekly Events

Explore Saturdays

Meet a character from the past and take part in an exciting performance that will bring maritime history to life.
Dates: Every Saturday
Times: 12.00, 13.00, 14.00, 15.00
Venue: NMM
Ages: Suitable for ages 6+
Admission: Free

Discover Sundays

Be inspired by our maritime past and explore your personal connections to the sea. Ask staff at the admissions desk where the activity is today.
Dates: Every Sunday
Times: 11.30–13.30, 14.00–16.00
Venue: NMM
Ages: Suitable for all ages
Admission: Free

Play Tuesdays

Young children can have fun with their families as they explore the Museum through making, music, dance and stories.
Timed sessions; collect free tickets from the admissions desk
Dates: Every Tuesday
Times: 10.3, 11.30, 13.00, 14.00
Venue: NMM
Ages: Suitable for under-5s
Admission: Free

Galleries for Young Visitors

Ship Simulator

Step aboard the Ship Simulator and discover the art of navigation and communication at sea. Become the captain of a ship and try your hand at manoeuvring into port using the state-of-the-art bridge simulator.

Equipped with the very latest technology used to train real seafarers, the simulator brings to life the excitement, difficulties, hazards and skills of handling ships at sea. You could find yourself at the helm of a fishing boat navigating buoys in New York Harbour, following a helicopter rescue mission to a sinking vessel, navigating a frigate into position off Sydney shores or steering a P&O ferry into port in Dover. Admission: Free

General Information

The National Maritime Museum opens at 10.00 and closes at 17.00 daily (last admission 16.30).

General admission to National Maritime Museum and Queen’s House is free.
Admission to the Royal Observatory’s historic Flamsteed House, Time Galleries, Meridian Line Courtyard and Meridian Building is £7 for adults (£5 concessions). Entry for children under 16 is free. An annual pass is also available for adults priced at £10 (£7.50 concessions); this pass allows visitors to return as many times as they like within 12 months for no additional charge. Admission to the Royal Observatory’s Astronomy Centre which houses three state-of-the-art modern astronomy galleries is free of charge.

All events included here are free of charge to all visitors unless stated.

The Museum is located a short walk from the Cutty Sark DLR, and Maze Hill and Greenwich train stations. The closest tube stations are North Greenwich (to change to local buses) and Canary Wharf (to change to DLR), both on the Jubilee line.

For updated information prior to visit please visit our web site: http://www.rmg.co.uk or phone (020) 8858 4422.

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Issued September 2011 by the National Maritime Museum Press Office.

For further information or images please contact:
National Maritime Museum Press Office
Tel: 020 8312 6545/6732 | 07960 509 802
Email: press@rmg.co.uk