National Museum of Scotland Releases Full Schedule of Events for November, December 2015

National Museum of Scotland

Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF

Photography: A Victorian Sensation

19 Jun - 22 Nov 2015

Exhibition Gallery 1, Level 3

Cost: Adult £10/£8; Child £6.50; Under 12s free; Museums Scotland Members free; National Art Pass holders 50% discount

Meet the pioneers of photography and discover how the Victorian craze for the photograph transformed the way we capture images today and mirrors our own modern-day fascination for recording the world around us. Follow the cross-channel competition between photographic trailblazers Louis Daguerre and William Henry Fox Talbot, enter the world of the 1851 Great Exhibition and see some of the world's first stereophotographs. Then get swept up in the collecting craze of the carte-de-visite and discover the fascinating stories of the people behind the pictures, including Hill and Adamson's beautiful images of Victorian Edinburgh.

Kindly supported by The Morton Charitable Trust.

The Silversmith's Art: Made in Britain Today

18 Sep - 4 Jan 2016

Exhibition Gallery 2, Level 3

Free

This ground-breaking exhibition celebrates the exceptional creativity and skill which make Britain a world leader in modern silver. The Silversmith's Art features 150 masterpieces made by 66 acclaimed silversmiths between 2000 and 2015. At the heart of the exhibition is The Goldsmiths' Company's role as patron of contemporary studio silver. This guild, situated in the City of London, has supported Britain's gold and silversmithing trades for over 700 years.

In association with The Goldsmith's Company.

Child's Play: Toys and Technology

25 Sep 2015 - 10 Jan2016

Grand Gallery, Level 1

Free

How have children's playthings changed over the last 150 years? From Meccano to a Minions scooter, this exhibition explores the development of toys and how they have grown In response to the changing world.

New to the National Collections

23 Oct 2015 - 28 Feb 2016

Grand Gallery, Level 1

Free

New to the National Collections provides a fascinating insight into National Museums Scotlands' varied collections and a number of items are on public view for the first time. The display is diverse, from a tiny fragment of the 2013 Chelyabinsk Meteor to the quirky Omnibot 2000 robot butler.

National War Museum

Edinburgh Castle, EH1 2NG

Open 09:45-17:45 daily

Helmand Return

27 Feb 2015 - 27 Mar 2016

Free with admission to Edinburgh Castle

Five years after his poignant exhibition Helmand: Faces of Conflict, renowned photographer Robert Wilson revisited Afghanistan as an official war artist to record the British troops' final tour of duty. The photographs allow a rare insight into the process of withdrawing from a war zone; capturing the essence of the human and logistical challenges faced during the transfer of responsibility and withdrawal.

Helmand Return is created by Robert Wilson, curated by Catherine Collins and Rhiannon Adam, and loaned by Gallery One and a Half.

Events/Activities

National Museum of Scotland

Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF

Open 10:00-17:00 daily

For Everyone

Silversmithing Demonstrations

24 Oct- 14 Nov 2015

Every Saturday 10:00-16:00

Special Exhibition Gallery 2, Level 3

Free, drop in.

The Silversmith's Art: Made in Britain Today celebrates the exceptional creativity and skill which make Britain a world leader in contemporary silver. During the exhibition, four nationally acclaimed silversmiths will be demonstrating their skilful techniques at a workbench within the gallery.

London Oriana Choir

14 Nov 2015

11:30-12:00

Free, drop-in

A free performance by the London Oriana Choir, one of Britain's leading choral groups. The choir has performed across the UK and internationally, including a performance of The Who's Quadrophenia with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Alfie Boe at the Royal Albert Hall in July.

Takeover Day

20 Nov 2015

10:00-17:00

Free, drop-in

Experience the National Museum of Scotland in a whole new light as the Young Demonstrators, the museums' youth group aged from 14 to 22, take over for a day. Join them for an innovative programme of tours, a time-traveling murder mystery trail and a photobooth complete with themed dressing up box.

Part of Kids in Museums.

Christmas Choirs

6 Dec & 20 Dec 2015

15:00-16:00

Free, drop-in

Get into the festive spirit with Christmas concerts from local choirs at the National Museum of Scotland. This year we've invited three Edinburgh-based choirs - Accord, Edinburgh Renaissance Singers and Edinburgh Contemporary Choir - to bring some festive cheer to your museum visit.

Supported by the Peoples Postcode Lottery.

LTD Edition Jewellery

11 Dec - 13 Dec 2015

10:00-17:00

Event Space, Learning Centre, Level 2

Free, drop-in

Edinburgh College of Art Jewellery students showcase work from their annual LTD Edition Jewellery project. These projects link students to leading companies Weston Beamor and Cooksongold in the Birmingham Jewellery Quarter, to create small designer editions of work integrating the hand-made with digital design and manufacture. Second year Graphic Design students from the College will also be providing their designed and made packaging for the display.

Christmas Art Competition

27 Dec - 30 Dec 2015

10:30-16:30

Free, drop-in

What in the museum will inspire you to get drawing this year? Take part in our popular annual art competition suitable for all ages and abilities. Basic materials and lots of encouragement provided.

For Adults

Open Studies: Victorian Edinburgh

From 1 Oct 2015 (10 weeks)

10:30-12:30

Seminar Room, Learning Centre, Level 4

Cost: £121/£80. Book at www.ed.ac.uk/openstudies or call 0131 650 4400 to book.

Examine Edinburgh's economic social and political climate during 1837-1901 and assess how the city's inhabitants responded to some of the most important Scottish, British and international events of the era. Includes exhibition entry.

Museum Socials

16 Oct 2015 - 18 Mar 2016

Every Friday 10:30-12:00

Meet at the Tower Entrance, 10:15 for 10:30

Free, call 0300 123 6789 to book your place.

This new series of relaxed and informal sessions offers anyone living with Dementia, along with their relatives, friends and supporters, an opportunity to explore a different part of the museum each month with our learning staff. Sessions are free and include a cup of tea.

Museum Late: Victorian Sensation

13 Nov 2015

19:00-22:30

Cost: Late plus exhibition entry £20, £18 Members and Conc.

Late only £12, £10 Members and Conc. Booking required. Adults 18+

Don your top hats and bonnets, and join us in your finest black and white attire (dress code optional but encouraged!) for a splendid evening of fascination and frivolity. Do not miss the opportunity to partake in some of our most amusing activities, including dressing up in Victorian finery at our photobooth or Selfie Studio. Curated by our media partner The List and hosted by Lates favorite Vic Galloway, the evening's musical guests include headliners Honeyblood and elegant electro-pop due Bdy-Prts.

Museum Lates: Speed Dating

13 Nov 2015

18:15-19:30

Entrance Hall, Museum Brasserie

Cost: £12, including entry to Museum Late: Victorian Sensation, to attend speed dating you MUST have a ticket for the event, places limited.

There'll be 10 men, 10 women, 10 dates each and an epic Museum Late event to attend afterwards, what more could you ask for? The guideline age is people in their 30s, but we don't mind a little bit of leeway either way!

Spotlight On: Frank Hornby and Mechanical Toys

14 Nov 2015

14:00-15:30 (doors open at 13:45)

Free, but spaces limited, adults 14+

Deborah Jaffé introduces the amazing work of Frank Hornby, inventor of Meccano, The Hornby Railway and Dinky Cars. Deborah explores the origins of his designs, their manufacture and how they successfully enabled children to learn mechanics.

Fakes and Forgeries Seminar

18 Nov 2015

10:00-16:00

Board and Bute Room, Level 3

£65, £60 Members and Concessions , Adults 14+

In association with The Goldsmiths' Company Assay Office, London, this unique Fakes and Forgeries seminar will reveal the fakes or forged pieces of silver from the real thing by combining educational lectures with first-hand contact with examples of authentic and counterfeit objects.

Lost + Found in Edinburgh

19 Nov 2015

18:30-20:00 (doors open 18:15)

Auditorim, Level 1, entry via Lothian Street at rear of National Museum of Scotland

Free, age 18+, booking required. Book online at www.nms.ac.uk

Join us for the launch of online exhibition Lost+Found in Edinburgh. Featuring images of the city's abandoned places, ruins, urban quirks and contested spaces, our panel will discuss the exhibition and debate what it means to inhabit Edinburgh today.

This event is in partnership with The University of Edinburgh's Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities and in association with Being Human: a festival of the humanities.

Citizen Science for Community Engagement

24 Nov 2015

13:00-15:30, drop-in & 15:00-16:30 talk

Auditorium, Level 1

Free, age 14+, booking required. Call 0300 123 6789 or book online at www.nms.ac.uk.

Explore how citizen participation in science projects can bring benefits for community development. Dr Erinmad Ochu, Wellcome Trust Engagement Fellow highlights the ways in which citizen participation in the design and carrying out of science projects can bring benefits for community development.

Cabinets of Curiosity: Strange Objects in Uncertain Times

25 Nov 2015

18:30-20:00 (doors open 18:15)

Auditorim, Level 1, entry via Lothian Street at rear of National Museum of Scotland

Free, age 14+. Booking required, book online at www.nms.ac.uk.

Join Libby Robin from Australian National University, in thinking about how museums can help us reflect contemporary environmental challenges.

Presented in partnership with the Edinburgh Environmental Humanities Network, University of Edinburgh.

Spotlight On: The Silversmith's Art Today

1 Dec 2015

14:00-15:00 (doors open 13:45)

Auditorium, Level 1

The Goldsmiths' Company's Curator and Art Director, Rosemary Ransome Wallis, introduces the Company's role as a guild and leading patron of modern silver, showcasing its beautiful collection innovative studio silver as featured in our exhibition.

In association with The Goldsmith's Company.

For families

Magic Carpet

21 Oct - 15 Dec 2015

Every Wednesday, 10:30-10:55, 11:30-11:55

Free, limited places (first come, first served basis). Suitable for under 5s, must be accompanied by an adult.

Our magic carpet introduces little ones to objects in the Museum through 25 minutes of stories, songs and activities.

Magic Carpet Minis

22 Oct - 17 Dec 2015

Every Thursday, 10:30-10:50, 11:30-11:50

Free, limited places (first come, first served basis). Suitable for ages 0-2, must be accompanied by an adult.

Magic Carpet Mini sessions especially for really young children and their carers. Come along for songs, stories, rhymes and objects in the unique museum setting.

Magic Carpet Weekenders

28 Nov - 29 Nov 2015

11:00-11:25

Free, limited places (first come, first served basis). Suitable for under 5s, must be accompanied by an adult.

Join us for our monthly special weekend story activity sessions as we explore different objects on the Magic Carpet.

Christmas at the Museum

5 December 2015

12:00-16:00

Free, drop-in

The National Museum of Scotland's festive programme kicks off with a double bill of sleigh bells and science. Discover the deadly lengths people will go to for beauty, meet a plague or two and make a molecular Christmas decoration to take home at this month's Science Saturday, Deadly December: Plagues and Pandemics. Then join our musical Winter Warm-up for an afternoon of festive performances by wind ensemble Sirocco winds, The Scottish Consort and the brass quintet Bells Up. With Live Music Now Scotland and the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

Science Saturday: Deadly December

Sat 05 Dec 2015

12:00-16:00

Free, drop-in

Seven fleas a-flying, six corsets crushing, five gold (neck) rings...join us for a fun, slightly twisted antidote to the usual Christmas frivolity on Science Saturday. Discover the deadly lengths people will go to for beauty, meet a plague or two, take part in our debate on the future of global health and make a molecular Christmas decoration to take home.

Christmas Crafternoon

12 Dec - 13 Dec2015

12:00-16:00

Free, drop-in

Come and make a lovely museum-inspired festive decoration to take home. Our crafts this year have been designed by 3rd Year Illustration students from Edinburgh College of Art as part of a joint project.

Hogmanay Family Ceilidh

31 Dec 2015

14:00-15:30

Free, drop-in

Enjoy an afternoon of whirling and birling for all ages with the Canongate Cadjers Ceilidh Band. It's enthusiasm not experience that counts!

Daily tours

Join one of our free daily tours and spend an hour exploring some of the highlights of the National Museum of Scotland.

Themed Tours

Daily at 15:00 (1 hr), free.

Venue: Tours leave from the Meeting Point, Entrance Hall, Level 0

Free

Our free guided themed tours at National Museum of Scotland explore everything from Scotland's history to the supernatural.

Discover the National Museum

Daily at 11:00 (1 hr)

Venue: Tours leave from the Meeting Point, Entrance Hall, Level 0

Free

From stunning Victorian architecture to the Lewis Chessmen, this tour will give you a flavour of all the National Museum of Scotland has to offer.

Scottish Galleries Highlights Tour

Daily at 13:00 (1 hr)

Free

Tours leave from the Meeting Point, Entrance Hall, Level 0

Follow the story of Scotland through fascinating objects on this highlights tour.

Looking for a more in-depth experience? We offer a wide range of themed tours. Ask at the information desk or check our website for forthcoming tour titles www.nms.ac.uk/tours

National Museum of Flight

East Fortune, EH39 5LF

Astronomy Day

14 Nov 2015

10:00-16:00

Cost: Included in museum admission

Space-themed talks and activities.

National Museum of Rural Life

Wester Kittochside, Philipshill Road, East Kilbride G76 9HR

Christmas Fair and Foal Show

6 Dec 2015

10:00-17:00

Adult £8 / £7, Child £4.50 (under 5 free), family tickets for 2 adults and 2 children £23, National Museums Scotland Members free

Meet Father Christmas, enjoy a pantomime and pick up some gift ideas at our Christmas Craft Fair. Experience traditional Yuletide activities at the farmhouse with pomander making and Victorian parlour games.

Christmas Wreath Making

13 Dec 2015

14:00-16:00

Adults £12, Children £4 (16 years and under )

Make a lovely wreath arrangement to decorate your home with this Christmas.