Half-term workshop inspired by art exhibition

Children can use an art exhibition featuring sound, light and theatre as inspiration to build their own moving toy at The Oxfordshire Museum in Woodstock this school half-term.

The Sharmanka Travelling Circus and Gothic Kinetic have used unusual mechanical objects and carved figures in the exhibition, which is performed at the Park Street museum from February 11 to March 29.

Children can inject a bit of creativity into their week off from school on Tuesday, February 17 by making their own toys at the museum from 2pm-4pm.

Sculptures that ‘speak’

The sculptures ‘speak’, each detailing personal and cultural stories of life, death, cruelty and beauty.

Meanwhile, mechanical objects which include bicycle wheels and old domestic machinery move to create unforgettable sequences of light and sound in 30-minutes performances that are repeated hourly throughout the day.

Exhibition’s Russian roots

Sharmanka – the Russian word for musical instrument the hurdy gurdy – is the brainchild of Russian-born artist Eduard Bersudky, theatre director Tatyana Jakovskya and light and sound designer Sergey Jakovsky.

Councillor Jim Couchman, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Social and Community Services, said: “This exhibition is very unusual and a really good opportunity to see a different form of art at The Oxfordshire Museum.

“We always have a wide range of exhibitions at The Oxfordshire Museum on a whole host of subjects which prove to be popular with visitors.”

No booking is required for the toy-making session, which costs