Creative & Connected: September edition

Download activity pack

In this month’s pack, we’re taking a trip through London’s entertainment history, exploring mass entertainment, music and movie magic.

Listen to our London Lives podcast, get creative with our packs and join our team online for chat over a cuppa about London's past.

London Lives podcast

In this podcast series we delve into the rich stories of London’s people to create an audible journey to the past.

Each episode is inspired by an object from the Museum of London collection and shares the reflections of real Londoners and their London lives.

This month's episode

In this episode of London Lives, storyteller and author Bernadette Russell tells a beautiful tale of strength and togetherness, inspired by the experiences of David, vicar impresario with Upstream Theatre, and his creative partner and wife, Rachel. Inspired by a combined television and wireless set from the 1930s held in the Museum of London collection, some surprising stories and captivating moments from David's life emerge.

Click on the white arrow in the orange circle below to play this episode.

With great thanks to Rachel & David, who are valued members of the Museum of London's Dementia Reference Group, for permission to share their stories and work.

You can also click here to read a full transcript of this episode.

Share a story with us

October is Black History Month and our next podcast will focus on fashion and music. This African Pride hair spray was bought in Brixton in the early 1990s.

• Do you have a favourite hair style?
• Has your hair changed through the decades?
• Perhaps you loved your curls, sported an Afro or used an iron to create poker-straight hair!

We’d love to talk to you! If you’d like to share your story email [email protected] and we will get in touch to find out more.

Time for a cuppa

Why not join us for a live online session with our Memories of London team? We’ll be sharing objects from London's past, singing, moving and chatting together in this relaxing session.

Join us on Monday 5 October, 10.30-11.30am.

To take part please register by:

• Emailing [email protected]

Or:

• Calling 07780 504506 Monday-Friday, 9am-6pm (Standard network rates apply)

Activity pack

Simply click the following link to download a large-print PDF copy of this month's activity pack.

We recommend printing it off as it has activities to fill out, trace or complete, such as this playful wordsearch:

You can also enjoy some of this month's Creative & Connected activity pack below:

Ancient entertainers

What do you think this Roman object was used for?

This Roman leather bikini is in the museum’s collection! Recovered from a backfilled Roman well in Queen Victoria Street, London, these bikini briefs are thought to have been worn by young girls who were acrobatic dancers in a very ancient form of entertainment.

All the world's a stage

Follow these instructions to create your own Shakespeare-inspired story through the hilarious game of ‘consequences’.

You need at least two people to play this game and the following equipment:

• Pens or pencils
• Sheets of paper

Each player writes the answer to this question at the top of their sheet of paper (but don’t let your partner see!)

What's the name of a male Shakespeare character?

Fold over the top of your paper (so your answer is hidden) and pass your paper to your partner/next person in your group. With the piece of paper you have just received answer this question:

What's the name of a female Shakespeare character?

Repeat this process (folding over and passing round) until you have answered all the following questions:

• Where did they meet?
• What did they say to each other?
• And the consequence was...

Now unfold your paper and read out your collaborative stories! You can print this sheet and cut out some inspirational words or make up your own.

Tremendous Technicolour

Victorian theatre-goers often collected souvenir ‘penny plains’ – drawings of famous actors in popular roles. It cost just one penny to buy an undecorated picture which could be coloured in at home.

Live a bit of history for yourself by colouring in a penny plain from the Museum of London’s collection.

Music halls were also popular in the 19th century. Audiences were served food and drink throughout variety performances.

Sensory silver screen

In the first decade of the 20th century over 30 film studios were established in and around London.

On a rainy day, why not create your very own at-home cinema?

You could...

• Play all or part of your favourite film
• Dim the lights
• Play some film trailers
• Sit on or feel some velveteen fabric, like the fabric on the seat of this cinema chair in our collection.

Your favourites

What are your favourite film or TV genres? You could draw or make a collage of the ones you like the most.

Want to share a recording about why you love them? Email it to [email protected] for us to include on our website.

What music do you, your friends and family like?

In our collection, we also have a 1950s jukebox which played music by Manfred Mann, Cliff Richard, Fats Domino, Chuck Berry and The Everly Brothers.

Create your own radio playlist with all your favourites. It could be for a special occasion or to help you drift to sleep!

That's all we have for you this time, but remember to join us again next month!

You can find all the issues of Creative & Connected right here.