26 Stories of Family Arts
National Maritime Museum
The Cove
Audience Impact & Innovation Award Winner
“At Willow Dene School we are so used to being unseen, and when we are seen we are seen in more of a ‘less than’ capacity, that our children and young people do not have opinions and cannot express what they want or need. To be included in talking about this play space, not just a tick the box exercise, as an afterthought, but to actually be asked what we wanted, what they would like to have in a play space, how our children actually play it was truly remarkable.” – School Staff Member
The Cove is designed to be SEND inclusive, with multiple accessible sensory elements to create a sense of belonging and acceptance for SEND children. The play space includes light play, touch games, textures, wheelchair access inside structures and coloured Perspex to look through. Wooden artworks have been incorporated throughout.
A series of workshops took place with collaborators in their own locations and at the Museum to inform the design of the playground through creative projects enabling families and children to add their own elements to the fabric of the play space.
Working with families is at the heart of what the National Maritime Museum does. From regular consultation to a yearly ‘Family in Residence’ programme, families are central to programme development. As a result, they offer a well-used and well-loved family programme: regular activities include Play Tuesdays (early years), Discover Sundays and characters encounters; recent examples of targeted programming include Safe Harbour, Sensory Sailors and the LGBTQ+ family network supporting the development of family resilience and memory making for foster and adoptive families, families with SEND children and families who identify as LGBTQ+ respectively. These programmes enable families to find meaningful connections with the collections at the Museum and each other. They also work actively with families to collaborate when developing new displays, programmes, galleries and facilities.
Their family-friendly approach is underpinned by a commitment to play. For example, in 2023 they held their first conference dedicated to the practice of play, included staff from across the museum in play training, and launched their first play manifesto.
You can discover all 26 Stories of Family Arts here. If you’d like to discover more fantastic organisations that meet our Family Arts Standards or Age-Friendly Standards explore the Fantastic for Families Directory.
National Maritime Museum is a Fantastic for Families Awards 2024 Winner in the category: Audience Impact & Innovation Award
Awards Shortlist
26 Stories of Family Arts
Discover the finalists and their 26 stories of arts engagement. Find out who is nominated for Best Family Arts Activity, Best Age-Friendly Outreach, and Audience Impact & Innovation.
Directory
Fantastic for Families
From festivals and theatre companies to galleries and museums, in our directory you’ll find 1000+ organisations bringing eye-boggling creative events, activities and initiatives to life across the UK.
Sector Support
Family Arts Campaign
Work in the arts industry? Find out more about our work to support you. Dive into our resources library, commit to the Family Arts Standards or create a Family Arts Network in your area.