Learning zone
Key stage 2 session

Terrific Textiles and Block to Box

Terrific Textiles - discover how wool turns into felt . A creative hands on workshop in feltmaking . Design your own piece of decorative felt to take away.

Block to Box - the amazing process of making a hat. Feel the raw materials and experience the might of the 19th century industrial machinery on the factory floor.

Half day session: 10am - 12 noon, up to 35 children

Get Ahead Get a Hat

Create a hat in a day! Children will be given the opportunity to explore our fantastic gallery to seek inspiration from the hat designs housed in our extensive collection. Using their artistic skills and our wide ranging resources each participant will create an individual hat or their very own. All completed work can be take away by the children.

Full day session: 10am - 2pm , up to 30 children

Living History - On the Factory Floor

This session offers participating children the opportunity to step back in time to experience ‘life’ as an Apprentice at Ward’s Hat Factory at the end of the 19th Century.

• All children will wear late 19th century costume through out the session to really recreate the mood of the time.
• During the day they will encounter two characters who will introduce them to the world of the factory worker.
• In the morning they will attend the schoolroom where Mistress/Master Hardcastel will deliver a lesson in the 3’R’s. Note that discipline will be strict!
• Following on from there the children will make a ‘test piece’ of felt for inspection.
• Bessie will invite them into her hatter’s cottage to help with her many chores and to find out about her life as an Outworker.
• The children will be taken on to Hat Works recreated factory floor to explore the working machinery and the hat making process.

At the end of the session the children will be asked to sign an Indenture to become apprentices for a period of 7 years.

Full day session: 10am - 2pm, up to 35 children

For further information and to book any of the sessions listed above please contact our bookings reception on 0161 355 7776.