Build a Museum - Behind the Scenes at Gainsborough's House

Ever wondered what it takes to run a museum? From curating exhibitions to marketing, education, and visitor experience — this interactive afternoon will give you a behind-the-scenes look at the wide range of careers that bring a museum to life.

Join us for a fun, hands-on workshop at Gainsborough’s House to explore how exhibitions are created, who makes it all happen, and what skills are needed in the world of heritage and museums.

1:00pm – Welcome & Introductions
Meet the Gainsborough’s House team and discover different museum career paths.
Kick things off with our quick-fire “Who Does What?” quiz to match roles with job descriptions!

1:15pm – Guided Site Tour
Explore the galleries, education spaces, historic House, visitor areas, shop, and café.
Use your Career Tracker worksheet to note which roles and spaces interest you most.

2:00pm – Mapping the Museum: Who Makes it Happen?
Work together to map out how an exhibition goes from concept to opening day.
Learn about curation, marketing, operations, learning, and retail — with short films and team bios to bring each role to life.

2:30pm – Build a Mini-Museum
Get creative! In small groups, design a mini museum space based on your tour.
Use provided materials to plan, design, and ‘build’ your own display — then combine your ideas to create a full museum model.

3:15pm – Finale: Group Discussion
Share your ideas and reflections with your peers and the museum team.

Please not Under 18s are to be accompanied by an Adult

Also check out other Exhibitions in Sudbury, Workshops in Sudbury, Contests in Sudbury.