Children’s art a ‘roaring’ success at Littlehampton Museum

During the week-long break, the museum, in Church Street, celebrated two events – the opening of its 11th school art exhibition and its new dinosaur workshops.

About 70 young palaeontologists were roaring with Jurassic joy during the four creative workshops, with the last one on Friday (May 30).

All of them relished in the chance of unearthing the town’s long-lost ‘residents’.

Juliet Thomas, curator at the museum, said the children were thrilled when they got their hands on a set of actual dinosaur bones.

Juliet said: “They were really excited about that. It was really special for them and they all wanted to get their photos taken holding them.”

The youngsters learned all about the four-tonne, herbivore the iguanodon, which lived in the UK more than 110 million years ago.

They also discovered about the creatures roaming the seas during this period, including the plesiosaur.

Children then drew their own dinosaurs and the place they lived with some bizarre ideas coming to the fore.

“We had dinosaurs that lived in caves but then some really odd creations,” Juliet said. “Some had secret back gardens where they could have barbecues – which seemed to be quite a popular theme. Others lived on the beach and built sand castles.”

Juliet added one child even drew a marine-based dinosaur relaxing in Mewsbrook Park’s pond.

However, the creatures of the Cretaceous were a far cry from the museum’s other artistic event.

The Hearne Gallery has been splashed with summertime colour. It is packed full of pictures from primary school children from across the area.

Using the theme ‘The Great British Summer’, youngsters painted everything from sparkling beaches, ice-creams and kites.

They were helped with their ideas during a workshop at Chichester’s Pallant House Gallery and a watercolour session sponsored by Littlehampton Rotary Club.

The exhibition will run until July 18.

For a full picture report, see this week’s Gazette (Thursday, June 5).