Staff and volunteers around York Castle Museum were captured on film today as new footage was being gathered about what learning activities are on offer.

A Victorian lesson

Children from Bassett House School, in North Kensington, London, got a taste of Victorian discipline from our strict teacher, played by learning facilitator Kirstie Blything.

Sessions in our Victorian street’s schoolroom are always popular with schools and from September, they will be able to book a whole day in the museum looking at childhood, which includes taking part in a schoolroom session in costume.

Teacher Hilary Richardson, from Bassett House, said the school also liked another workshop called Troubled Times in Victorian York, with actor Chris Cade playing a Victorian policeman. He was also filmed today in full costume!

Other new sessions from September will include a workshop on Florence Nightingale (KS1) and the Victorian Chemist (KS2).

Filming in the Military Studio

The new film will also include examples of activities in our Studio spaces, which are often led by volunteers. Volunteer Chris Green, a former curator at Berwick-upon-Tweed Museum and Art Gallery, was filmed talking about some of the objects which will feature in new sessions about the First World War.

Visitors will be able to see these objects up close and handle some of them when they visit the museum’s Military Gallery.

How babies were dressed in times gone by...in our Collections Studio

Other sessions take place in our Collections Studio (at the end of the Toy Gallery) and the Kitchen Studio, which often hosts historic cookery demonstrations during the school holidays.

The new film is being made by Digifish TV of York and will appear on our website over the summer.

Learning manager Amy Parkinson said she hoped it would give a taste of what the museum could offer to schools, adult learners and general visitors wanting to find out more and get involved in activities.