What's on

In 2022 Bankfield Museum in Halifax hosted ‘Costumes from Gentleman Jack’ exhibition. To share the exhibition further, the exhibition and content have been recorded in a film and slideshow.

For Anne Lister's 229th birthday on the 3rd April 2020 we wanted to share her diary entries from her journals 1818 to 1840. Here we have the extracts from Anne's birthdays, with transcriptions kindly provided by members of the #AnneListerCodeBreaker team.

An online exhibition to commemorate the anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo on the 18th June 1815.

Shibden Hall has 15 unique oil paintings, that are mostly portraits, on permanent display; some have been on site for centuries. We do not have much information on these paintings and would love to find out more.

Calderdale is celebrating its Year of Culture in 2024 to mark the 50th anniversary of its founding as a Borough, a period which has seen a profound transformation of the area from a major manufacturing centre unto a thriving, multicultural area. As part of these celebrations, Bankfield Museum is launching a new exhibition which explores the history of the Borough, from archaeological discoveries that have cast new light on the region’s prehistoric past, to the repurposing of former industrial buildings by businesses, filmmakers, and cultural bodies to create a dynamic future.    

This exciting new exhibition showcases fashion makers from across the country who design and make clothing based on historical dress. It explores the process of how you go from a museum garment or fashion plate to producing an item of historically inspired dress that is ready to wear.

For Calderdale’s Year of Culture 2024, this exhibition will showcase some of the Museum Service’s collections of art across different media and ages. Featuring some of the best-known artists from the region and beyond, alongside hidden gems from within the museum collection.

The iconic ‘wet shirt’ worn by Colin Firth in the BBC adaptation of Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen will be on display. The classic 1995 television scene saw Mr. Darcy dive into a lake and emerge with his shirt wet and clinging to him, only to be unexpectedly confronted by the presence of Miss Elizabeth Bennet; the lady who had rejected his marriage proposal.

A celebration of Calderdale. The hills and architecture, and the people that shaped it, by local artist Kate Lycett.

Ted Hughes and the Poetry of Calderdale The rugged and beautiful landscape of Calderdale has inspired poets for generations, most famously, the Poet Laureate Ted Hughes (1930-1998). This new exhibition celebrates the poets and poetry of the region, including rare examples of Hughes’ work from the archives of the University of Huddersfield, and photographs from Fay Godwin (1931-2005), whose images accompanied Hughes’ words in Remains of Elmet.   The exhibition will be accompanied by a series of poetry workshops and live events by current Calder poets.

Can you find TEN spooky pumpkins hidden in the Hall? Explore the house to locate them all and read about what spooky story each one represents.

Can you find TEN missing potion ingredients for the witches’ Bankfield Brew recipe? Look out for the potion bottles containing the missing ingredients and write down the recipe as you find each one.  Don’t forget to claim your prize from the reception desk when you’ve found them all! Tuesday to Saturday 10am - 4pm.

Mary Edith Durham (1863-1944) was a British explorer and collector who extensively documented the Balkans from 1900 to 1921. Her journeys took her through present-day Albania, Kosovo, Montenegro, and Macedonia, where she navigated challenging landscapes and harsh weather.

What dark and macabre secrets does Shibden Hall hold? What phantoms and beasts hide in the dark woods?

Come along to our Free Creepy Crafts session:  make your own peg monster, create Halloween decorations and have a go at wrapping a Mummy to get yourself in the spooky spirit! Our craft activities are suitable for ages 4 and upwards and children must be accompanied by an adult.

The Holocaust saw thousands of survivors seek refuge in England. Many of those found a home in Calderdale, where they were able to build new lives and contribute to the redevelopment of the region following the end of the Second World War.

Join us for packed children’s craft session with a Halloween twist! We’ll make fizzing potions and spooky slime for you to take home as well as painting and printing your own decorations just in time for Halloween night. Fancy dress is welcome but beware you might get a bit messy! Suitable for children from 4 to 12 years.

West Yorkshire has been the birthplace of some of the finest British poets of the last century and is home to a thriving poetic community. This event brings together over a dozen poets from across the region for readings of their works.

Shibden Hall’s Winter Craft Fair will be returning for 2024. Join traders from across the region for a weekend of shopping and festive fun.

Bankfield Museum’s Christmas Craft Fair will be returning on Saturday 9th December 2023 with the venue welcoming a range of traders from across the region for a day of shopping and festive fun.  The Museum will be filled with stalls selling a range of local produce including artisan crafts, just in time for buying those special Christmas gifts and treats. No booking required and free admission to the event.

Marking the 40th anniversary of Ted Hughes becoming Poet Laureate, Dr David Rudrum, Senior Lecturer at the University of Huddersfield and Secretary of the Elmet Trust, and Ruth Crossley, Head of Geography at Stoneyhurst College, explore his Mytholmroyd roots and trace the origins of his poems within the Upper Calder Valley.  This talk accompanies the Wild Words exhibition, celebrating Ted Hughes and the poetry of Calderdale, on display in Bankfield Museum from 7th September 2024.

A Celebration of the Borough, by Roger Davies This exhibition of new paintings is a celebration of locality, community and culture as seen through Roger’s idiosyncratic vision and informed by his love of life in Calderdale. As seen on the BBC One TV programme Home Is Where the Art Is, Roger Davies is a modern British painter from Brighouse, West Yorkshire. His unique paintings have delighted art lovers since his first sold-out exhibition at the Harrison Lord Gallery in 2018.  In his work, perspectives, colours, shapes, and situations are exaggerated, resulting in dynamic compositions populated by figures which animate the paintings. As he explains: “There should be something of visual interest in every part of the picture, from top to bottom, side to side and in all four corners. My job is to make your eyes dance!”   Roger will be carrying out a number of workshops to accompany the exhibition.

Join us for a special concert with the Calderdale based songwriter and painter Roger Davies where he will be performing the best of his back catalogue, along with a selection of brand-new songs. The writer of Brighouse On Saturday Night, The Ghost Of Lily Fogg, Peter Brook’s Paintings, Into The Sun, Judy Woods and Time Goes By, Roger has been recording his music and performing live since 2004.

The outstanding literature and tragically short lives of the Brontë sisters have made them an iconic part of the culture of West Yorkshire. To accompany Bankfield Museum’s Wild Words poetry exhibition, this event brings together some of the leading local poets for recitations of their works inspired by the sisters.

Join us for a special concert with the Calderdale based songwriter and painter Roger Davies where he will be performing the best of his back catalogue, along with a selection of brand-new songs. The writer of Brighouse On Saturday Night, The Ghost Of Lily Fogg, Peter Brook’s Paintings, Into The Sun, Judy Woods and Time Goes By, Roger has been recording his music and performing live since 2004.