Award-winning partnership offering value family days out extended

All of Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums’ venues are near a Metro Station, so families can take advantage of free travel for children under 11, with a fare paying adult.

The museum’s Ways to Play events are held in every school holiday and are inspired by the range of ways a child can play, encouraging children to be active, creative and imaginative. The events take place across museums and galleries including Newcastle’s Great North Museum: Hancock and Discovery Museum; Segedunum Roman Fort and Stephenson Steam Railway in North Tyneside, Arbeia, South Shields Roman Fort and South Shields Museum in South Tyneside and the Shipley Art Gallery in Gateshead.

The museum service began its partnership with Tyne and Wear Metro in summer 2021 and since then the partnership has won 2 awards (Best Arts and Business Partnership at the North East Culture awards in 2022 and Not for Profit Marketing Award at the North East Marketing Awards in December 2022). It is also shortlisted for Partnership of the Year at the national Museum + Heritage Awards which will be announced in May 2023.

Clare Smith, Learning and Engagement Manager, at Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums, said: “Museum visits are brilliant for children’s physical and mental wellbeing, but we know that for many people, there are financial barriers to visiting our venues. Our partnership with Tyne and Wear Metro helps us to break down barriers like the cost of travel so that everyone can enjoy a fun family day out.”

There is free admission for under 16s to all TWAM’s attractions

Customer Services Director at Nexus, Huw Lewis, said: “Through this partnership we hope to enable and inspire families to access a range of rich cultural experiences that Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums provides. Our Take the Kids for Free permanent promise has seen around half a million free child journeys on Metro since we launched it in the summer of 2021, unlocking access to tremendous experiences and great days out. Three children aged 11 and under can travel for free with a paying adult, all day, every day, and with so many activities on offer through Ways to Play at the museums, family days out can be great value as well as great fun.”

Easter Ways to Play events can be found here and listed below: https://www.twmuseums.org.uk/w...
Find out about Tyne and Wear Metro’s take the kids for free offer here: https://www.nexus.org.uk/metro...

MEDIA CONTACT: Sallie Ball – sallie.ball@twmuseums.org.uk

Easter 2023 Ways to Play events:

The full list of events include:

Discovery Museum.

https://discoverymuseum.org.uk...
Saturday 1 – Saturday 16 April

https://discoverymuseum.org.uk...
Tuesday 4 April

https://discoverymuseum.org.uk...
Thursday 13 April

https://discoverymuseum.org.uk...
Tuesday 11 April

South Shields Museum & Art Gallery

https://southshieldsmuseum.org...
Tuesday 11 April

https://southshieldsmuseum.org...
Tuesday 11 April

https://southshieldsmuseum.org...
Thursday 6 April and Thursday 13 April

Great North Museum Hancock
https://greatnorthmuseum.org.u...
Friday 21 April and Friday 28 April

https://greatnorthmuseum.org.u...
Friday 28 April

https://greatnorthmuseum.org.u...
Friday 21 April and Friday 28 April

Shipley Art Gallery

https://shipleyartgallery.org....
Tuesday 4 April, Thursday 6 April, Tuesday 11 April and Thursday 13 April

Arbeia Roman Fort

https://arbeiaromanfort.org.uk...
Wednesday 5 April
https://arbeiaromanfort.org.uk...
Wednesday 12 April

Stephenson Steam Railway

https://stephensonsteamrailway...
Sunday 2 April, Wednesday 5 April, Thursday 6 April, Friday 7 April, Sunday 9 April, Monday 10 April, Wednesday 12 April, Thursday 13 April, Sunday 16 April and Sunday 30 April

https://stephensonsteamrailway...
Thursday 13 April

https://stephensonsteamrailway...
Thursday 6 April

Hatton Gallery

https://hattongallery.org.uk/w...
Wednesday 5 April

https://hattongallery.org.uk/w...
Friday 14 April

https://hattongallery.org.uk/w...
Friday 14 April

https://hattongallery.org.uk/w...
Friday 14 April

Segedunum Roman Fort

https://segedunumromanfort.org...
Monday 3 April

https://segedunumromanfort.org...
Monday 10 April