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.

Workshop Schedule

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