The Fact Hungry Witch's Detective Hunt

Congratulations – you did it!

You solved the Fact Hungry Witch’s clues!

The hidden words were:

1. MEN 

2. CHIMNEY

3. GLASS

4. IRON

5. LEGS

6. TRAIN

7. TELESCOPE

You should now be inside the Natural History Museum’s ‘Hintze Hall’. 

Tip your head back and look up as high as you can. Can you spot the plants painted onto the CEILING?

You’ve discovered a treasure trove of hidden histories above your head! Each panel tells a story about plants and people from all over the world, but these are often missed by visitors who rush through the museum and don’t look up.

Why do you think it might be important to remember to look up?

Looking up can help us connect with the world and the stories we can’t see on the ground. The Fact Hungry Witch likes looking up so much that she flies through the sky looking for hidden facts, stories, and histories!

GET UP CLOSE

To take a closer look at these ceiling treasures and discover more about the stories they tell, you’ll need to go up!

Head to the stairs (unless you can fly like the Fact Hungry Witch!?), at the top of the main stairs, pass the statue of Charles Darwin and turn left or right along one of the balconies overlooking the hall and walk to the end. As you walk, have a look around, what else can you see that is hidden in plain sight? A pineapple? Some monkeys maybe? What stories do you think they might tell if they could talk?

At the end of the walkway, climb the stairs towards the Giant Sequoia tree slice. Look for the information panels tucked around the corners on both your left and right, here you’ll find some detailed drawings of the artworks which you can inspect without craning your neck! 

HINTZE HALL

These 162 decorated panels were painted over 140 years ago when the Museum first opened in 1881!

Since the 1600s, Britain has bought, swapped, and taken plants and natural specimens from all over the world. Lots of these plants and natural objects were placed in the museum when it was first built. The ceiling was designed to represent the objects in the museum. What plants can you spot? Pears and lemons? Sunflowers and poppies? 

Some you might not recognise. Can you spot cotton, tobacco, and tea plants?

Have a look at what you’re wearing, are you wearing any cotton (check the labels!) – did you know it came from a plant!?

Plants like these are important reminders of Britain’s colonial past. This was when Britain took control of other lands across the globe to expand its power and wealth. Plants such as cotton were often grown by enslaved people in British colonies like America, and then transported to this country. This can be difficult to think about as we know that slavery destroyed lives and changed the course of history, but it is important that we recognise these histories so everyone’s stories can be told. 

The objects in many museums came to this country thanks to colonialism. The stories about these objects; where they came from & how and who they were used by, have been concealed in the past as museums have preferred instead to tell one type of history. A history where European people ‘discovered’ continents, animals, and plants. This leaves out the stories of people in places like India (where cotton came from) and South America (where tobacco came from), the original names they gave these plants, and how they helped European people find and use them.

The Fact Hungry Witch is on the hunt for these untold stories as there are so many different histories we can learn from.

Have you ever wondered where the things we use every day come from?

THE LILY

Look very carefully, can you spot a pineapple on the ceiling!?

The Fact Hungry Witch’s favourite plant lives in water and smells like a pineapple! Can you guess what it is?

The Bower of Bliss' Poster Competition with London Southbank University

Art on the Underground invited first year Photography students from London Southbank University to take part in a poster competition inspired by ‘The Bower of Bliss’ by Linder’s at Southwark station.

The final design was chosen by the artist and the winning student took part in a day workshop with Hato Press in East London to get to grips with printing techniques and gain practical industry experience. The final design was then produced by a professional designer and exhibited alongside ‘The Bower of Bliss’ at Southwark station for two months.

Winner Ewan Coleman’s poster ‘Monstrous Flower’ will be on show at Southwark station throughout June and July 2019.

The brief was to create an image for a poster design in relation to The Bower of Bliss at Southwark Tube Station considering one or more of the key themes Linder has focused on in her work:

• Mapping a vertical history of Southwark
• The station interior inspired by 18th Century notion of the English landscape garden
• The station as a place of peace and tranquility, a refuge from urban life
• The histories, myths and fables of women based in Southwark
• A picture of empowerment for women everywhere

my name is lettie eggsyrub - Learning Guide

This free Learning Guide has been devised for teachers of students at Key Stages 3-5 as an introduction to artist Heather Phillipson and her artwork my name is lettie eggsyrub.

The aim of this learning guide is to inform and inspire teachers at secondary schools and colleges – as well as those working with young people towards an Arts Aware Bronze – about the commission. This resource also looks at how art and culture can offer new perspectives on issues raised in contemporary society and their relevance to young people who are choosing subjects to study at school, exploring their own identities, raising issues that are important to them and contributing towards social change.

The Learning Guide explores three key themes drawn out of the work; Science and Art – how these subjects can work well together; Reproduction – gender roles and sexual politics; and Social Change – the egg industry and social-media developments. Outlined are associated activities exploring and responding to each key theme, in particular through visual art, video, creative writing and debate, with links to relevant area of the National Curriculum.

The Bureaucracy of Angels - Learning Guide

This learning guide, produced in partnership with cultural and educational charity A New Direction, has been devised for teachers of students at Key Stages 3-5 as an introduction to artists Broomberg & Chanarin and their film ‘The Bureaucracy of Angels’. This film was screened at King’s Cross St. Pancras Tube station in 2017.

The aim is to inform and inspire teachers in secondary schools and colleges, as well as those working with young people towards an Arts Award Bronze, about the commission. This resource also looks at how art and culture can offer new perspectives on issues raised in contemporary society and their relevance to young people who are exploring their own identities, journeys, representation and place within the world.

The resource explores five key themes drawn out from the commission: journeys, representation, journalism and reporting, identity and citizenship, and surveillance.

‘The Bureaucracy of Angels’ I-D Creation Poster Competition for Schools and Colleges

Welcome to the I-D Creation Poster Competition for Schools and Colleges inspired by the film ‘The Bureaucracy of Angels’ by artists Broomberg & Chanarin, a project commissioned by Art on the Underground. This competition was open to all schools and colleges based in the Greater London area, as an opportunity to create an eye-catching poster design. The winning designs were chosen by the artists, then produced by a professional designer and exhibited at the winner’s local station and featured online.

Winners Sarah and Zafirah from Lewisham Conisborough College will have their artworks on show at Lewisham DLR station throughout April and May 2018.

The brief was to design and create a poster as an alternative Zip Oyster or Oyster photocard, inspired by ‘The Bureaucracy of Angels’, and the themes of identity and identity cards. Entrants were asked to include:

• A self-portrait
• An object that represents you
• A journey you’ve taken – locally or abroad
• A reference to your local Tube station
• A feature from ‘The Bureaucracy of Angels’

Download the Learning Guide
An introduction to artists Broomberg & Chanarin and their film ‘The Bureaucracy of Angels’. For Key Stages 3-5.

Underline Learning Guide

Launched at A New Direction’s Schools Conference 2015

This free, guide has been devised for primary and secondary teachers and young people who are working towards an Arts Award. It serves as an introduction to the Underline: Art & Music for the Victoria line, alongside design history and local context of the Line. Drawing on a wealth of local expertise, collections, cultural venues and facilities, it includes a variety of classroom-activity suggestions for different subjects which can be used as a springboard for teachers to devise their own projects, as well as our schools music competition Underline Journeys.

Visit Underline: Art & Music for the Victoria line for information on the five commissions, projects, events and activities

Underline Journeys: School Music Competition

Matt Rogers’ Sample Set:
Use AIFF download for Garageband, and WAV download for others

 

Open to children age 5-18, attending school*
Entry deadline: 18 March 2016 – Competition now closed

A music competition open to all schools based in the Greater London area*, to create and produce an audio track inspired by the sounds of the Victoria line.

The overall winning composition wins a special masterclass with contemporary composer Matt Rogers, one of the five Underline commissioned artists. A runners-up prize will e awarded for each of the age categories (see T&Cs).

Resources: Matt Rogers’ video interview; Matt Rogers’ Sample Set; Tube Map PDF.

The challenge: compose a piece of music that reflects a journey travelling along the Victoria line.

Begin by watching the short video of Matt Rogers talking about his work and what the Victoria line means to him.

What you need to do
1. Look at the Tube map and choose the stations and local areas that you would like to pass through (we suggest you choose two, but you might like to choose more). Think about which stations and areas may produce the most interesting sounds (e.g. Brixton market).

2. Brainstorm the ideas that you would like to reflect in the music, e.g. the sounds of people, announcements, rhythmic track sounds, brakes, slowing and speeding of the tempo, the increase and decrease in dynamics, the different layers (texture), the different timbres (e.g. metallic, footsteps,
electric sounds).

3. Play around with motifs and rhythms and begin to put together the different sections of your music. Use percussion, vocals and tuned instruments in any way that you would like.

4. Incorporate one or more extracts from Matt Roger’s Sample Set. Think about how this can be done most effectively. You can use music technology to manipulate the sounds, e.g. reverse them, speed them up, stretch them or chop them into smaller parts.

5. Record some of your own samples, such as the school cafeteria, corridors or traffic outside the school.

6. Your samples along with Matt’s samples will become the soundscape for which you produce your finished piece of music.(Maximum duration two-minutes per track)

Crafting the Line - Schools Project with Jasleen Kaur

Arts & Media School Islington (Islington) – Herbert Morrison Primary School (Lambeth) – Soho Parish Primary (Westminster) – Stamford Hill Primary School (Haringey) – Walthamstow School for Girls (Waltham Forest) – William Ellis School (Camden)

Artist Jasleen Kaur lead a project with six schools located along the Victoria line resulting in ambitious artwork displayed at Underground stations in summer 2016. Working with Jasleen, pupils went on a filmic journey of the Victoria line, above ground, to explore and document its diverse range of local cultures, communities and craftspeople.

With reference to local stores, skills and craftspeople located close to the Victoria line, pupils worked to produce an alternative archive of hand-made prototypes and assemblages that visually catalogue the different parts of their journey. Their final objects will contribute towards an imaginary shop stretching the length of the Victoria line.

Part of Underline: Art & Music for the Victoria line, a series of artists’ projects and a free, public programme located along the Victoria line.

Visit our Events section for details of free, family activity sessions with Jasleen Kaur  in September & October 2016.

Labyrinth Teacher Pack

To celebrate this special year, artist Mark Wallinger has created a major new project entitled Labyrinth – 270 individual artworks, one at each of the 270 stations on the network, each bearing its own unique circular labyrinth.

Click through to the new Labyrinth Learning page on our microsite to download the Labyrinth Teacher Pack, see all the entries for our 2013 Schools Poster Competition and more…

Pop-Up Journeys Teacher Pack

This Teacher Pack is inspired by the work of two artists – Sarah Bridgland and Sarah Morris. The aim of this pack is to provide the theme Pop-Up Journeys as inspiration for KS3 scheme of work or individual art lessons.

Pop-Up Journeys is a project devised by artist Sarah Bridgland in response to Sarah Morris’ Big Ben [2012] commission at Gloucester Road station. Morris painted a series of ‘portraits of the city of London’ places so they responded site-specifically to the station architecture.

Bridgland took ideas from this commission into nearby Holland Park School in 2012/13 and worked with students to produce a poster exhibition at Earl’s Court Underground station.

The project was delivered in partnership with ReachOutRCA, the outreach programme for the Royal College of Art.

See the students’ artwork at Pop-Up Journeys

KS3 Years 7,8 & 9: Scheme of work or individual art lessons