Find your inner child: £5,000 grant helps Wilderspin Museum celebrate the art of play

People across North Lincolnshire will be invited to rediscover their inner child as part of a new project celebrating the games, toys and playground memories shared across generations.

Wilderspin National School Museum has been awarded £5,000 from North Lincolnshire Council’s Cultural Futures grant scheme to support The Art of Play: Past, Present and Reimagined.

Led by Barton-upon-Humber-based artist Annabel McCourt, whose work has been exhibited across the UK and internationally, the project will bring people of all ages together to play, share stories and explore how childhood has changed over time.

From skipping ropes and marbles to playground rhymes, classroom games and the toys remembered from home, the project will use creative workshops, the museum’s archive and local memories to turn the everyday experience of play into a new public exhibition.

The project will celebrate what connects generations as much as what has changed, giving children, parents, grandparents and visitors the chance to compare how they played, what they remember and what those shared experiences say about growing up in North Lincolnshire.

Cllr Rob Waltham, leader, North Lincolnshire Council, said: “Everyone has memories of how they played when they were young, whether that was in the playground, at home, in the street or with friends after school.

“This project will bring those memories together in a creative way, helping people reconnect with their own childhood while sharing stories across generations.

“It is exactly the kind of project Cultural Futures is here to support, rooted in local heritage, led by local creativity and open to people of all ages.”

The Cultural Futures grants programme is part of the council’s wider work to support local organisations, artists and communities, helping more people take part in culture and celebrate the stories, places and creativity that make North Lincolnshire distinctive.

Cllr Carl Sherwood, cabinet member for Rural Communities and Market Towns, said: “Wilderspin National School Museum is a special part of Barton’s heritage, and this project gives people a fresh and accessible way to connect with that history.

“By focusing on play, it opens the door for everyone to take part. Children can explore how previous generations grew up, while adults can share memories that might otherwise be lost.

“That mix of creativity, heritage and community is what makes projects like this so valuable for our towns and villages.”

The project will culminate in a public exhibition, giving visitors the chance to see how local memories, museum collections and creative workshops have helped reimagine the story of play.

People can also learn more about upcoming events at Wilderspin National School Museum, how to get involved as a volunteer and the wider work of the museum by visiting its website.