Press Releases

Charlie and Lola come to Cardiff

National Museum Cardiff hosts first exhibition which brings Lauren Child’s books to life

National Museum Cardiff is ready to host a family exhibition with a difference featuring Pesky Rat’s Grubby Alley, a magna-doodle, original illustrations by Lauren Child and a Damien Hirst Spot painting!

Opening officially on Saturday 21 November 2009 by the BBC presenter Lucy Owen and her family, Green Drops and Moonsquirters: The utterly imaginative world of Lauren Child is an opportunity for children and their families to literally step into the world of Lauren Child’s books – for free!

Child’s best-selling books have been captivating children and their parents for almost 10 years. They include the hugely successful Charlie and Lola series (now stars of a CBBC and Disney Playhouse television series) as well as Clarice Bean, The Pesky Rat and Hubert Horatio Bartle Bobton-Trent.

Developed by Manchester Art Gallery, Green Drops and Moonsquirters: The utterly imaginative world of Lauren Child is based on illustrations, characters and themes from all of Lauren Child’s books and is fully interactive. It combines original illustrations with fun hands-on activities:

• Come and sit at Charlie and Lola’s kitchen table and make meals with food from their fridge

• Dress up in Charlie and Lola’s favourite outfits including Lola’s fabulous alligator costume from I Am TOO Absolutely Small for School

• Perform puppet shows to an audience of family and friends in a theatre created from the four-poster bed in The Princess and the Pea

• Try our special themed food like Lola’s favourite pink milk in the Museum’s Oriel Restaurant

• Shop at our fully stocked dedicated shop.

Highlighting Lauren Child’s interest in art and her time studying the subject in Manchester, the exhibition also includes over 30 original illustrations from Child’s books. Lauren Child explains what inspires her to create her illustrations:

“All my artwork is collage – so I cut each piece out and glue it into place. I think my style has just evolved – it wasn’t really inspired by any one thing. I began to work in collage partly because I found it difficult to plan my illustrations. Cutting things out meant I could move things around and change my mind. It also meant I could incorporate different textures, photographs and fabric.”

Child actually began her career as Damien Hirst’s assistant, painting spots for him, which is why one of Damien Hirst’s spot paintings will be on show in the exhibition.

Beth McIntyre, Curator (Prints and Drawings), Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales commented:

“Green Drops and Moonsquirters: The utterly imaginative world of Lauren Child is set to be our most popular exhibition this year! A combination of fun activities for children - especially those under 7 years old - based on their favourite Lauren Child characters, an original Damien Hirst and the author’s own striking illustrations make it a ‘must-see’ exhibition.”

The touring exhibition will be on display at National Museum Cardiff from 21 November 2009 to 31 January 2010. A varied programme of events and activities will be held to coincide with the exhibition including Utterly Family Fun Days sponsored by Cardiff children’s shoe company Funky Monkey Feet. For more information, please visit www.museumwales.ac.uk.

Admission to National Museum Cardiff and the exhibition is free thanks to the support of the Welsh Assembly Government.

Green Drops and Moonsquirters: The utterly imaginative world of Lauren Child is supported by the Arts Council England.

Amgueddfa Cymru operates seven national museums across Wales. These are National Museum Cardiff, St Fagans: National History Museum, National Roman Legion Museum, Caerleon, Big Pit: National Coal Museum, Blaenafon, National Wool Museum, Dre-fach Felindre, National Slate Museum, Llanberis and the National Waterfront Museum, Swansea.

Ends

Please contact Catrin Mears, Communications Officer on (029) 2057 3185/07920 027067 or email catrin.mears@museumwales.ac.uk for:

- More information

- Images

- Interview opportunities

- Biographies of Lauren’s characters

- Lauren’s biography

- Q&As with Lauren Child