Past Events

Saturday 23 March 2024, 13h00 - 16h30

Join us on Saturday, 23 March, for the next Curator in Residence.

Our Curator Ailsa Hendry will be based on the ground floor as she gives a series of short talks on the permanent galleries.

Pre-booking is not required but tickets can be bought online here.

The event is offered free of charge in addition to standard Museum entry costs.

Saturday 17th February, 14h00-16h00

Join us at The Fan Museum for an exciting workshop steeped in culture, where under the esteemed guidance of long term Performer and Teacher Kathy Hall, Peking and Kunqu Opera will be explored.

See The Fan Museum in a new light, following the event’s success in 2022!

From 13th to 16th December from 16h30-19h00, The Fan Museum will open later than usual to welcome its visitors into a magical new take on its exhibition spaces, illuminated almost entirely by candles and underscored by classical festive favourites.

During these four evenings, the Orangery reopens its doors for visitors to enjoy a complimentary drink of mulled wine, cider or juice to fend of the crisp winter air.

Ticketholders must book in advance. Tickets will not be offered on the door.

Please note the Museum will be open to the general public as usual from 13h00-15h30, with strict last entries at 15h00, for the duration of Museum by Candlelight.

BOOK NOW!

Saturday 18th November 2023, 13h00-16h30

Join us on Saturday, 18th November, for the next Curator in Residence.

Our Curator Ailsa Hendry will be based on the ground floor as she gives a series of short talks on the permanent galleries. Additionally, Museum staff will be available for questions and additional insight in the first floor Galleries.

Pre-booking is not required but tickets can be bought online here.

The event is offered free of charge in addition to standard Museum entry costs.

Saturday 21st October 2023, 13h00-16h30

Join us on Saturday, 21st October, for the next Curator in Residence.

Our Curator Ailsa Hendry will be based on the ground floor as she gives a series of short talks on the permanent galleries. Additionally, Museum staff will be available for questions and additional insight in the first floor Galleries.

Pre-booking is not required but tickets can be bought online here.

The event is offered free of charge in addition to standard Museum entry costs.

Saturday 16th September 2023, 13h00-16h30

Join us on Saturday, 16th September, for the next Curator in Residence.

Our Curator Ailsa Hendry will be based on the ground floor as she gives a series of short talks on the permanent galleries. Additionally, Museum staff will be available for questions and additional insight in the first floor Galleries.

Pre-booking is not required but tickets can be bought online here.

The event is offered free of charge in addition to standard Museum entry costs.

Saturday 19th August 2023, 13h00-16h30

Join us on Saturday, 19th August, for the next Curator in Residence.

Our Curator Ailsa Hendry will be based on the ground floor as she gives a series of short talks on the permanent galleries. Additionally, Museum staff will be available for questions and additional insight in the first floor Galleries.

Pre-booking is not required but tickets can be bought online here.

The event is offered free of charge in addition to standard Museum entry costs.

Saturday 22nd July 2023, 13h00-16h30

Join us on Saturday, 22nd July, for the next Curator in Residence.

Our Curator Ailsa Hendry will be based on the ground floor as she gives a series of short talks on the permanent galleries. Additionally, Museum staff will be available for questions and additional insight in the first floor Galleries.

Pre-booking is not required but tickets can be bought online here.

The event is offered free of charge in addition to standard Museum entry costs.

Thursday 20th July 2023, 19h00-20h00

The Fan Museum is delighted to host this special showcase of the next generation of couturières in a salon-style presentation of their work across the Museum and Orangery, featuring the talents of Serena Addington, Sophia Lewis, and Keira Symons.

Tickets can be obtained on Eventbrite. For any assistance with booking, please contact the Museum Office via info@thefanmuseum.org.uk .

Saturday 24th June 2023, 13h00-16h30

Join us on Saturday, 24th June, for the next Curator in Residence.

Our Curator Ailsa Hendry will be based on the ground floor as she gives a series of short talks on the permanent galleries. Additionally, Museum staff will be available for questions and additional insight in the first floor Galleries.

Pre-booking is not required but tickets can be bought online here.

The event is offered free of charge in addition to standard Museum entry costs.

Saturday 20th May 2023, 13h00-16h30

Join us on Saturday, 20th May, for the next Curator in Residence.

Our Curator Ailsa Hendry will be based on the ground floor as she gives a series of short talks on the permanent galleries.

The event continues into the Orangery with etching and relief printmaking demonstrations – particularly relevant to a number of fans in our seasonal exhibition – by artist and poet, Helen Adie.

Additionally, Museum staff will be available for questions and additional insight in the first floor Galleries.

Pre-booking is not required but tickets can be bought online here.

The event is offered free of charge in addition to standard Museum entry costs.

Saturday 22nd April 2023, 13h00-16h30

Join us on Saturday, 22nd April, for the next Curator in Residence.

Our Curator Ailsa Hendry will be based on the ground floor as she gives a series of short talks on the permanent galleries. Additionally, Museum staff will be available for questions and additional insight in the first floor Galleries.

Pre-booking is not required but tickets can be bought online here.

The event is offered free of charge in addition to standard Museum entry costs.

Saturday 25th March 2023, 13h00-16h30

Join us on Saturday, 25th March, for the next Curator in Residence.

Our Curator Ailsa Hendry will be based on the ground floor as she gives a series of short talks on the permanent galleries.

The event continues into the Orangery with etching and relief printmaking demonstrations – particularly relevant to a number of fans in our seasonal exhibition – by artist and poet, Helen Adie.

Additionally, Museum staff will be available for questions and additional insight in the first floor Galleries.

Pre-booking is not required but tickets can be bought online here.

The event is offered free of charge in addition to standard Museum entry costs.

Saturday 25th February 2023, 13h00-16h30

Join us on Saturday, 25th February, for the next Curator in Residence: our first of 2023!

Our Curator Ailsa Hendry will be based on the ground floor as she gives a series of short talks on the permanent galleries. Additionally, Museum staff will be available for questions and additional insight in the first floor Galleries.

Pre-booking is not required but tickets can be bought online here.

The event is offered free of charge in addition to standard Museum entry costs.

Saturday 22nd October 2022, 13h00-16h30

Join us on Saturday, 22nd October, for the next Curator in Residence!

Join our Curator Ailsa Hendry on the ground floor as she gives a series of short talks on the permanent galleries. The event continues across the Museum with etching demonstrations – as practised by the makers of some of the fans in our current seasonal exhibition Brisé – by artist, poet, actress and teacher, Helen Adie.

Pre-booking is not required but tickets can be bought online here.

The event is offered free of charge in addition to standard Museum entry costs.

Saturday 24th September 2022, 13h00-16h30

Join us on Saturday, 24th September, for Curator in Residence!

Join our Curator Ailsa Hendry on the ground floor as she gives a series of short talks on the permanent galleries.

Pre-booking is not required but tickets can be bought online here. The event is offered free of charge in addition to standard Museum entry costs.

Saturday 23 July 2022, 13.00 - 16.30hrs

Join us on Saturday, 23rd July, for Curator in Residence! Join Interim Curator Ailsa Hendry on the ground floor as she gives a series of short talks on the permanent galleries. The event continues upstairs with a demonstration of silk painting from Peony Girl, Siyuan Ren, among the floral fans of our ‘Bouquet of Fans’ Exhibition.

Pre-booking is not required. The event is offered free of charge in addition to standard Museum entry costs.

Saturday 18th June 2022, 11.30 - 14.30hrs

Join us on Saturday, 18th June, for Curator in Residence! TFM Interim Curator, Ailsa Hendry, will be giving a series of short talks on the collections in the ground floor permanent displays. You can also visit our exhibition ‘A Bouquet of Fans’ on the second floor, the perfect respite on a hot summer day.

Pre-booking is not required. The event is offered free of charge in addition to standard Museum entry costs.

Wednesday 25th May 2022, 19.00hrs BST

In eighteenth and nineteenth century Europe, assemblies and balls were the centre of the Season where complex dances and social relationships played out. A plethora of dance manuals and sheet music were created to teach the music and social etiquette of the assembly rooms, which included the popularisation of the Country Dance fan and Quadrille fan. Join TFM Curatorial Assistant Ailsa Hendry as she explores the relationship between dance, fans, and society during this period.

Saturday 21st May 2022, 11.30 - 15.00hrs

Join us tomorrow, Saturday 21st May, for Curator in Residence! TFM Curatorial Assistant, Ailsa Hendry, will be in the museum throughout the day offering free-to-attend short talks on aspects of the permanent displays on the ground floor. You can also visit our mesmerising exhibition, ‘A Bouquet of Fans’, on the upper floor of the museum.

Pre-booking is not required. The event is offered free of charge but in addition to standard Museum entry costs.

Wednesday 27th April 2022, 19.00hrs BST

George Sheringham RDI (1884-1937), painter, illustrator and theatre designer, concentrated much of his artistic energy on painting fan leaves for a short period early in his career, before and during the First World War. This talk, delivered by The Fan Museum’s Curatorial consultant, Mary Kitson, will focus on some of those works and their context in his wider career.

Thursday 19th March 2022, 13.00 - 16.00hrs

TFM Curator, Jacob Moss, will be in the museum throughout the day offering free-to-attend short talks on aspects of the permanent displays on the ground floor. You can also visit our enchanting exhibition, ‘The Allure of Lace’, on the upper floor of the museum.

Pre-booking is not required. The event is offered free of charge but in addition to standard Museum entry costs.

Saturday 19th February 2022, 13.00 - 16.00hrs

TFM Curator, Jacob Moss, will be on site throughout the day offering free-to-attend short talks based on different aspects of the ground floor permanent displays. Our current exhibition ‘The Allure of Lace’ continues on the upper floor of the Museum where you’ll also find lace maker Tina Pedrick in residence. Alongside one of her students, Tina will demonstrate different lace making techniques and encourage visitors to try their hand at lacemaking, too.

Wednesday 22nd December 2021, 19.00hrs BST

Join The Fan Museum’s Founder and Director, Helene Alexander MBE for an illustrated talk in which winter-themed fans from around the World take centre stage. Festive attire, mince pies and sherry greatly encouraged!

Wednesday 24th November 2021, 19.00hrs BST

The Swiss painter, Angelica Kauffman, lived for much of her life in Italy but spent a formative 15 years in London from 1766 where her talents became so widely appreciated that she was made a Founding Member of the Royal Academy. While her principal business was as a portrait painter, she also painted historical subjects that by the 1770s were proving so popular that they began to be copied and extensively reproduced on any number of objects including, of course, fans. Join The Fan Museum consultant, Mary Kitson as she explores the Kauffmann craze via painted and printed fans.

Thursday 17th June 2021, 14.00 - 16.00hrs

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Wednesday 27th October 2021, 19.00hrs BST

Georges Barbier, Paul Iribe and Georges Lepape; three masters of fashion illustration who dominated the pages of early 20th century fashion magazines. These artists translated the period’s fashionable trends onto exclusive fan designs for couturiers, department stores and perfumiers. Join The Fan Museum’s assistant curator Scott Schiavone as he explores the lives and work of Georges Barbier, Paul Iribe and George Lepape and their contribution to early 20th century fashion and fans.

Wednesday 29th September 2021, 19.00hrs BST

On the eve of the launch of The Fan Museum’s ‘Layers of London’ interactive map, curator Jacob Moss highlights the Museum’s recent project to identify & map more than three hundred fan makers active in London from the 17^th century onward. Jacob will explain the complexities of a once thriving craft form, lead a virtual tour of the map and introduce some of the key figures (and their fans) featured on the map.

Wednesday 7th July 2021, 19.00 - 21.15

Join The Fan Museum’s curator, Jacob Moss as he reflects on the 2013 exhibition, Seduced! Fans & the Art of Advertising. Jacob will discuss some of the key themes within the exhibition and present a colourful array of promotional fans dating from the late-19th century to interwar period.

Wednesday 2nd June 2021, 19.00 - 20.00

Join The Fan Museum consultant & Fan Circle International secretary, Mary Kitson as she reflects on the 2019 exhibition, ‘The Romantic Age’. Mary will discuss some of the exhibition’s key themes and illustrate a selection of early to mid-19th century fans featured within the displays.

Wednesday 5th May 2021, 19.00 - 21.15

Join The Fan Museum’s Founder and Director, Hélène Alexander as she reflects on 30 extraordinary years (to the day!) of exhibition making.

Saturday 23rd May 2020

Join The Fan Museum’s curators for free-to-attend talks on a range of fan-related topics pertaining to the Museum’s displays.

Saturday 25th April 2020

Join The Fan Museum’s curators for free-to-attend talks on a range of fan-related topics pertaining to the Museum’s displays.

Saturday 28th March 2020

Join The Fan Museum’s curators for free-to-attend talks on a range of fan-related topics pertaining to the Museum’s displays.

Wednesday 25 March 2020, 19.00-20.00hrs

An illustrated lecture by Cambridge University’s Dr Amy Louise Erikson, who recently curated a marvellous outdoor exhibition entitled City Women in the 18th Century.

Saturday 21st March 2020

Join us at the Greenwich Market for a Fan Making Workshop.

We’re hosting three special discounted Fan Making Workshops at the Greenwich Market on Saturday 21st March.

The fan making classes will last 45 minutes. During the workshop you will create your own folding fan.

Thursday 20th February 2020, 2:00pm

The Fan Museum is pleased to welcome cultural historian, author and The Arts Society lecturer, Lucy Hughes-Hallett, who’ll give a fascinating talk on a subject closely related to the Museum’s first exhibition of 2020, Heroic Figures.

Friday 6th December 2019, 7:30pm

A new play about Robert Louis Stevenson.

Saturday 30th November 2019

Join The Fan Museum’s curators for free-to-attend talks on a range of fan-related topics pertaining to the Museum’s displays

Monday 18th November 2019, 7:00pm

An enchanting Chinese Opera performance by acclaimed artist Kathy Hall.

Thursday 17th October 2019, 2:00pm

Book now for The Secret Life of the Georgian Garden an illustrated talk by garden historian, Dr Kate Felus.

Friday 11th October 2019, 7:30pm

Advance booking is now open for the preview of The Darkling Heart, an original play depicting the remarkable relationship between Thomas and Emma Hardy by Wayne Adrian Drew.

Saturday 31st August 2019

Local residents can visit us for FREE* on Saturday 31st August between 11am-5pm

Saturday 29 June 2019

Join The Fan Museum’s curators for free-to-attend talks on a range of fan-related topics pertaining to the Museum’s displays.

Monday 24th June 2019, 7pm

Explore the exotic yet fundamentally commercial Sino-European maritime relationship in Chinese Art for Western Interiors’, a lecture by Colin Sheaf, Deputy Chairman of Bonhams on Monday 24th Jine 2019

Friday 31st May 2019, 7.30pm

Advance booking is now open for the showcase of Song of Myself, a celebration of the great American poet Walt Whitman, written for the 200th anniversary of his birth by Wayne Adrian Drew.

Saturday 18th May 2019

Join The Fan Museum’s curators for free-to-attend talks on a range of fan-related topics pertaining to the current gallery displays.

Saturday 11th May 2019

Join us at the Greenwich Market for a Fan Making Workshop.

We’re hosting three special discounted Fan Making Workshops at the Greenwich Market on Saturday 11th May.

The fan making classes will last 45 minutes. During the class you will create one folding fan.

Please note this event is only suitable for ages 12+.

Saturday 27th April 2019

Join The Fan Museum’s director, Mrs Alexander and Mary Kitson for free-to-attend talks on a range of fan-related topics pertaining to the current gallery displays.

Monday 1st April 2019, 7.30pm

An illustrated talk by Daphne Joynes on the life and times of Admiral Sir William Parker, who with his large family lived at 12 Crooms Hill, Greenwich (now home to the Fan Museum) in the late eighteenth century.

Saturday 23 March 2019

Join The Fan Museum’s curator, Jacob Moss and curatorial assistant Scott Schiavone for free-to-attend talks on a range of fan-related topics pertaining to the current gallery displays.

Wednesday 12th December 2018

Distinguished author and actor, Richard Holliss, in the persona of Charles Dickens, reads extracts from his works by candlelight, in an entertainment written by Wayne Adrian Drew.

Monday 19th November 2018

To mark the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of Rossini’s death, join us at The Fan Museum for an evening performance of some of the composer’s best arias from his most popular operas, including The Barber of Seville, La Danza and L’Italiana in Algeri.

Saturday 22nd September 2018

The Fan Museum will be once again part of Open House London, opening with free admission for everyone on Saturday 22nd September 2018, from 11:00 to 17:00.

This is the perfect occasion to see our temporary exhibition “A Bird in the Hand” before it is due to finish on Sunday 23rd September, and to enjoy our famous Afternoon Tea in the Orangery afterwards.

Monday 3rd September 2018

An illustrated lecture by Mrs H. E. Alexander, MBE

Based upon an account of a feather business which started in 1812 and celebrated its centenary in 1912, this talk gives a light-hearted overview of some of the more popular birds, their plumes and, of course, the fans which were fashioned from them.

Saturday 18th August 2018

Join us at the Greenwich Market for a Fan Making Workshop.

We’re hosting three special discounted Fan Making Workshops at the Greenwich Market on Saturday 18th August.

The fan making classes will last 45 minutes. During the class you will create one folding fan.

Please note this event is only suitable for ages 12+.

Thursday 19th July 2018

An illustrated lecture by Jo Hatton (Keeper of Natural History, Horniman Museum and Gardens).

Discover more about the significance, meaning and use of birds and their feathers by indigenous peoples as Keeper of Natural History at the Horniman Museum and Gardens Jo Hatton explores some of the many featherwork items in the Horniman’s collection.

Thursday 21st June 2018

An illustrated lecture by Dr Joanna Marschner (Senior Curator, Historic Royal Palaces).

To coincide with The Fan Museum’s summer exhibit, A Bird in the Hand, Dr Joanna Marschner will give an illustrated presentation on the subject of Court Dress, revealing how feathers – and in particular those of the ostrich – have played significant and symbolic roles within Court attire throughout the ages.

Monday 16th April 2018

To continue the series of events to coincide with The Fan Museum’s new exhibition, Early Printed Fans, Hélène Alexander, The Fan Museum Founder and Director, will deliver an illustrated lecture about a printed fan published in support of the Jacobite uprising of 1745. Mrs Alexander’s research on the subject is both detailed and fascinating.

Monday 5th March 2018

To coincide with The Fan Museum’s new exhibition, Early Printed Fans, Patricia Ferguson (Project Curator, Monument Trust, 18th Century Prints and Ceramics, British Museum) will deliver an illustrated lecture relating to her fascinating exhibition at the British Museum, Pots with Attitude: British Satire on Ceramics, 1760 – 1830.

Saturday 16th December, 2017

Local residents can visit us for FREE* on Saturday 16th December between 11am-5pm

Tuesday 10 October 5:30-7:00pm, 2017

Join Master Fan Maker Sylvain Le Guen and Curator Jacob Moss in conversation on fan making; past, present and future

Saturday 23 & Sunday 24 September 2017

The Fan Museum is joining forces with Greenwich Market, to stage a two-day Street Fans extravaganza. Open to all ages, this dynamic event offers a chance to try fan-making and watch internationally renowned street artists Skeleton Cardboard, Nathen Bowen and Codex Urbanus paint live amongst the hustle and bustle of the vibrant market scene.

Wednesday 20 & Thursday 21 September, 2017

University of Greenwich students and visitors are in for an exciting two days at the beautiful riverside Heritage Gallery, where street artists Lily Mixe and Butch Attai will paint murals alongside a series of fan-making workshops led by The Fan Museum’s expert tutors.

Friday 23rd June 2017

Advance tickets are now available for the showcase of Wayne Adrian Drew’s critically acclaimed new play about four famous authors spending the day at a villa on the coast between France and Italy in 1920…

Sunday 16 April 2017

Enjoy a special Easter themed Afternoon Tea in the museum’s beautiful painted Orangery…

Sunday 12 February 2017

Celebrate Valentine’s Day with loved ones by taking afternoon tea in the beautiful Orangery. We will be serving an extra special tea featuring a selection of freshly baked cakes, macarons and handmade sandwiches.

Saturday 19 November 2016

The Fan Museum is delighted to offer a schedule of short talks on Saturday 19 November 2016.

Friday 11 November 2016

Join us for the premiere public performance of Adrian Drew’s epic new comedy.

Saturday 20 August 2016

Following on from the success of last year’s event, The Fan Museum is holding an Open Day on Saturday 20 August 2016. The open day is held with the aim of encouraging residents from the local area and nearby boroughs to visit the museum.

Monday 16th May 2016

The Fan Museum is delighted to present an illustrated talk by Jan Leeming, who’ll be regaling us with stories and memories of fifty years working in both television and theatre…

Saturday 26 March 2016

Celebrate the Easter holiday at The Fan Museum with a range of talks from the museum’s curator.

Saturday 12 March 2016

The Fan Museum is delighted to offer a schedule of short talks and other activities on the 2nd & 4th Saturday of each month.

Monday 15 February 2016

The Fan Museum’s 2016 ‘In Celebration!’ programme springs into life on Monday 15 February with an intriguing blend of opera & fan etiquette…

Monday 07 December 2015

Join The Fan Museum’s founder and director for a fascinating talk on the rise and fall of Chinese export fans.

Friday 27 November 2015

Award wining author Adrian Drew’s new play, The Darkling Heart relates one of the world’s great but complex love stories.

Friday 30 October 2015

To mark the occasion of its latest exhibition, The Fan Museum opens its doors from 18.00hrs to 21.00hrs on Friday 30 October, as part of Museums at Night…

Saturday 19 September 2015

Open House London at The Fan Museum, Greenwich

On Saturday 21^st September 2013 The Fan Museum will once again be taking part in Open House London.

Saturday 15 August 2015

Due to high demand we have added in an extra Fan Making Workshop on Saturday 15 August! This session will be conducted by an experienced tutor who will not only provide expert guidance, but also a wealth of knowledge about the history and craft of fans.

Saturday 08 August 2015

Following on from the success of last year’s event, The Fan Museum is holding an Open Day on Saturday 08 August 2015. The open day is held with the aim of encouraging residents from the local area and nearby boroughs to visit the museum.

Thursday 23rd & Friday 24th July 2015

Written to celebrate Shakespeare’s 400th anniversary in 2016, this international premiere showcase of award-winning author Adrian Drew’s new play, is a combination of speculation, comedy and pathos guaranteed to both surprise and entertain!

Monday 22 June 2015

An illustrated talk exploring the archives of couturiers Lucile and Worth.

Saturday 16 May 2015

Due to high demand we have added in an extra Fan Making Workshop on Saturday 16 May! This session will be conducted by an experienced tutor who will not only provide expert guidance, but also a wealth of knowledge about the history and craft of fans.

Monday 23rd March 2015

On Monday 23 March 2015, The Fan Museum is holding a Seniors Open Day, free to everyone aged 55+. The aim of the Open Day is to encourage older people to visit the museum and learn more about the history of fans and craft of fan making.

Monday 9th March 2015

To coincide with The Fan Museum exhibition, Waterloo: Life & Times, Robert Evans will give a lecture on the life of Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington, with a focus on the period surrounding the Battle of Waterloo in June 1815.

Thursday 19th February 2015

A visit to Leighton House, one of our National Trust Partners, is planned for Friends of The Fan Museum.

Saturday 14th February 2015

Enjoy afternoon tea in the beautiful Orangery. We will be serving our delicious scones with jam and cream, a selection of freshly baked cakes, and handmade sandwiches. Bring along a bottle of bubbly to make it an extra special meal!