Article: David Styles | Image: © Kids in Museums/Walker Books
Fifty UK museums have signed up to a new promotion designed to encourage families to visit museums this autumn.
The scheme, which is led by Kids in Museums and Walker Books, follows the launch of Where’s Wally? Double Trouble at the Museum and challenges visitors to locate the iconic, illusive literary character at their local participating museum.
Kids in Museums has joined forces with Where’s Wally? publisher Walker Books to debut a nationwide ‘search-and-find event’ named Where’s Wally? The Big Museum Hunt!.
Designed to promote families visiting their local museum, and timed to boost visitor figures in the post-school holidays lull, the initiative will run between 12th October and 3rd November.
When visitors achieve their goal of finding Wally they will be presented with a commemorative sticker and have the opportunity to enter a competition to win an Art Fund Family Membership a range of book-themed prizes.
Visitors to museums including the V&A, The London Transport Museum, The Cutty Sark, Horniman Museum & Gardens and tens of others across the country will have the chance to search for Wally throughout the museums’ exhibition spaces.
“Fifty brilliant museums will be taking part, including previous winners and this year’s shortlist for our Family Friendly Museum Award,” noted Alison Bowyer, executive director of Kids in Museums. “We hope the campaign will inspire families across the country to head their local museum and join in the search for Wally.”
The museum selected to receive this year’s Kids in Museums Family Friendly Museum Award will be revealed in three weeks’ time.
Walker Books will be providing all the necessary materials to participating museums, including the likes of one metre tall Wally standees and activity sheets.
Jill Kidson, head of consumer marketing at the publisher, stated: “With Wally’s latest adventure taking him into the world of museums, we couldn’t think of a better partner to celebrate with than Kids in Museums.
“We’re thrilled to team up Where’s Wally? with a promotion that’s guaranteed to encourage more families to visit their local museum over the half term holiday, and look forward to seeing Wally hiding amongst exhibits around the country.”