Children see things differently. Naturally creative with everything from mud to macaroni, they’re always finding new and surprising ways to express themselves. Devote time to creativity as a family this summer with the Royal Academy of Arts’ family programme. Entertaining, inspiring and educational, there’s plenty to enjoy, from interactive tours to hands-on artistic activities and a very special Lego competition.
First up is The Big Architecture Family Day on June 23rd, with a selection of workshops, classes and studios to explore. Pick up some pipe cleaners and put together an experimental sculpture as part of the Shapeshifters studio, or take the Royal Academy’s Drawing Tour, sketching your thoughts on paper as you go. Alternatively, join your kids in a multi-sensory activity class, or take part in the highlight event: the RA Lego Architecture Challenge.
Each year, the Lego Architecture Challenge sees frenzied teams compete to create the most innovative Lego building project. Three of the UK’s most prestigious architectural practices will go head-to-head this year, with children and parents welcome to join in and help them with their creation. Whilst balancing brightly coloured bricks to form towers, bridges and buildings, children can begin to learn the basics of architecture, and have fun in the process.
Later in July and August, the Holiday Family Workshop is a wonderful chance to explore the Summer Exhibition as a family, before creating a unique souvenir to take home and treasure. You’ll start with a guided tour of the show, stopping at key pieces to discuss them as a group and hear how adults and children interpret them. Then, in family groups, visitors will create their very own artworks together, right there in the beautiful Summer Exhibition galleries. With sleeves rolled up and a range of media to play with, it’s a brilliant way to bond and create lasting memories.
Stay in a family room or suite at Brown’s during The Big Architecture Family Day or the Holiday Family Workshop, and benefit from complimentary entry to one of these events.To book or find out more, please email concierge.browns@roccofortehotels.com or call +44 207 493 6020.
Image credit
Agnese Sanvito
The Italian Renaissance didn’t just transform Italy, it cast a spell over London too. Even Queen Elizabeth I, who ruled over England and Ireland during this great period of growth, embraced the fascination, calling herself demi Italienne, or “half Italian”. Today, in certain pockets of the capital, the artistic, intellectual, and architectural influence of Renaissance Italy can still be felt.
Inspired by the Royal Academy of Arts exhibition Michelangelo, Leonardo, Raphael: Florence, c.1504, dive deeper into the lives of these masters and explore their most iconic works in Florence, Rome and Milan.
With Rocco Forte Hotels in the heart of each city, we’ll guide you on a truly immersive journey through the Renaissance.
A cornerstone of the Florentine Renaissance, and widely considered one of the most influential artists of all time, Sandro Botticelli's legacy continues to impress over half a millennia since his death. His captivating depictions of mythological themes, characterised by graceful lines and pale hues, have inspired generations of creators across art, film, and fashion. Today, along the walls of the Botticelli rooms within the Uffizi Gallery, crowds queue ten-deep just to catch a glimpse of his most iconic works, The Birth of Venus and La Primavera.
