Every month, Mixtape Couture will be showcasing and shining a light on the talent that can be found in Sheffield. From bands to fashion brands, shops to restaurants, events to exhibitions, if it’s in Sheffield and it’s worth you knowing about then I will be letting you know. Whether you are a Sheffield resident yourself or are planning a visit one day [which I highly recommend] then hopefully this feature will help you to know where to visit, what to do and what’s going on in the Steel City.
This month, I’m going to be talking about a great place to visit in Sheffield for a mix of art, history and culture and all of it is free and easily accessible to all. I’m talking about the Millennium Galleries, situated right in the centre of Sheffield city centre this museum is a great one to visit on your own, with the kids or with friends.
As a free museum that is centrally located it remains ever popular and I think the fact that it switches up its exhibitions regularly as well as the special events that it sometimes holds on the premises, helps this poularity. With events from lectures to music and art related evenings as well as regular craft evenings and life drawing classes, it really does showcase something for all. It is also usually also a part of both Doc/Fest and Tramlines, two of Sheffield’s biggest and best festivals, the first about film and documentaries and the second about music.
I’ve visited quite a few times and it is the perfect place where you don’t have to specifically plan a trip you can just turn up if you have a bit of time to kill in town, taking in some culture while you wait. The exhibitions as I mentioned before are always a good mix from historical Sheffield memorabilla to nature related exhibitions and one of my recent favourites from last year a showcase of local Sheffield artists everyone from the likes of Phlegm to smaller, less well known names.
Right now some of the current exhibitions include ‘The Illustrated Aviary’, ‘Picturing Sheffield’ and the permenant ‘Metalwork Collection’. It really is a mix of everything you could want but in a small space, it is not a museum you will spend days looking round and getting lost but every inch of the small space is packed full of content that you can take in and appreciate in your own time, something I particularly enjoy and love about this place.
The gallary is joined onto the Winter Gardens in Sheffield, a lovely tranquail getaway right in the heart of the city. The curved greenhouse style building houses beautiful plants from ones found in the UK to exotic ones as well as a lovely cafe and a pop up store. A museum and gardens sounds like something that could only be on the edge of a city and there are plenty further out of the city centre in Sheffield but for it’s accessible location, this really is a great addition to Sheffield.
If you want to find out more about the exhibitions and events on at The Millennium Galleries or are planning a visit then visit their website or you can keep up to date via Museums Sheffield Facebook page or follow them on Twitter – @MuseumSheffield
The Millennium Galleries are situated just off Arundel Gate, opposite Sheffield Hallam University and iseasily accessible by all bus routes and the Supertram.
The museum is free entry, has an onsite cafe and accomodates school trips when booked in advance.
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