Children in Chichester District invited to get creative for upcoming ‘Elmer and Friends’ exhibition

Children across the Chichester District are being invited to get creative for a new exhibition coming to The Novium Museum this spring.

Young artists are being encouraged to bring colour and fun to the museum’s ‘Elmer and Friends’ exhibition, inspired by the much-loved patchwork elephant Elmer.

The exhibition, opening in April, celebrates the colourful world of late author and illustrator David McKee, whose stories entertained families for more than forty years.

As preparations get underway to bring the exhibition — which has been created by Seven Stories, the UK’s National Centre for Children’s Books — to Chichester, The Novium Museum is inviting local children aged 3-11 to get involved through an exciting community art project and creative competitions this spring.

The community art project will bring children aged 3-6 and their families together to create a striking piece of community artwork that will go on display at the ‘Elmer and Friends’ exhibition. Developed in collaboration with local creative community arts company, Splodge Designs, the workshops will be held at The Novium Museum during February half term – with sessions on Thursday 19 and Friday 20 February – and will see children create their own David McKee inspired panels and decorative tassels. These will then be combined to produce a colourful wall hanging, celebrating the creativity of the community.

Each child who takes part in the workshops will receive one free entry to the ‘Elmer and Friends’ exhibition to see the final artwork in person. With limited places available on each workshop, advance booking is essential. Families can find out more about the workshops and book tickets (£3 per child, £1 per accompanying adult) at: www.thenovium.org.uk/elmer

To celebrate the upcoming exhibition, the museum will also be running a ‘Make Your Own Monster’ competition inspired by the monster in ‘Not Now, Bernard’. Children aged 3-6 can take part by creating their own 3D monster model from any material they choose. Older children aged 7-11 can get involved too by writing a short time-travel story inspired by the magical adventures of time-travelling shopkeeper Mr Benn.

The winning entries will go on display as part of the ‘Elmer and Friends’ exhibition, which is expected to attract thousands of visitors during its 21-week run. Competition entrants will have the chance to win a range of prizes, including family tickets for Chichester Festival Theatre, free entry to the ‘Elmer and Friends’ exhibition, gift vouchers, and a bundle of David McKee books.

Competition entries must be submitted by 4pm on Sunday 8 March 2026. Full details, including terms and conditions, are available at: www.thenovium.org.uk/elmer

Councillor John Cross, Cabinet Member for Culture, Sport and Place at Chichester District Council, said: “The Elmer and Friends exhibition, community art workshops and competitions show what cultural spaces can do at their best — welcome families, inspire creativity, and give children meaningful opportunities to contribute, not just observe. I’m looking forward to seeing what local children and families create and seeing them on display at The Novium Museum later this year.”

To find out more about the exhibition and to plan a visit to The Novium Museum, people can visit: www.thenovium.org.uk/elmer