There are many ways to get involved, from taking part in events to volunteering.
An action-packed programme of events, workshops and skills-based training to connect people of all ages and backgrounds with Dover Town Hall is well underway and will continue through to the re-opening of the building in 2024 and beyond.
Find out about exciting volunteering opportunities at the Maison Dieu here.
Hundreds of events are planned - from an opportunity to chat to conservators as they clean and repair priceless furniture and paintings, to heritage craft workshops and archaeological digs where members of the public can pick up a trowel to uncover evidence from the building’s long and colourful history.
An annual Festival of Arts will showcase local theatre, music, dance, and art. Themes including a theatre performance of Dover history inspired by stained-glass windows in the Stone Hall, storytelling in the Victorian prison cells and a Bonkers Burges! theme to encourage young people to create fantastical objects inspired by those of Victorian architect William Burges.
Many of the activities target local hard to reach groups, from work placements with contractors working on the building to a Festival of Skills for young people looking to enter the world of work.
An active programme of creative, cross-curricular engagement with local primary, secondary and special schools, colleges and universities inspired by the building is well underway, with lots more events planned.
In 2023 these will include the opportunity for schools to Adopt a Maison Dieu artefact or portrait, and a British Science Week event inspired by the significance of the building in the early history of radio.
For further information contact martin.crowther@dover.gov.uk
The public are also being encouraged to share personal memories of the Maison Dieu, from tea dances to wrestling, or to help research its more distant past, including its use as a medieval pilgrim hospital. In person and virtual tours and a new interpretation scheme are also planned.
A new website, William Burges Society and online archive will make the story of the Maison Dieu and its accomplished Victorian architect and designer available online and link it to other important Burges sites around the world. A fly-through digital tour is also planned and the restoration of the building will be captured by local amateur photographers working alongside an industry expert.
Other exciting events include Dover’s History at Night where the Maison Dieu will partner with other local heritage sites to provide a spectacular evening of after-dark entertainment and light projections.
Health and wellbeing is high on the agenda, with the team working with local community groups to create walks and cycle routes to Canterbury and the Continent inspired by medieval pilgrims.
