The Novium Museum

10/09/2026

We are delighted to announce that ChichestHER, a new exhibition celebrating the lives, achievements and legacies of women from Chichester District opens at The Novium Museum on 17 October 2026.

A psychoanalyst who fled N**i Germany, a hockey captain who established the Women’s Sport Foundation (now Women in Sport) and a suffragist who spent time in Holloway Prison are just some of the fascinating women whose stories are being featured in the new headline exhibition which explores the impact women, past and present, have made on Chichester District.

The exhibition will feature:
📖 Loans from museums, organisations and individuals to help tell the inspiring stories of the women featured
👧 Interactive activities for younger visitors and families that directly link with the stories on display including puzzles, trails, dressing up, a Ladybird book library and much more.
🎨 Artwork created by local community groups who have worked with local artists
🎞️ Animations created in collaboration with Illustration and Design students from Chichester College

The exhibition will be accompanied by a district wide community events programme, featuring talks, family activities, tactile tours and 'Makers Mornings' led by local women to share their skills, creativity and expertise.

ChichestHER is the culmination of a two-year project made possible thanks to The National Lottery Heritage Fund which awarded the project a grant of £117,266.

Over the next few weeks, we will be sharing glimpses from behind the scenes of the project and teasers from the exhibition, watch this space!

ChichestHER opens on Saturday 17 October until April 2027. Admission is free with donations welcome.

For more information, please visit: https://orlo.uk/MCHpk

Open from 17 October 2026 - 17 April 2027

05/09/2026

The Novium Museum regularly welcomes students from Schools, Colleges and Universities on short term work experience placements. Whilst on placement the students are given the opportunity to curate their very own small-scale exhibition. This project titled ‘Object in Focus’ sees the students pick an object, research their chosen item and create object labels. Their final task, with the help of museum staff, is to pull all their work together to creating their very own display.

We have recently installed our latest exhibition curated by Georgina Lehmann from the University of Brighton’s MA Curating Collections and Heritage course. Here’s what she has to say about her chosen objects for this project:

Dusty old shoes may appear to be an unpopular focus for an exhibition, but these shoes are far more mysterious and interesting than they seem. I chose these objects for my display because they are believed to be, in fact, anti-witchcraft charms. It has been an exciting opportunity to be able to work with a tangible artefact, especially one that is part of the history of local superstition, witchcraft and folk customs, an area of research I centred my undergraduate studies around and have been fascinated by since childhood.

Concealed shoes are a UK wide phenomenon of shoes being discovered in historic buildings, deliberately hidden under floorboards, in and around chimneys and fireplaces, under front doors and in attics. The shoes are always well worn with signs of repair and are often discovered as individual shoes rather than a pair. It is theorised that the shoes represent an individual. Leather shoes mould to the unique shape of the wearer’s foot over time. It may have been believed that this would confuse witches and evil spirits into believing the shoe was the wearer themselves and would direct their ill intentions onto the shoe by mistake, leaving the wearer unharmed by magical influence. Since the shoes are often uncovered in chimneys and under doorways, areas that it was believed evil spirits or witches could enter the house, the shoes may have also been intended as spirit traps, capturing the supernatural before it could enter in the first place.

03/09/2026

Last week, Amanda (Museum Manager) and Rachel (Exhibitions Officer) headed to the Chichester Festival Theatre stores to collect an item which the museum is loaning for an upcoming exhibition.

Over the next few weeks, they will be visiting sites across Sussex and Hampshire to collect loans from partner organisations which will go on display as part of the ChichestHER exhibition which opens at The Novium Museum in October.

The ChichestHER project has been made possible by a £117,266 grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund so we can uncover, celebrate and share the stories of remarkable women across Chichester District, whose contributions have helped shape our community, but have often gone unheard.

Find out more about the ChichestHER project: https://orlo.uk/sQmC5

01/09/2026

Last week, we gave our exhibition case at the Chichester District Council offices a refresh. We were lucky to have worked with the Sussex Sunday Walkers on the new display, sharing some of their fascinating archival material.

This year marks the centenary of the group with walks across Sussex being organised since 1926!

The new display will be available to see for the next three months.

📍East Pallant House, PO19 1TY
⏱️Monday-Friday, 9am-4pm

To find out more about the Sussex Sunday Walkers, please visit https://orlo.uk/4DsMV

30/08/2026

If you haven’t yet visited the ‘Elmer and Friends: The Colourful World of David McKee’ exhibition, there’s just two weeks left to see it before it closes!

The exhibition brings McKee’s much loved stories to life and features family favourites such as Mr Benn, King Rollo and Elmer the Patchwork Elephant.

Featuring original illustrations and multi-sensory, interactive displays, it is perfect for families looking for a fun day out!

🗓️ Final day: Sunday 13 September 2026
📍 The Novium Museum, Chichester

To plan your visit or book tickets, please visit: https://orlo.uk/5uELC

22/08/2026

🏛️ Discover The Guildhall in Chichester’s Priory Park 🏛️

Our next Guildhall open morning is Thursday 3 September!

See inside this incredible Grade I listed building and explore centuries of history.

Open to the public from 10:00 am - 11:30 am on the first Thursday of every month, The Guildhall has been the site of fascinating events over its time.

Built by the Franciscans in the 1270s, this historic site witnessed the trials of the infamous Hawkhurst Gang of smugglers and the artist and poet William Blake. It later served as Chichester’s town hall and museum.

Entry is free, with donations welcomed.

19/08/2026

🎄 Stallholder Callout - Christmas Market 2026🎄

Are you a local maker, artist or small business selling handmade crafts and unique gifts? We are on the lookout for talented local stall holders for The Novium Museum's annual Christmas Market on Sunday 13th December.

Join us for a day of seasonal cheer, community spirit and shopping with a difference, all in the beautiful setting of The Novium Museum.

We are looking for:
🖌️ Local crafts
🎁 Unique gifts and souvenirs
🎅 Festive handmade items

Limited spaces available - apply early to avoid disappointment. To register your interest, please e-mail [email protected]

14/08/2026

🦕 Join us tomorrow, 10am - 4pm, for a Family Geology Day with West Sussex Geological Society.

Have you got any fossils, rocks or minerals that you want to identify? Or perhaps you’d like to hear where you can find some – and where you can collect fossils around Chichester?

Get expert advice, explore a fascinating collection of fossils, rocks and dinosaur artefacts, browse a selection of pre-owned books for sale, and enjoy a ‘lucky dip’ for children.

There is also free craft activities throughout the day with children invited to make their own dinosaur mask to take home.

Free, with no need to book in advance

13/08/2026

⭐️ Join our team - Senior Visitor Services Assistant ⭐️

Would you like to play an important role in Chichester’s award winning The Novium Museum and Tourist Information Centre?
We are looking for an enthusiastic Senior Visitor Services Assistant to join our dedicated and friendly team, based in the centre of Chichester.

You will provide exceptional customer service to museum and Tourist Information Centre visitors. responding to a range of enquiries and proactively engaging with visitors.

You will enjoy interacting with the public and ideally have experience of working in a busy customer facing role as well as knowledge of the tourism industry and retail experience.

You will support income generation by overseeing retail elements of the museum including the gift shop and the online shop including identifying new products, placing orders and preparing new stock for display. This includes working with suppliers to develop bespoke products for the museum and online shop linked to the museum’s collections and exhibitions.

You will be required to work flexibly, including weekend, evening and out of hours work as the post supports the delivery of a range of events. The Novium Museum and Tourist Information Centre is open 7 days per week during the summer season.

If you enjoy working with the public and thrive in a busy environment where no two days are the same, we would to hear from you!

Applications close on Friday 28 August 2026, with interviews to take place on Friday 13 September.

To find out more and to apply, please visit https://orlo.uk/a2aLw

11/08/2026

⭐️Join our team - Learning and Community Engagement Officer ⭐️

We're looking for an experienced and self-driven museum or heritage Learning and Community Engagement Officer to join our dedicated and friendly team, based in the centre of Chichester.

This position provides an exciting opportunity to lead on the development and delivery of an ambitious programme of formal and informal learning and engagement activities to all audiences including schools, families, youth, community, students and adult learning groups, both in the museum and the wider community.

If you have experience of, and enthusiasm for, developing and delivering audience engagement programmes, have excellent communication skills and enjoy working as part of a team, we would love to hear from you!

Applications close on Friday 28 August 2026, with interviews to take place Thursday 17 September.

To find out more, or to apply, please visit https://orlo.uk/zH4oP