Museumaker is an ambitious partnership between makers, museums, and visitors, and is supported by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council, Renaissance in the Regions and Arts Council England.

Outstanding contemporary makers have been chosen to create exceptional new commissions for each partner museum in response to its site and heritage collections. A participatory project, involving the public, is an integral element in each programme.

By exploring the possibilities of creative interchanges between the historical and the contemporary, museumaker offers something special for existing museum visitors, as well as establishing ways to develop new audiences.

Timorous Beasties are an internationally acclaimed design practice based in Glasgow. They are best known for depicting contemporary images, often exploring social and political issues, on traditional textiles and wallpapers. They will be taking inspiration from the rich history of Valentine’s Mansion – such as the trading connections with India that financed the building of the mansion – to create a unique Valentine’s textile. The textile will be applied to a range of outdoor structures such as deck chairs, wind-breaks and parasols to create an encampment in the beautiful walled garden. This will enable outdoor activities such as story telling, music making and play acting to take place in the summer. A special community engagement programme will run alongside the project.