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Three ties that bind? the relationship between the UK, US and France in a complex world

 

Join us for the annual Robert H Smith Lecture in Democracy which explores democracy in changing times inspired by Benjamin Franklin’s legacy as a statesman, political thinker and more.

The triumvirate relationship between the United Kingdom, the United States and France has long been a stabilising force in the western world and beyond. Ambassador Gerard Errera will discuss the current state of relations between the three countries in conversation with Benjamin Franklin House Director, Márcia Balisciano. This will be set against a backdrop of recent economic and political challenges to ultimately address the question of the future of multilateralism.

About Gerard Errera:

A career diplomat, Gérard Errera was Secretary General of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and French Ambassador to the United Kingdom. He also served as the French Ambassador to NATO and Director General for Political Affairs of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He was appointed “Ambassadeur de France,” a lifelong dignity, by the French President.  He is presently an international consultant.

About Márcia Balisciano:
Márcia Balisciano is founding Director of Benjamin Franklin House. She is also founding Chief Sustainability Officer at FTSE 20 global business, RELX. She holds a PhD in Economic History from the LSE and serves on the board of the Foundation for the (UN) Global Compact and the Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global Citizens.

 

This event is open to all and free to attend, no ticket is required.

Seats are allocated on a first come first served basis.

 

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Volunteers Needed!

Would you like to volunteer at Benjamin Franklin House? We have a variety of fantastic volunteering opportunities open at the House and want to hear from you!

Our volunteer team is essential to the daily running of the House. By volunteering with us you can meet new people and gain valuable heritage experience, we are currently looking for support in:

  • Front of House 
  • Social Media 
  • Education

If you are interested then keep reading!

Front of House Volunteers

As a front-of-house volunteer on Fridays, Saturdays or Sundays you will be a vital aspect of our visitor experience. You will provide a warm welcome to visitors, introduce our main offering the Historical Experience and conduct Q&A sessions, process ticket bookings/sales, and more.

Autumn 2023: We are currently looking for more Front of House volunteers to assist with the running of our public offerings. Contact the Front of House Supervisor to apply or find out more about volunteering with Benjamin Franklin House.

Social Media Volunteers

As a social media volunteer you are a vital part of our community engagement.

You will create content for our TikTok and Instagram posts to help encourage visitors to Benjamin Franklin House and to promote our events!

Autumn 2023: We are currently looking for more Social Media volunteers to assist with the running of our online platforms. Contact the Front of House Supervisor to apply or find out more about volunteering with Benjamin Franklin House.

Education Volunteers

Our education volunteers support our Education Manager with workshops for KS2 pupils on Tuesdays in term time. This will involve leading engaging history and science workshops for pupils visiting the House. You will also be on hand to support our numerous Family Days which celebrate seasonal occasions such as Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas.  If you are an aspiring teacher or would like to gain experience working with young people then this is a great opportunity that covers all Key Stages.

We are currently looking for more Education Volunteers to help support our School Visits and Family Days at Benjamin Franklin House. Please email our Education Manager at education@benjaminfranklinhouse.org to apply or find out more about volunteering.

We would like Education Volunteers to start from October/November so get in touch soon!

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Virtual Talk: A Day in the Life of Benjamin Franklin

Our Education Manager, Henry Wilkinson, will be delivering a FREE virtual talk chronicling Benjamin Franklin’s life in London. Using the wealth of information that we can pluck from Franklin’s papers, the talk will explore his life in 18th century Britain.

REGISTER FOR THE ZOOM WEBINAR HERE

From his morning routine, to what he would have ate for breakfast, the talk will look into the day to day living of a person living in London over 250 years ago. What food did Franklin eat? What entertainment did the city offer? Who did he dine with? What past times would he have engaged in? What did he get up to in the historic rooms of 36 Craven Street? All these questions and more will be answered from the man himself allowing us to create a day in the life of Benjamin Franklin.

The talk will last roughly 1 hour and is FREE. There will also be a Q&A session after the talk for all those wishing to uncover more about Franklin.

REGISTER FOR THE ZOOM WEBINAR HERE

PLEASE NOTE: The Zoom webinar will begin at 5pm UK time.

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OPEN HOUSE @ Benjamin Franklin House 2023

We’re taking part in Open House 2023!

We’ll be free to enter and open on Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th; Saturday 16th and Sunday 17th September.

Visitors will be able to walk around at their own leisure

This is a drop-in open day, so there is no need to pre-book. To prepare and save time upon arrival, please download our guide on Bloomberg Connects. The app offers a ‘Self-guided Tour’ which we recommend visitors follow, as well as behind the scenes content and exclusive talks.

10am – 4pm – entry times on the hour.

Plan your day here!

 

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To Begin The World Over Again: The Life of Thomas Paine

Join us on the 15th October for Ian Ruskin‘s one-man play exploring the life and achievements of the great Enlightenment figure and Founding Father, Thomas Paine.

“Our world would be a less enlightened place, were it not for this man.” – Ruskin

Run time: 1h 15 followed by Q&A session

Tickets £15 –> Book now

 

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Summer Break @ Ben’s House

This summer at Benjamin Franklin House we are running a series of historical skills workshops for all the family to enjoy!

Try your hand at writing with a quill in our Calligraphy workshop, strike a pose in our Portraiture workshop or handle some real historical artefacts in our Archaeology workshop!

All workshops are FREE, but tickets must be booked to secure a place. BOOK HERE.

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Calligraphy – 10th August 2023

Explore the home of one of the most famous figure from American history, Benjamin Franklin, who lived in London for almost 16 years! Inside you will get a feel for 18th century London as well as the rooms where Franklin wrote some of his most famous letters.

Learn all about Benjamin Franklin’s life as a successful printer, author and the first US Postmaster General! You will even get a chance to see one of Benjamin Franklin’s handwritten letters up close!

Create your very own letter from the 18th century as we roll up our sleeves for some good old fashioned dip pen writing! Write a letter using parchment paper and our collection of brightly coloured quill pens! Use Georgian handwriting guides to help create some beautiful writing!

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Portraiture – 17th August 2023

Explore the home of one of the most famous figure from American history, Benjamin Franklin, who lived in London for almost 16 years! Inside you will get a feel for 18th century London and find the perfect backdrop for your very own portrait!

Examine the interesting details and meanings hidden within some of the most famous paintings in the world as well as those featuring Benjamin Franklin himself!

Create a fantastic self-portrait of yourself and fill it with your very own hidden meanings and messages!

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Archaeology – 24th August 2023

Unearth the secrets of 36 Craven Street. Why are there human bones in the basement? How did they get there? Who were they? We will explore the history of the undercover secret school that operated in the house whilst Franklin was in residence!

Examine real artefacts from the past to work out what they are and how old they might be!

Create your very own model of a human skeleton as we learn all about the anatomy and explore medicine in the 18th century.

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Each workshop has three sessions to choose from throughout the day. If you would like to book tickets, please do so via our Eventbrite page here.

 

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Children’s Summer Fair 2023

Join us at Fulham Palace on Monday 28th August 11am-3pm for a family fun day out at our Children’s Summer Fair 2023!

We will be joined by a number of other historic houses, gardens, museums and galleries each providing an exciting workshop for all to enjoy!

Located throughout the Palace, our Fair will be taking place on Bank Holiday Monday (28th August) from 11am to 3pm. Discover the secrets of the hidden Palace, travel back in time by dressing up in historic costumes, learn how to create curly calligraphy and more.

This is a FREE family event but slots are limited so book your FREE tickets now to avoid disappointment!

All ticketing will be organised via the Fulham Palace website and can be found HERE

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Franklin’s Young Scientists: THE HUMAN BODY

Franklin’s Young Scientists is our FREE science club for aspiring scientists in Key Stage 2/3 (ages 7-14). Participants learn all about the experiments carried out by Benjamin Franklin and his British friends as well as trying their hand at practical investigations. A range of core topics from the science curriculum are covered including electricity, forces, sound and the human body.

Join us on Thursday 13th July at 5pm as we explore THE HUMAN BODY and learn about the bones found buried in our basement!

*Please note: this session is a repeat of our event which took place on 29th June 2023.

BOOK TICKETS HERE

Our focus shall be the skeleton and the bones that make up the human body. Can you name the largest bone in our bodies? Do you know how to assemble a skeleton from scratch? Did you know that skeletons were found beneath Benjamin Franklin House?

Our Young Scientists will also get an exciting opportunity to learn all about the bones in our basement and why they were buried here. They will also explore the history of medicine with a focus on the medical practices of the 18th century.

This is a FREE after-school workshop most suitable for KS2 and 3 pupils and anyone else with a keen interest in Science and History!

*Please note: this session is a repeat of our event which took place on 29th June 2023.

BOOK TICKETS HERE

Franklin’s Young Scientists is proudly funded by the Daughters of the American Revolution. An organisation that supports a number of our Education Events as well as our fantastic Frankly Speaking Debate Competition for schools.

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Recreating Franklin: What it Means to Bring Benjamin Franklin Alive

6 July 2023, 7pm

Join BFH Playwright in Residence, Michael London, and Royal Shakespeare Actor Keith Bartlett for an evening of bringing Benjamin Franklin alive in readings from the plays New World and Treason. Keith, who has played Franklin on stage and screen, will join together with Mike who has written several works on Franklin and his son William.

They will share their talents and a discussion of what it means to bring Benjamin Franklin alive to new audiences, followed by a Q&A with the audience.

Tickets cost £5. Secure your seat here.

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Franklin’s Young Scientists: THE HUMAN BODY

Franklin’s Young Scientists is our FREE science club for aspiring scientists in Key Stage 2/3 (ages 7-14). Participants learn all about the experiments carried out by Benjamin Franklin and his British friends as well as trying their hand at practical investigations. A range of core topics from the science curriculum are covered including electricity, forces, sound and the human body.

BOOK TICKETS HERE

In this session, we will carry out some exciting experiments involving THE HUMAN BODY.

Our focus shall be the skeleton and the bones that make up the human body. Can you name the largest bone in our bodies? Do you know how to assemble a skeleton from scratch? Did you know that skeletons were found beneath Benjamin Franklin House?

Our Young Scientists will also get an exciting opportunity to learn all about the bones in our basement and why they were buried here. They will also explore the history of medicine with a focus on the medical practices of the 18th century.

This is a FREE after-school workshop most suitable for KS2 and 3 pupils and anyone else with a keen interest in Science and History!

BOOK TICKETS HERE

Please note: Parents are welcome to attend, however there is a cap of one adult per child during busier sessions.

Franklin’s Young Scientists is proudly funded by the Daughters of the American Revolution. An organisation that supports a number of our Education Events as well as our fantastic Frankly Speaking Debate Competition for schools.