This autumn, Derby Museums will be hosting live tattooing in one of their museums for the very first time. The event at the Museum on the Wardwick marks the 25th anniversary of Derby’s legendary Lifetime Tattoo studio and forms part of Derby Museums’ Halloween Weekender.

On Saturday 1 November, eight artists, all of whom have worked at Lifetime Tattoo studio during their careers, will take part in a 12-hour marathon session from 11am – 11pm. They will be creating tattoo designs inspired by Derby Museums’ collections – think nature, archaeology, Joseph Wright, industrial objects etc. – giving visitors the chance to take home a truly unique piece of art. Tattoo designs will be available on a first-come, first-served basis, with artwork unveiled the night before at the spookily themed ‘A Cloud of Bats Halloween Party’.

Featured tattoo artists:

• Ben Stone – https://www.instagram.com/benstonetattoo
• Jonn Evans – https://www.instagram.com/jonnysharp_tattoo
• J Fletcher Fallows – https://www.instagram.com/lifetime_tattoo_uk
• Alex Johnson – https://www.instagram.com/beersonthecornertattoo/
• Lydia Wakefield – https://www.instagram.com/rinthlandtattoo
• Theresa Gordon-Wade – https://www.instagram.com/theresatattoo
• Gerry Carnelly – https://www.instagram.com/gerrycarnellytattoo
• Jennifer Akinyemi – https://www.instagram.com/jenakinyemitattoo

Image: Lifetime Tattoo founder Ben Stone at work – he will be tattooing in the Museum on the Wardwick on 1st November

Friday 31 October will see ‘A Cloud of Bats Halloween Party’ kick off the weekend with an evening of entertainment at the Museum on the Wardwick (Derby’s former central library). Produced in collaboration with Well Dressed, the evening will include the live debut of Ghilli Girl’s new audio-visual show, a stone circle in the dancefloor, pop-up shops including comic books on sale from Cromford Collectors’ Corner, and a guest appearance from DC Comics artist Liam Sharp (Batman, Judge Dredd, Wonder Woman). Torchlight tours of the Museum and Art Gallery will also offer a new way to experience the collections.

Friday night’s entertainment is produced by Russ Beresford of Well Dressed, a group dedicated to celebrating folklore, art and music from the Peak District. Russ has programmed an innovative mix of entertainment for the evening; he said:

“We’re looking forward to welcoming you to a fantastic Halloween evening. Expect trad-folk put through a blender of techno, DnB and breakbeat, with mind-bending visuals, as Ghilli Girl and Fruiting Body debut their new AV show. We’re excited to be hosting Birmingham’s Hedge Priest for their Derby debut, fresh from supporting slots with duo Stick In The Wheel and Goblin Band, who will be playing an eclectic mix of techno and acid house, alongside some ‘folk-adjacent’ hardtek and breakcore. Rounding out the evening will be an opening set from Well Dressed DJs, laying down a suitably atmospheric Giallo-inspired opening set.”

Friday night’s party will be the only opportunity for visitors to view all of the flash designs and pre-book tattoo slots for the following day.

Dr Alex Rock, Derby Museums’ Director of Commercial and Operations, said:

“The history and heritage of tattooing is fascinating, and we’re looking forward to celebrating the unique contribution all of the Lifetime artists have made to Derby in this groundbreaking event. What’s not to love about a 12-hour tattooing session? It’s a great way to make use of our revamped Museum on the Wardwick space and provide an alternative night (and day) out in Derby.”

Ben Stone, founder of Lifetime Tattoo, says:

“This is a fantastic collaboration between Derby Museums and a group of great artists. We’ve all been friends for many years, have worked together for decades, and it’s going to be great tattooing work inspired by the museum collection in the unique environment of the old library. Derby Museums’ collection has been an inspiration to us all over the years while working at Lifetime and elsewhere, and we’re looking forward to the first ever tattoo event there, making our own bit of history!”

The Halloween Weekender takes place from Friday 31 October – Saturday 1 November. Find out more:

• A Cloud of Bats Halloween Party, Friday 31 October, 7.30pm – late – find out more.
• Tattoos at the Museum: 25 Years of Lifetime Tattoo, Saturday 1 November, 11am – 11pm – find out more.
• Entry prices: £4.50 for Friday, £7.50 for Saturday, £10 for the weekend.