Leicester Museum and Art Gallery takeover

Thursday 15 September | 18:00-22:00

Join us as we take over Leicester Museum and Art Gallery after closing time for an exciting evening of hands-on activities, talks and pop-up stalls!

Step inside the world of illusions, discover the impact food and music have on mood, and explore space in virtual reality as you make your way through the museum. Whether you’re interested in the origins of extinction or societal views on sex, prepare to immerse yourself in all things art, history and science.

Drop-in activities

These events will be running throughout the evening and booking is not required.

Fossils after dark

 

Meet palaeontologists from the University of Leicester and beyond to get hands on with genuine specimens that tell the stories of flying reptiles, how they moved on land and the ancient diets that sustained them.

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Mind-bending body illusions

 

Immerse yourself in the weird and wonderful world of illusions. Melting hands, extra digits and seeing and feeling the impossible are all yours to discover.  

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Painting over the cracks

 

Prepare to get messy, grab a brush (or a fork?) and join Indrani Lahiri from De Montfort University to explore how different forms of putting paint to canvas might be one way of switching off and better managing mental health.  

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See the world as engineers do

 

Join engineers from De Montfort University who’ll show you how to turn your ideas into reality. Using simple technology such as a computer and a 3D scanner they can take your drawings and turn them into a printed design.

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Small particles, big problem

 

The impact of microplastic waste on our environment is relatively unknown. Researchers at the University of Birmingham are beginning to understand more about how microplastics harm ecosystems, using a host of techniques from nanomaterials to genetics research. Stop by and try your some of these techniques yourself.

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SMILE-ing at space

 

Join researchers from the Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer (SMILE) space mission for a series of hands-on activities which delve into the science, future discoveries, and technology of the SMILE mission. 

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The hidden universe

 

See through the eyes of the James Webb Space Telescope with this immersive, drop-in activity. Look deep into space clouds where stars and planets are forming, and uncover how weather, chemistry, and climate shape the atmospheres of giant planets. 

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Jon Chase: Science Rapper

 

Time: 20:00-20:30  (booking not required) 

 

Join Jon Chase, scientist and science rapper, as he weaves scientific theories, rhymes and beats before your eyes. From precipitation to the periodic table, it’s the best science lesson that you never had at school! 

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Leicester Tango

 

In this installation artificial intelligence (AI) is used to create a tango, danced between two places – the Leicester Museum and Art Gallery and Highcross Shopping Centre. Your movements trigger what is seen by the other venue, having a direct response and enabling the work to evolve over time.

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Talks

These events can be booked in advance. There will be limited walk-up tickets on the night.

For the love of food and music

19:00-20:00

Location: Council Room

 

Does listening to your favourite song, or eating your favourite food put you in a good mood? Join psychologists Annemieke van den Tol from University of Lincoln and Helen Coulthard from De Montfort University for a sensory feast, exploring the interaction of food and music and their psychological effects.  

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Sex, shame and stigma

19:30-20:30

Location: Lord Mayor Suite

 

Kate Lister from Leeds Trinity University shares her experiences of being a sex historian, the stigma that comes with it and how we can work towards a more sex positive future.  

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Photography and scientific discovery

20:30-21:30

Location: Council Room

 

Hear from Kelley Wilder from De Montfort University as she explores the complex relationship between imagery and discovery.  

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Origins of extinction

21:00-22:00

Location: Lord Mayor Suite

 

Sadiah Qureshi is a historian of science, race and empire. In her History of Science Section Presidential Address, she will take us on a whistle-stop tour of the history of ideas behind extinction.  

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