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.
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.
Find out moreMind-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.
Find out morePainting 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.
Find out moreSee 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.
Find out moreSmall 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.
Find out moreSMILE-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.
Find out moreThe 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.
Find out moreJon 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!
Find out moreLeicester 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.
Find out moreTalks
These events can be booked in advance. There will be limited walk-up tickets on the night.
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.
Book tickets nowSex, shame and stigma19:30-20:30
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.
Book tickets nowPhotography and scientific discovery20:30-21:30
Location: Council Room
Hear from Kelley Wilder from De Montfort University as she explores the complex relationship between imagery and discovery.
Book tickets nowOrigins of extinction21:00-22:00
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.
Book tickets now