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National Science and Media Museum reopens
A new ‘star object’ celebrating a Yorkshire icon will greet visitors to the National Science and Media Museum, which recently reopened in Bradford.
The museum – whose galleries explore photography, film, television, animation, videogames, and sound technologies – has undergone a £6 million redevelopment since it temporarily closed in 2023. Now, as Bradford celebrates its role as UK City of Culture 2025, it is welcoming members of the public once more.
Taking centre stage in the museum’s refurbished foyer is a 2m-tall replica of the ‘Techno Trousers’ first seen in Wallace & Gromit: The Wrong Trousers (1993). The trousers are shown being operated by penguin criminal mastermind Feathers McGraw who, in the film, uses them to steal from a museum. It was created exclusively for the Bradford attraction by Aardman, with whom the museum has enjoyed a long relationship, showcasing the studio’s pioneering work in both temporary exhibitions and permanent displays.
Animation enthusiasts can also look forward to the launch of the museum’s new ‘Sound and Vision’ galleries, which are set to open this summer. See http://www.scienceandmediamuseum.org.uk/about-us/sound-and-vision project for more details.
New exhibition to explore Manchester’s links with transatlantic slavery
Another museum currently undergoing a multimillion-pound transformation is the Science and Industry Museum in Manchester (see http://www.scienceandindustrymuseum.org.uk/about-us/we-are-changing) where, in 2027, a newly announced exhibition will illuminate historic links between the city, cotton, and transatlantic slavery.
The exhibition is a partnership between the Science and Industry Museum and the Scott Trust Legacies of Enslavement programme – a ten-year restorative justice project launched by The Guardian (which was founded in Manchester) in 2023, which aims to improve public understanding of how transatlantic slavery impacted the UK’s economic development, and its ongoing legacies for Black communities.
The museum stands on the site of the former Liverpool Road Station, once a major hub for the transportation of cotton produced by enslaved people. The new exhibition will build on its existing displays to explore how Manchester’s growth was driven by a textile industry reliant on colonialism and enslavement. See http://www.scienceandindustrymuseum.org.uk/whatson/manchester-cotton-and-transatlantic-slavery for more details.
Tullie to reopen this spring
Completing our trilogy of transformed and transforming museums, Tullie (formerly known as Tullie Museum and Art Gallery) in Carlisle is set to reopen fully in the spring.
The museum – whose displays include significant archaeological collections, as well as fine art and natural history exhibits – temporarily closed for renovation at the end of 2023. It partially reopened in November 2024, but its newly refurbished spaces will soon be fully accessible to the public.
As well as a redeveloped entrance complete with a café, shop, and events space, the museum has gained a new ground-floor exhibition space called the Carlisle Gallery, sharing stories from the border city’s long and complex history. The project has also seen Tullie’s Grade I-listed Gatehouse building removed from the Heritage at Risk register.
See http://www.tullie.org.uk for more information about the museum and its collections.
New exhibitions
Ancient Sudan: enduring heritage
Portsmouth Museum and Art Gallery
1 February-19 April 2025
http://www.portsmouthmuseum.co.uk/what-to-see-do/special-displays/ancient-sudan-enduring-heritage
Last chance to see
Silk Roads
British Museum, London
Until 23 February 2025
http://www.britishmuseum.org/exhibitions/silk-roads
Shaped by Shoes: the Northamptonshire shoe industry
Northampton Museum & Art Gallery
Until 23 February 2025
http://www.northamptonmuseums.com/directory-record/495/3-shaped-by-shoes-the-northamptonshire-shoe-industry
Medieval Women: in their own words
British Library, London
Until 2 March 2025
http://www.bl.uk/whats-on/medieval-women
Theravāda Buddhism
National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh
Until 9 March 2025
http://www.nms.ac.uk/exhibitions/theravada-buddhism
Tales from the Caves: exploring Nottingham’s underground stories
Weston Gallery, Lakeside Arts, Nottingham
Until 9 March 2025
http://www.lakesidearts.org.uk/exhibition/tales-from-the-caves
