Something for Summer

If you are looking for something to do this summer, the National Media Museum in Bradford have an exciting new exhibit to explore. Called Light Fantastic: Adventures in the Science of Light, this interactive experience is all about all things lighting, from how it works to cool mind illusions light can play.

All the activities are free, and range from a chance to explore white light, through the use of coloured fluorescents and infinity mirrors, to a chance to create art pieces using light as your paintbrush. Multiple types of art are on show, from the best shadow puppets to cyanotype light printing. Some of the artists in residence are also on hand to answer any questions about the construction of the exhibits, and in the case of Double Exposure: A Tale of Two Planets in Darkness and Light by Cherry Kino and Alchemy, will actually be creating the artwork on the spot. The events are not only for children, although many of them are family-based, and there is a Lates: Light night happening on the 23rd July from 18:30 to 21:30 which makes the exhibits open for adults only.

The events are running from the 18th July to the 1st November, with a half-term extravaganza scheduled for 24th October to the 1st November. This experience is part of UNESCO’s International Year of Light, and the beginning of the museum’s Festival of Light which is celebrating the often unexplored wonders of light and media. This event is followed by Revelations: Experiments in Photography, which focuses on the influence of early scientific photography on modern and contemporary art, and begins on 19th November, so keep an eye out for that too!