One of Manchester's favourite museums is calling on anyone curious about the incredible inner workings of the human body to join a month-long medley of anatomy-themed special events, star-studded appearances and half-term transformations.
The Science and Industry Museum is celebrating its world-premiere exhibition, Operation Ouch! Food, Poo and You, which takes visitors on a lively journey through the digestive system, by dedicating the month of May to investigating our insides and celebrating the remarkable ways our bodies work.
The exhibition will close on Sunday 9 June, going out in a blaze of glorious grossness by inspiring all the upcoming 'brilliant bodies' events.
Free Brilliant Bodies Bank Holiday Weekender: Saturday 4 – Monday 6 May
The month-long bodies bonanza will kick off with a free 'brilliant bodies bank holiday weekend' taking place on Saturday 4 – Monday 6 May. From Bollywood to beatboxing and handstands to hula hoops, visitors should prepare to be wowed by people who have trained their bodies to do amazing things.
On Saturday 4 May, The Circus House will be bringing all the fun of the fair to the Science and Industry Museum by demonstrating the incredible things we can train our bodies to do. Through a series of spectacular performances and drop-in sessions, visitors will be wowed by circus skills before giving them a try for themselves.
Sunday will welcome composer, actor and director, Faz Shah, to demonstrate all the ways the human body can create beautiful sounds by showcasing his pop-tastic violin jams before leading beatboxing sessions that give participants the opportunity to try out what their own chords are capable of. Professional Hula Hoop performer, Natasha Moonshine, will also be wowing crowds with her impressive performances before supporting them to give hula hooping a whirl themselves during interactive workshops.
Monday will see modern Bollywood Dance Academy, Aimz Bolly Dance, performing spectacular routines and teaching some of their most iconic moves to visitors.
See stars of children’s TV in action: Saturday 18 May and Saturday 25 May
During May, visitors will also get two opportunities to meet stars of BBC Children's TV during VIP visits. Dr Chris Van Tulleken will be at the museum on Saturday 18 May, and Dr Ronx Ikharia will visit on Saturday 25 May. They are two-thirds of the Operation Ouch! TV show presenting trio and have provided unique inspiration for the museum's exhibition.
During each appearance, visitors voyaging through the exhibition will have the opportunity to snap a selfie with the Doctors. Audiences will also see Chris and Ronx in action when they each take to the stage to answer some of the public's most probing poo-related questions during live Q&As.
Tickets to grab a photo with the doctors in the exhibition will be available to book online from Tuesday 30 April. All tickets are priced at £10 for adults, £9 children, senior and concessions, with children aged three and under going free. The Q&A with the doctors will be available to enjoy as part of a free museum visit, all that's needed is a general museum admission ticket.
Operation Ouch! Food, Poo and You is open every day from now until 9 June.
May half term: Saturday 25 May – Sunday 2 June
The brilliant bodies month will culminate in a medical-themed May half term. From 25 May – 2 June, visitors can bring along their cuddly friends to the museum as it transforms into a teddy hospital, uncovering more about the fascinating inner workings of the human body. Budding doctors and nurses can visit the departments of Heads, Hearts, Bones and Bottoms and learn how to keep whole bodies healthy with playful and engaging activities for all ages.
As well as all the special events, a host of body-themed activities will be available to enjoy on gallery each weekend of May. These include interactive activities where the museum's expert Explainers 'spill their guts' for visitors as they explore the contents of a 'gut bag' to understand more about the digestive system.
Rebecca Gazey-McGaughey, Schools and Families Manager at the Science and Industry Museum, said:
'We're so excited to be dedicating a whole month of exciting activities to celebrating our brilliant bodies!
'Operation Ouch! Food, Poo and You is the museum's most epic experiment that encourages visitors to leave their inhibitions at the door as they investigate some of our funniest inner workings. We've been inspired by this to create our month-long programme of interactive, anatomy-themed activities. Visit us during May to discover what your incredible body is capable of and get hands on with the science inside us all!'
Operation Ouch! Food, Poo and You is the Science and Industry Museum's most popular special exhibition to date. Ahead of it closing on 9 June, visitors can join the 80,000 people who have already taken part in the epic adventure and visit the exhibition for a final time.
It is an exciting time in the development of the Science and Industry Museum, as it continues to undergo a multi-million-pound regeneration project that will see brand new spaces opened and significant improvements made to some of its best-loved galleries. The museum may look a bit different, with scaffolding being erected around the New Warehouse (the building that houses the museum entrance and four main galleries) and some areas will remain temporarily closed, but there is still plenty to do, see and enjoy as visitors explore 250 years of innovations and ideas that change the world.
For more information about what's on at the museum, visit www.scienceandindustrymuseum.org.uk/whats-on.
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For more information on the Science and Industry Museum, please contact communications manager, Alex Urmston, on 07741 103 790/ alex.urmston@scienceandindustrymuseum.org.uk
NOTES TO EDITORS
ABOUT THE SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY MUSEUM
The Science and Industry Museum tells the story of where science met industry and the modern world began. Manchester was one of the first global industrial cities, and its epic rise, decline and resurrection has been echoed in countless other cities around the world.
The museum's mission is to inspire all its visitors, including future scientists and inventors, with the story of how ideas can change the world, from the industrial revolution to today and beyond.
The Science and Industry Museum site is on the site of the Liverpool Road Station terminus of the Liverpool Manchester Railway, the world's first purpose-built passenger railway. Among its internationally significant buildings are the world's first passenger railway station and the oldest existing railway goods warehouse. In total there are two Grade I listed buildings and four Grade II listed buildings on the site.
The museum is currently undergoing a multi-million-pound regeneration project that will see brand new spaces opened and significant improvements made to some of its best-loved galleries.
The Science and Industry Museum is part of the Science Museum Group, a family of museums which also includes the Science Museum in London; the National Railway Museum in York and Shildon; and the Science and Media Museum in Bradford. The Science Museum Group is devoted to the history and contemporary practice of science, medicine, technology, industry and media. With five million visitors each year and an unrivalled collection, it is the most significant group of museums of science and innovation worldwide.
