The Science and Industry Museum invites you to create a ‘city of the future’ this October half term

From Sat 21 Oct to Sun 5 Nov, the Science and Industry Museum invites young people to become the next generation of architects, engineers and inventors with a packed family programme which looks to explore a future vision of Manchester through art, design and performance and inspire innovation through a variety of STEM experiences.

Throughout half-term, community groups and neighbours from around the city will take over the museum’s galleries and spaces to examine the myriad ways in which Manchester is rapidly evolving; place-makers of tomorrow can create futuristic versions of local areas with a giant installation of Openshaw high street, designed by architect Laura Sandison, before reimagining and rebuilding the city skyline in a series of special workshops around the museum, created by children from Armitage C of E and All Saints Primary Schools.

Elsewhere, a range of pop-up events share stories from local communities, including Dukinfield Craft Cafe, in which visitors can explore the relationship between water and shared wellbeing by using crafts and contributing to a collaborative string of bunting to look at the impact of the closure of the Dukinfield swimming pool. Manchester Museum also joins the half-term programme, bringing a rickshaw for guests to decorate with sustainable adornments in celebration of the city’s South Asian community.

Visitors can even watch live engineering in action, as the Science and Industry Museum undergoes a multi-million pound renovation to improve its beloved galleries and open an array of brand new, state-of-the-art spaces.

This free holiday programme has been created in partnership with friends and partners across the city as part of the Science and Industry Museum’s new City Sparks community initiative.

Alongside the dazzling range of partnership activities running across half term, visitors of all ages can participate in super-sized biology with the world-premiere exhibition, Operation Ouch! Food, Poo and You, which brings the smash-hit BBC Children’s TV show to life with a range of gleefully gross games and activities as intrepid explorers are shrunk, swallowed and squeezed through the digestive system.

Promising ‘the ultimate gaming experience’, Power Up offers the chance to play classic video game titles from the last fifty years, from nostalgic arcade favourites like Pac-Man and Pong to latest-gen VR systems and recent Playstation releases, and is open every day during the holidays.

As always, the museum’s free galleries and exhibits are available to explore; parents and children alike can get hands-on with science in the interactive Experiment gallery, before discovering the world-changing machines, people and real-life stories which transformed Manchester into the first industrial city in the Textiles Gallery and exploring the region’s peerless legacy of innovation in Revolution Manchester.

Open until Sun 25 Feb 2024, Stephen Hawking at Work allows visitors to learn about the renowned physicist’s unique life and career through a selection of fascinating personal objects from his office, including a rare copy of Hawking’s PhD thesis, one of only five known copies in existence, his spectacles, which were specially adapted to aid communication, and even an invitation to the time travellers’ party that Hawking hosted, as well as examples of the pivotal technology behind his wheelchair and vocal synthesizer.

For more information and to book free general admission tickets for the Science and Industry Museum’s incredible half-term events programme, click here or call 033 0058 0058.

Tickets for Operation Ouch! Food, Poo and You are available to book and priced at £10 for adults, £9 children, senior and concessions, with children aged three and under going in free.

Tickets for Power Up are £8 for adults/£6 for children (family discounts available).