A NEW augmented reality experience at Leicester Museum & Art Gallery will give people the chance to see themselves alongside a giant plant-eating dinosaur that lived in Rutland more than 168 million years ago.
The museum’s famous Rutland Dinosaur, a Cetiosaurus, will have flesh put onto its bones, thanks to a new interactive display that will also bring other fossils in the museum’s collection to life.
From Saturday (30 April), people will be able to stand next to a computer-generated version of the 18m-long Cetiosaurus (pictured), giving them a real sense of the creature’s huge size, and get close to a long-extinct marine reptile known as the ‘Barrow Kipper’ – the 200 million-year-old Plesiosaur that will be brought to life through technology too.
Other interactives will allow visitors to go face to face with the fearsome Neovenator – the theropod that lived more than 120million years ago – and anyone who’s brave enough will be able to feed the hungry carnivore too!
A mobile version of the app will let visitors interact with the dinosaurs in a number of ways and even let them ‘take’ a Leicester dinosaur home with them.
Deputy city mayor Cllr Piara Singh Clair, who’s responsible for Leicester’s museums, said: “The dinosaur gallery at Leicester Museum & Art Gallery is a firm favourite with both children and adults, but it’s been more than a decade since its last update.
“It’s really important that we keep our displays fresh, and try to ensure that there’s always something new to see or do in our museums, so I’m delighted that we’re able to offer these new permanent displays.
“The development of new technology means that we can now make more of our collections accessible to people who aren’t able to visit our museums in person – and thanks to our mobile app, people will be able to meet Leicester’s dinosaurs wherever they are in the world.”
The free app – Meet Leicester’s Dinosaurs – can be downloaded from the Apple Store and Google Play from Saturday (30 April). An augmented reality-compatible mobile device will be required to access all the app’s features.
Extra features on the mobile app include a dinosaur quiz, as well as the chance to interact with an additional dinosaur – the small, carnivorous Coelophysis that lived more than 200million years ago.
Meet Leicester’s Dinosaurs can be found in the dinosaur gallery on the ground floor at Leicester Museum & Art Gallery on New Walk.
It will open to the public on Saturday (30 April), in time for the Bank Holiday weekend.
Innovations in Leicester’s museums are made possible thanks to regular funding from Arts Council England (ACE). A £407k National Portfolio Organisation grant has been secured from ACE for 2022-23.
Background:
Leicester’s museums and galleries service was awarded National Portfolio Organisation status by Arts Council England (ACE) in 2018. ACE provides funding to support the development and delivery of programmes, including new visitor resources, engagement events and museum improvements. A £407k National Portfolio Organisation grant has been secured from Arts Council England for 2022-23.