A POP-UP museum at Leicester’s Highcross shopping centre next week will give youngsters the chance to create their own street scene model, make their dream car out of cardboard and learn how the city’s streets have changed over the last 100 years.
From Tuesday (15 February), Leicester Museums & Galleries will take over a vacant shop unit to provide some fun, free activities for children during their half-term holiday, all inspired by the theme of ‘Cities’.
Thanks to a partnership with Metro Boulot Dodo, Graffwerk and Arts Council England, the pop-up museum will also offer a virtual reality experience called ‘Paint to Pixels’, as well as a graffiti wall where budding artists can try out their spray paint skills.
Deputy city mayor Cllr Piara Singh Clair said: “We’re delighted to team up with our partners to bring these free activities and fascinating historic archives to Highcross this half-term.
“The pop-up museum ties in with our brand new city-themed exhibition, ‘The World We Live In’ at Leicester Museum & Art Gallery, and we’re very grateful to Highcross for letting us use this vacant unit.
“There will be lots going on and I hope that families will pop in to our pop-up museum to enjoy the many free activities we’ve arranged.”
The pop-up museum can be found in the upper mall, opposite the Apple store, from Tuesday (15 February) until Sunday (20 February). Opening hours are 10am until 3pm.
Other half-term events at Leicester’s museums include a Railway Day at Abbey Pumping Station on Tuesday (15 February) from 12noon-4pm, when families will be able enjoy a ride on the narrow gauge railway for 50p, and a Frosty Fun Day at the Guildhall on Wednesday (16 February), from 11am-3pm, where youngsters can enjoy ‘snowball’ fun in the Great Hall as well as some creative crafts. Tickets for the Frosty Fun Day are £3.
At Newarke Houses Museum, there’s a last chance to see the charming Christmas exhibition, The Snowman™ and The Snowdog, which closes on Sunday (20 February).
More information about what’s on at Leicester’s museums is available at www.leicestermuseums.org/
As part of the build-up to the Light Up Leicester festival in March, young people will be able to join in some free Lighting the Way workshops during half-term.
Primary-aged children and their parents will be able to learn how to make a light sculpture from an old drinks bottle using a battery-powered LED light kit, while older children can learn how to make an interactive light sculpture by controlling a Light Kit containing LED pixels with a BBC Micro:bit.
Places on the free workshops must be booked in advance. The sessions will take place at the Beta X hub at 72 Church Gate, Leicester from 14-18 February.
Find out more and book your place at www.interactdigitalarts.uk/projects/lightingtheway
Beta X is supported by the High Street Heritage Action Zone.