I was in Bristol to visit one of the nicest science centers I know: We The Curious.
From their manifesto:
We The Curious is:
- A collective voice for the power of positive change in our communities, to shape our collective futures
- A space that removes boundaries and barriers, connecting and empowering people through creative experiences which celebrate science
- A place for everyone to learn, play and experiment – we’re about asking questions, being playful and testing things out
- An educational charity on Bristol’s Harbourside, led by scientific thinking, multi-disciplinary learning, social equity and people’s curiosity
- Creating and building connections through our people, visitors, collaborators, researchers, participants, and partners… across the city and beyond.
It is another science center
Yes, it is. Like every city, village, school or library should have (access to). But what is very special about WTC is how the museum is built around questions that Bristolians wanted answers to. The name of the project: What if.
The search for questions was a massive undertaking: you could hand over your question in the museum, in schools, with communities. Every citizen had the opportunity to join the curiosity movement. THAT IS SO COOL!
The final selection of questions is the foundation for the exhibits in the Main Gallery. Many scientific fields come together in answering a question in a constellation of different things to see, feel, read, do and discuss.
Who was the first person to see sand? guides you through ancient human history, the history of our planet and earth as a sand machine. You can make landscapes with sand, look at different sands and even add to the sand stock of the museum.
At the center of the Main Gallery is The John James Theatre of Curiosity, a place for little and big events involving questioning and discussion. It was a fun seeing many people interacting with each other. An active and buzzing atmosphere!
It is another science center!
And the curiosity continues!
Open City Lab
And finally my favorite room: In the back is the Open City Lab, where questions are discussed and answered. A very pretty lab, fun and inviting. Not age defining like some craft spaces sadly are, and not under the stairs or in a lost corner, whoop whoop! And with a program! And people!
The current question:
Bliss
It was a great experience to visit the museum. It is SO fun, playful, inviting and accessible. We saw only happy faces: families with children, older couples, groups of friends and crazy smiling professional museum lover tourists like us. To have a museum that is this closely connected to the community that surrounds it is fantastic. It felt like a visit to the curious minds of the Bristolians. <3
(And Amsterdam based kossmann.dejong did the design!)