THE SPIRIT of invention will be embraced at Rugby Art Gallery and Museum for this year’s Night At Your Museum.
The event, dubbed Awesome Inventions, will celebrate the brains behind pioneering inventions and innovations which have links to Rugby, from Sir Frank Whittle’s work on the world’s first jet engine to Dennis Gabor’s development of holographic theory.
Staff from the University of Warwick will invite visitors to their Inventor’s Workshop to take a whistle-stop tour of the history of Rugby’s bright ideas – from Norman Lockyer’s role in the discovery of helium to the Rugby Radio Station, a former government facility which, at its peak in the 1950s, was the world’s largest radio transmitting station.
The Green Futures Lab will feature experts from Discover Materials revealing how materials science and engineering can help combat climate change.
Inside the lab, visitors can discover how the sustainability and performance of everyday objects can be improved by developing new materials and processing methods, while finding out how to play a part in building a greener future.
Other highlights of Awesome Inventions include revelations about the theory of flight from the Royal Air Force’s STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) team, the chance to make a handheld hologram, creating electronic circuit boards with Snap Circuits, rugby ball throwing with the council’s Play Rangers, and the chance to take on the building bricks challenge.
And for visitors searching for peace and tranquillity, a Night At Your Museum also includes a relaxed space complete with a psychedelic sensory spectacle of light and colour – a tribute to Rugby’s psychedelic rock pioneers, Spacemen 3.
Face painting can also be booked on the night at a cost of £1.
Coun Maggie O’Rourke, Rugby Borough Council’s spokesperson for partnerships and wellbeing, said: “A Night At Your Museum offers a range of creative activities inspired by our history of invention, from William Webb Ellis inventing the game of rugby to the discovery of helium and holography on our doorsteps.
“It’s one of Rugby Art Gallery and Museum’s biggest events and always proves popular, so it’s best to book early to avoid missing out on a night to remember.”
Her Liberal Democrat counterpart Coun Neil Sandison added: “History and science never stands still, so it’s good to remember our community’s role in the development of cutting edge technologies and how this spirit of innovation can help us tackle the impact of climate change moving forward.”
Awesome Inventions at a Night At Your Museum takes place on Friday October 25 at Rugby Art Gallery and Museum. Admission can be booked for 5.30pm, 6.30pm or 7.30pm, with places priced at £4 (under two-year-olds free). The event closes at 9pm.
Visit www.ragm.co.uk/nightatyourmuseum for more information.
