Saturday 7 January 2017

What's On in the New Year at Wellcome Collection

Wellcome Collection, A Free Destination for the incurably curious. What's On
 
Booking for events opens at 11.00 on Friday 6 January.
 
You can book online by following the links below, or you can call us on 020 7611 2222.
  FREE EXHIBITION
UNTIL 21 MAY 
FREE | DROP IN
No matter how you see nature now, you’ll never see it the same way again.

‘Making Nature: How we see animals’ examines what we think, feel and value about other species and the consequences this has for the world around us. It brings together over 100 fascinating objects from literature, film, taxidermy and photography to reveal the hierarchies in our view of the natural world and consider how these influence our actions, or inactions, towards the planet.

Animal Vegetable Mineral is the accompanying book for the exhibition.


Image credit: 'Ming of Harlem' by Phillip Warnell, Big Other Films 2016.
  LAST CHANCE TO SEE
UNTIL 15 JAN 
FREE | DROP IN
'Bedlam: the asylum and beyond' traces the rise and fall of the mental asylum by following the story of one such institution, Bethlem Royal Hospital in London, known in popular slang as Bedlam.
   
The exhibition focuses on the diverse perspectives and lived experiences of individuals who inhabited the asylum or created alternatives to it - their voices have shaped the meaning of mental illness and the current landscape of mental health care.
   
Pick up an audio companion, which brings together interviews, spoken word and other audio pieces developed by creative practitioners with lived experience of mental health issues.
   
This Way Madness Lies is the accompanying book for the exhibition.
           
All our exhibitions are free. Find out about entry at busy times.
   

Image: Madlove - A Designer Asylum. A project by Hannah Hull & The Vacuum Cleaner with designs by Benjamin Koslowski and James Christian.
  FREE EVENTS AND ONLINE SERIES
WEDNESDAY 25 JAN, 13.00-14.00
FREE | FIRST COME, FIRST SEATED

Feed your curiosity at our daytime discussions. Drop in to hear local scientists in conversation about their latest experiments, life in the lab and why science matters to everyone, all in the space of your lunch hour. Bring your sarnies with you to eat while you listen.
        
Surgery is increasingly benefiting from developments in robotic technology, but what does it mean to hand over control to a machine? Join Danail Stoyanov for a conversation about his work developing innovative robotic techniques to make surgery less invasive.

*There is no Packed Lunch on Wednesday 18 January.


THURSDAY 26 JAN, 18.00-19.00
FREE | TICKETED
The face occupies a privileged position in relation to identity and emotional expression. But what can it reveal about the person? The pseudoscience of face-reading has a long and chequered past and in this event, we trace some of the highs and lows in its eyebrow-raising history.

FRIDAY 3 FEB, 19.00–23.00
FREE | BOOK FOR TALKS FROM JAN 27
Inspired by the photography of Charles Fréger’s Wilder Mann, Wild Ones takes its audience on an exploration of the many incarnations of the ‘Wild Man’ (and women and children) that exist in European folklore, fairytale, myth and legend.

Spend a night in the company of the wild ones – hairy ladies, iron men, feral children and others who help us define what it means to be human by testing societal norms. 

Join the Crick Crack Club to explore who these wild ones are, the function they serve, our myriad reactions to them and why these potent characters populate our stories, our psyche and our reality.
               
This is a special late-night event with a bar running all night. The majority of activities are drop-in, but some talks need booking in advance.

                     
Image credit: Charles Fréger
Have you ever wondered, what's the history, significance or meaning of an object from Wellcome Collection? Our knowledgeable staff explain more in this selection of curious videos.

December's video explores the fascinating and curious history of chamber pots.

  YOUTH PROGRAMME
SATURDAY 21 JAN, 14.00-17.00
FREE | DROP IN
Drop by and learn about zoological drawing by using real veterinary specimens in these workshops run in partnership with the Royal Veterinary College, inspired by our ‘Making Nature’ exhibition.
Each session will focus on a different aspect of zoological illustration to help you develop your artistic skills and understanding of animals. The workshops will be led by the artist Tim Pond.
These workshops are for young people aged 14-19. There are 20 spaces in each session - first come, first served.
  BOOKS
£24.95 | AVAILABLE NOW


Mike Jay explores the evolution of the asylum and attitudes to mental distress and its treatment, featuring illustrations from Wellcome's exceptional holdings and the Bethlem Royal Hospital’s archive.
Published by Thames & Hudson and Wellcome Collection to accompany 'Bedlam: the asylum and beyond'.

£12.99 | AVAILABLE NOW
BBC Focus Magazine's book of the week

Animal Vegetable Mineral celebrates the beauty and strangeness of the ‘infographics’, charts and ordering systems used to classify and understand nature in the 18th and 19th centuries, from taxonomy diagrams to distribution maps and colour dictionaries. With an introduction by Tim Dee.
   
Published by Wellcome Collection to accompany 'Making Nature'.

£8.99 | AVAILABLE NOW
"Offers a real insight into the 'talking cure" – Guardian
  
An insightful, honest account of the process of therapy from bestselling author Susie Orbach. Drawing on 40 years of experience, she reveals what she thinks and feels about the people who seek her help, through five dramatised case studies. An essential read for anyone curious about therapy.
    
Published by Wellcome Collection.

£14.99 | AVAILABLE FROM 2 FEB
Dark, fascinating and endlessly curious, Eat Me delves into human and animal cannibalism to uncover stories spanning Psycho, the Eucharist and the dinosaurs. Bill Schutt digs his teeth into the subject to provide an entertaining and informative look at the world’s greatest taboo.

Published by Wellcome Collection.

  ACCESS TOURS
THURSDAY 19 JAN, 18.00-18.45
FREE | BOOK IN ADVANCE
The question of how humans relate to other creatures has captivated philosophers, anthropologists, ethicists and artists for centuries. Join our knowledgeable Visitor Experience Assistant Daniela, and interpreter Michelle Wood, on this British Sign Language tour of 'Making Nature'. You will encounter some extraordinary objects and images from our new exhibition and explore your relationship with other animals along the way.
   
BSL: This tour is designed for people who use British Sign Language.

SUNDAY 29 JAN, 14.30-15.30
FREE | BOOK IN ADVANCE
From ancient drumming rituals performed by medicine men to today’s music therapy, music and medicine have been intertwined throughout history. In this Audio Described discussion we listen to pieces of music from different periods and talk about their purposes and their effects on body and the mind. Join us for an exploratory journey through history, looking at how music has been used in medicine to heal the body, restore balance and cleanse the soul.

AD: This event is designed for people with visual impairments.

THURSDAY 2 FEB, 18.00–19.00
FREE | BOOK IN ADVANCE
The question of how humans relate to other creatures has captivated philosophers, anthropologists, ethicists and artists for centuries. Join our knowledgeable Visitor Experience Assistant Nick on this Speech to Text tour of 'Making Nature'. You will encounter some extraordinary objects and images from our new exhibition and explore your relationship with other animals along the way.
        
STT: This event is designed for people with auditory impairments.