Wellcome Collection - This October: Play Well, our new exhibition opens

Wellcome's free museum and library for the incurably curious

Our Future of Being Human? UNTIL 18 OCT FREE | JUST TURN UP See this new installation, inspired by climate change and our new Being Human gallery. The installation is the result of a project by the RawMinds Ambassadors which is part of our youth programme. “When we explored the new ‘Being Human’ gallery upstairs, we wanted to think about what that means for us, now and in the future. We were awakened by the theme of climate breakdown, so we worked with artists to create this film and artwork.”

Where do the children play? LARP SAT 5 OCT, 13.00-16.00 CRUMBLES CASTLE PLAYGROUND, N1 0DP FREE | BOOK FROM 27 SEP Come along to an afternoon of live action role play (LARP) inspired by the exhibition Play Well. Join artist Adam James to let loose your inner child or pretend to be a grown-up, as adults and children temporarily swap roles. Set in the 1980s, this afternoon of games, workshops and role play will have you remembering playmates and silly games.

Packed Lunch: Space Psychology WED 9 OCT, 13.00-14.00 FREE | FIRST COME, FIRST SEATED 50-years on from the first moon landing, space tourism and missions to Mars are once again on the agenda. Join space psychologist Iya Whiteley to hear how we can prepare individuals for the immense mental challenges of these journeys and how her research could benefit us here on planet earth.

Dying Under Your Eyes THURS 10 OCT, 19.00-20.30 FREE | BOOK FROM 27 SEP Come to a screening of the newly commissioned film by artist Oreet Ashery, whose work is currently on display in our exhibition Misbehaving Bodies. This family portrait of end-of-life care includes footage from around the time of her father’s death. Through her personal experience, Ashery explores themes such as ageing, dying and mourning. There will be a discussion after the screening with the artist, curator and researchers.

Dis-Ease THURS 10 OCT, 19.00-20.30 FREE | BOOK FROM 27 SEP Watch this screening of a work-in-progress documentary, Dis-Ease by Mariam Ghani. The film explores how pop-culture images and the language we use to talk about disease affect the ways we treat people who are sick and how we respond to epidemics. After the screening, there will be a chance to hear from the director and ask questions.

A Moon with a View THURS 17 - SUN 20 OCT FREE | CHECK EVENT FOR BOOKING INFORMATION Join us for a weekend of activities, performances and discussion as part of this year's Bloomsbury Festival, surrounding the theme of Small Steps, Giant Leaps. THURS 17 OCT - Perspectives on Homelands from Afar FRI 18 OCT - Active Maps SAT 19 OCT - Saturday Studio: Augmented Reality on the Moon SAT 19 OCT - Zine Club: The Moon SUN 20 OCT - MAPS

Play Well OPENS 24 OCT - 8 MARCH 2020 FREE | JUST TURN UP Why do we play? How important is it for all of us, young or old? Play Well will explore how play transforms both childhood and society. Using toys, games, artworks and design, this exhibition will investigate how we played as children and how we play now we’re grown up: developing social bonds, emotional resilience and physical wellbeing.

Breaking and Mending BY JOANNA CANNON RELEASED TODAY, NOW £10.30, RRP £12.99. Sometimes, stopping to listen can help save a life... In this powerful memoir, Joanna Cannon tells her story as a junior doctor in visceral, heart-rending snapshots. "One of the most beautiful books you will ever read" – Kate Mosse "Among the best. We need to listen" – Katy Guest, Guardian

BEYOND WELLCOME

ON EDGE: Living in an Age of Anxiety UNTIL 19 JAN 2020FREE | SCIENCE GALLERY LONDON We all experience anxiety to some extent at some point in our lives. ON EDGE aims to open conversation around the causes of and responses to anxiety today through art, design, psychology and neuroscience. Drawing on cutting-edge research from King’s College London, the free exhibition examines anxiety from different perspectives and lived experience.