The Science and Industry Museum has lifted the lid on its most outrageous adventure yet, which will see visitors dive headfirst into poo and celebrate the amazing inner workings of the human body.
Tickets are now available for blockbuster exhibition, Operation Ouch! Food, Poo and You, opening at the museum on Friday 21st July. The first major details have been unveiled, revealing an epic experiment full of super-sized science, unfiltered adventure and glorious grossness during a voyage through the digestive system.
This will be the first time hit CBBC show, Operation Ouch!, has been brought to life as an exhibition experience. Visitors will be sent on a special mission to get up close and in one case, extremely personal, with presenters Dr Chris, Dr Xand and Dr Ronx as they are shrunk, swallowed, squeezed through and spat out of Dr Xand’s digestive system during a lively, interactive and playful adventure to better understand our brilliant bodies.
Inhibitions will be left at the door of the Doctors’ elusive ‘cupboard of everything’, where an investigation into some of the body’s funniest functions begins. Whether it’s exploring a set of super-sized gnashers, slipping down the oesophagus or investigating the inner workings of the intestines, there will be plenty of giggle-worthy grossness to explore as visitors travel like a poo on a journey to discover where food goes when we eat.
Digestive
The job of each digestive organ will be discovered through interactive activities that reveal the biology behind that body part. These include sniffing out the science of how food is broken down during a smelly challenge and protecting the body from bugs by fighting off bad bacteria in a game to test even the most energetic child. An interactive poo-duction line will also see visitors work together to help move waste through the large intestine and out the other end.
The important role of medical science in helping to find clever solutions to some of the trickiest gut problems will be showcased through fascinating objects from the Science Museum Group’s collection, including a penny removed from a child’s stomach almost 100 years ago and ancient objects gifted to the gods in hope of curing digestive problems. Cutting edge technology will also be on public display as part of an exhibition for the first time in the form of Larry the Vomiting Robot, who helped scientists understand the distribution of norovirus particles by demonstrating how far sick splatters.
New stories from young people living with a range of digestive conditions will also be available for audiences to explore, along with the modern-day medicine helping to treat them.
Drs Xand, Chris and Ronx will pop up throughout the journey to help visitors understand more about the science of this essential bodily function.
Serious
Steven Leech, Curator of Exhibitions at the Science and Industry Museum, said: “From slobber to stomach acid and vomit to poo, this exhibition challenges taboos and proves it’s healthy to understand and discuss how our bodies work.
“Science can be serious stuff, but it’s also really fun. Operation Ouch! Food, Poo and You will offer a playful early experience that builds confidence in young people who want to explore science. It’s going to be a fantastic exhibition so hold onto your hats, and your noses, and come and get stuck into the science inside all of us.”
Dr Chris and Xand said: “Get ready to make history and take part in our most epic experiment yet! Find out how your food gets mashed, pulped, squeezed and absorbed, and soak up the sights, sounds and smells of your incredible digestive system!
“Our bodies are amazing! There’s nothing we wouldn’t do to demonstrate all the wonderful ways they work and this exhibition is proof! So make sure you come along and get digested at the Science and Industry Museum – it’ll be absolutely disgusting!”
Dr Ronx said: “Whoooo, poo is my absolute favourite subject, and to be honest the only way to teach you about the digestive system is to make you part of it!
“From the tip of Xand’s tongue to his bum, we are gonna get up close and personal. We want all your senses activated leaving you a mixture of grossed out, fascinated and basically a poo boffin like me. See you there!”
The exhibition is being developed by the Science and Industry Museum and produced in collaboration with BBC and 141 Productions, part of All3Media’s Objective Media Group.
Internationally renowned experiential design and production company, Sarner, are working with the Science and Industry Museum, BBC and 141 to bring the exhibition to life through innovative set design and pioneering displays.
The fun of the exhibition won’t stop at the door, as the museum and BBC have partnered to bring a retail range of interactive, informative and entertaining Operation Ouch!-themed toys, games, kits and experiments to help visitors continue to explore our brilliant bodies at home.
Development
The exhibition will open at an exciting time in the development of the Science and Industry Museum, as it continues to undergo a multi-million-pound regeneration project that will see brand new spaces opened and significant improvements made to some of its best-loved galleries. Although this means some areas will remain temporarily closed, there is still plenty to do, see and enjoy as visitors explore 250 years of innovations and ideas that change the world.
To book your tickets, visit www.scienceandindustrymuseum.org.uk/operation-ouch. Tickets are priced at £10 for adults, £9 children, senior and concessions, with children aged three and under going free.
The Science and Industry Museum is committed to being accessible for everyone. A series of special Experitots sessions, designed for children aged 0 – 4, will run in the exhibition, as will relaxed sessions adapted for visitors who prefer an adjusted environment, such as reduced capacity and sound levels. Tickets for both are also available.
The Science and Industry Museum is on the site of the Liverpool Road Station terminus of the Liverpool Manchester Railway, the world’s first purpose-built passenger railway. Among its internationally significant buildings are the world’s first passenger railway station and the oldest existing railway goods warehouse. In total there are two Grade I listed buildings and four Grade II listed buildings on the site.
The museum is currently undergoing a multi-million-pound regeneration project that will see brand new spaces opened and significant improvements made to some of its best-loved galleries.
The Science and Industry Museum is part of the Science Museum Group, a family of museums which also includes the Science Museum in London; the National Railway Museum in York and Shildon; and the Science and Media Museum in Bradford. The Science Museum Group is devoted to the history and contemporary practice of science, medicine, technology, industry and media. With five million visitors each year and an unrivalled collection, it is the most significant group of museums of science and innovation worldwide.
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