“Museum of the Moon” coming to Warrington

THE 50TH anniversary of the first moon landing will be celebrated with a major display at Warrington’s Parr Hall.
Culture Warrington will stage Luke Jerram’s magnificent “Museum of the Moon” touring installation in the hall from October 4-14 to mark 50 years since one of man’s greatest achievements.

In July 1969, astronauts Neil Armstrong, “Buzz” Aldrin and Michael Collins were launched into space in Apollo 11. On July 20, Armstrong and Aldrin made history as they became the first men to walk on the moon.

Leah Biddle, cultural manager for arts charity Culture Warrington, said “There’s a real buzz around this historic anniversary at the moment and I’m thrilled that we are able to join in the excitement by welcoming Luke Jerram’s stunning work to Warrington.

“Museum of the Moon is a spectacular installation which really brings home how awe-inspiring the moon is.

“We will be using the artwork to encourage our audiences and participants to share stories and memories, to talk about what the moon means to them; it’s such a magical way to engage children especially.”

Measuring seven metres in diameter, the artwork features 120dpi detailed NASA imagery of the lunar surface.

At an approximate scale of 1:500,000, each centimetre of the internally lit spherical sculpture represents 5km of the moon’s surface.

Over its lifetime, Museum of the Moon has travelled the world and been displayed in the open air and inside venues as diverse as cathedrals, warehouses and swimming baths, thereby altering the experience and interpretation each time.

More than 3 million people have visited the artwork to date.

The installation is a fusion of lunar imagery, moonlight and surround sound composition created by BAFTA and Ivor Novello-award winning composer Dan Jones.
Space is deliberately left for the public to interact with one another and participate in a communal shared experience; at the Parr Hall a programme of lunar-inspired events is due to take place including film nights, gigs for young people and a variety of activities for children and older people.

Leah added: “We want to do whatever we can to ensure this visionary artwork can be enjoyed by people of all ages in a variety of different ways.”
Museum of the Moon is the centrepiece of this year’s Warrington Contemporary Arts Festival which will also include a LightNight-style event in Queens Gardens with music, light installations and a family-friendly dance performance.

For those who can’t wait until October to go into orbit there is also the Space Odyssey exhibition on display now at Warrington Museum and Art Gallery.

Featuring actual working parts from the Hubble Space Telescope, the exhibition reveals Warrington’s astonishing link to space exploration.