We The Curious: did curiosity kill the cat, or has satisfaction brought it back?

We The Curious: did curiosity kill the cat, or has satisfaction brought it back?

Posted on: 01 Jul 2024

We The Curious (once @Bristol) is a bright spot in the childhood of many Bristolians, but with the celebrated science museum returning this Tuesday, have they managed to transmute gold – or has it blown up in their faces?

 

The clear glass walls of We The Curious were well chosen – no doubt many a bored bus-goer has peered in at the odd collection of exhibits inside and had their, well, curiosity piqued. I can’t speak for others but, as a child peering in at the odd playground within, that curiosity was richly rewarded upon entry.

 

Here was, essentially, a playground – but one that parents and teachers seemed eager to take us to. Suffice to say, after the fire two years ago, and the subsequent rebuilding of We The Curious, I was intrigued (I can’t quite take continuing to use the c-word) to see if it held up to scrutiny.

 

 

Entering the bottom floor of the new We The Curious, you’re presented with a sleek black complex – like the colossal engine room of some esoteric alien spacecraft. It’s a little offputting and minimalist at first, but it boldly pledges their commitment to the new and fresh, as well as providing a clean canvas to pick out all the opportunities for play ahead of you.

 

Entering about a quarter of an hour after the rest of my party after finishing my interviews, I learned that in those 15 minutes, one of my companions had managed to get himself displayed on the wall as a massive human clock. The excitement began. From there, I quickly spoke with the deeply (and clearly intentionally) unsettling Robo Thespian as it pondered on the existence of its own soul, mind and emotions, took part in a trolley-problem car game and decisively failed to become the next big human clock.

 

 

The ground floor of We The Curious is the newer of the two – it is absolutely packed with exhibits and interactivity, quickly spinning me into something of a daze as I found myself drifting between them like a butterfly pollinating flowers. As far as memory serves, the exhibits are mostly all new, with many of them following a definitely more philosophical bent; particularly an extended section on the human soul.

 

The ground floor also showcases a definite aim of the new We The Curious: cross-age appeal. Asking CEO Donna Speed about this earlier in the day, she said: “Now it is very much a multi-generational experience[…] there’s so much to do, and it’s co-created with our city – and that’s every age.” Whilst all the exhibits are accessible, plenty of them feel high-level enough to educate adults, too. A lesson on refractive index via disappearing glass bars, an uplifting but sobering exhibition on disability and overcoming it – and the aforementioned ethical dilemma and exploration of the soul.

 

 

As you head toward the stairs, familiarity drifts back in – or, rather, blows right into your face. Perhaps the most iconic part of @Bristol was always the wind cannons – ostensibly used to propel and float inflatable globes, their true purpose is an open secret: blasting yourself in the face and making your hair fly all over the place.

 

It’s a suitable introduction to a much more familiar second floor. There we see the return of the Aardman co-operative exhibition, the bubble hoops, the trick room – and a personal favourite, the shadow play space. It’s much unchanged, save for an exhibition here and there, and the odd behind-the-scenes improvement, such as the use of LED bulbs rather than filament in the Wallace & Gromit lighting scene (one of many climate-conscious improvements they’ve made).

 

 

The last big change is to the entrance of the Planetarium – since I last saw it, it’s been re-invented as a kind of Mission Control spaceship, with a few of its own exhibits (including a quite amusing one that superimposes your face onto an animated astronaut). We weren’t able to attend a Planetarium show, but I’ve been assured that alongside the return of Adults Only nights at the science centre, we’ll also see slightly extended adults’ evening shows at the Planetarium, so stay tuned for our thoughts on those.

 

In the end, the re-invention of this celebration of science passes with flying colours. It’s an impressive balance of familiar favourites with the new and improved, and stands up to Content Director Bryony Roberts’ stated aim of “giving permission ... [to be] playful”.

 

Experiment hypothesis: the new We The Curious will be a lot of fun. Findings: hypothesis correct.

 

We the Curious opens tomorrow, Tuesday 2 July. You can find out more, and book tickets, on their website.

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Patrick Bate

Patrick is a filmmaker with so much Bristol in his blood the white blood cells are graffiti'd. Educated at the Northern Film School in Leeds, he’s returned home to be a Videographer and Reviewer for 365Bristol and BARBI. When he’s not messing about with cameras, he enjoys playing guitar, spending far too much time on tabletop RPGs, and being an awful snob about cider. Have a look at his work here, or get in touch at patrickb@365bristol.com.