Previous Museum events

	Meet and Make at the Museum Join us for our museum wellbeing and making workshops for adults at the Polar Museum! Meet and Make at the Museum sessions are all about giving you a supportive and social space to be creative. Making new crafts, making space for yourself, and making new connections. A chance for you to explore working with different materials and learn new skills with others. This session we will be doing soap carving inspired by scrimshaw. For ages 16+ Monday 22 May, 1.30pm - 3.30pm Secure your place and book your free ticket
	Egg-cellent Penguins: Museum Trail 1 April – 15 April 2023 Tuesday to Saturday each week, 10am - 4pm Closed on Good Friday, 7 April 2023 Pick up our Egg-cellent Penguins trail at the Polar Museum this Easter break. Using ultraviolet light torches, find the hidden clues to lead you to the missing penguin! This a free, drop in activity for ages 7+ Also available - our Children's Audio Guide is free on the Smartify app for you to listen to on your own device, or just £1.50 per child to hire a handset in the museum.
	Meet and Make at the Museum Join us for our wellbeing and making workshops for adults at the Polar Museum! Meet and Make at the Museum sessions are all about giving you a supportive and social space to be creative. Making new crafts, making space for yourself, and making new connections. A chance for you to explore working with different materials and learn new skills with others. For ages 16+ Monday 27 March, Cambridge Festival taster session, 1.30pm - 3.30pm Secure your place and book your free ticket
	Polar Textiles: the hidden stories of polar women Monday 20 March, 2pm - 3pm Ever wondered how women supported polar expeditions before they were allowed to travel to the poles themselves? Join the Polar Museum and a team of student costume designers who have recreated one of the most eccentric and beloved items in the museum's collection: Dorothy Irving Bell's polar-themed party costume. Learn about a woman whose self-proclaimed mission in life was to imbue the young with a love of polar exploration and try on the replica costume for yourself! Part of the Cambridge Festival Student Creatives project. Book your free tickets here For ages 12+
	Snow Widows: A talk by Katherine MacInnes Saturday 4 March, 1.30pm – 2.15pm Join us at the Polar Museum with author Katherine MacInnes to celebrate International Women's Day this March. Discover the untold stories of the race for the South Pole from the perspective of the women whose lives would be forever changed by it. Katherine MacInness is the author of Snow Widows, a book that gives a voice to five remarkable women; separated by class, education and religion but forever joined by their stories in the heroic age of exploration. Book your free tickets here For ages 16+
	Meet and Make at the Museum Join us for our wellbeing and making workshops for adults at the Polar Museum! Meet and Make at the Museum sessions are all about giving you a supportive and social space to be creative. Making new crafts, making space for yourself, and making new connections. A chance for you to explore working with different materials and learn new skills with others. For ages 16+ Monday 27 February, 1pm - 3.30pm Polar Bear Paper Craft - Quilling
	Polar Museum Disability Friendly Opening Monday 13 February 2023 10am – 12pm Now fully booked We look forward to welcoming you to the Polar Museum for a relaxed morning aimed at children with special educational needs and disabilities, who usually find visiting museums overwhelming due to conditions that affect their sensory processing and/or have a developmental disability, and their families, siblings and carers. During this time, the museum will be open exclusively for families with children with sensory sensitivities, so we can ensure a quieter environment. We will be opening the Museum for you to explore. Come & discover stories and objects about Polar adventure and exploration. There are very limited spaces to keep the museums from feeling too overwhelming. We will turn off any sounds & will control the lighting as best we can. We provide a chill out space, a sensory den, sensory stories, a craft table and a safe, friendly museum to explore! The events are free to attend but booking is required. Please book places for any family members that will be attending too. Prior to the event you'll be sent out a visual story. We look forward to welcoming you to the museum. Please email Marie mfk25@cam.ac.uk If you have any questions about the session.
	Polar Pop-up: Twilight at the Museum Monday 13 February 2023, 3pm - 6pm Now fully booked Join us for our Twilight opening of the Polar Museum. Explore the museum the with lights off with only your torches to guide you. Object handling and museum trails will be available. Unlike previous years, this event is for booked time slots only to reduce crowding. You can arrive any time in your time slot but you must leave before the end time. Time slots: 3pm – 4pm, 4pm – 5pm & 5pm – 6pm – coloured wrist bands so people know when they need to leave their hour slot.
	Meet and Make at the Museum Join us for our wellbeing and making workshops for adults at the Polar Museum! Meet and Make at the Museum sessions are all about giving you a supportive and social space to be creative. Making new crafts, making space for yourself, and making new connections. A chance for you to explore working with different materials and learn new skills with others. For ages 16+ Monday 23 January, 1pm – 3.30pm Auroras
	Objectively Speaking: Museum Late at the Polar Museum Friday 13 January, 5.30pm – 7.30pm Evening opening of the Polar Museum. Grab a drink, browse the museum and drop by our pop-up object handling stations and mini talks. The programme will include pop-up short talks from our collections staff, co-author of 'Antarctica: A history in 100 objects', Jean Pomereu and guest starring the Sedgwick Museum team. This is a FREE drop in evening for adults.
	Special Sunday opening and book signing Sunday 27 November Museum open: 10:00-4:00 Drop in book signing 1:00-3:30 We are thrilled to announce the publication of the graphic novel retelling of The Worst Journey in the World . To celebrate the event, we are delighted to welcome you to meet the artist Sarah Airriess, chat about her research, art and retelling of the story. Signed copies of the newly published first volume of her graphic novel will be available to buy on the day. Seasonal special offers and discounts will be available in the shop on the day. This is a free, drop-in event. Visit www.worstjourney.com to find out more about the book.
	Indigenous Film: Native Spirit Film Festival screenings at the Polar Museum Saturday 12 November, 5pm - 7.15pm NOW FULLY BOOKED Join us for the Polar Museum's part of the Native Spirit Film Festival, the UK's first and only annual independent festival promoting Native Filmmakers, Media, Artists, Indigenous languages and narrative sovereignty. To celebrate International Inuit Day, we will be screening four films at the Polar Museum. This event is part of the Power and Memory programme taking part across the University of Cambridge Museums throughout 2022-24. 18+ only. Programme: YUPIIT: EYE OF BOTH WORLDS Director Stephanie Alton, Alaska, United States, 2021, 28:13 mins In a remote village in Alaska, local singer/songwriter Byron Nicholai engages a new generation of Yupik natives using rap and beatboxing. Retelling traditional stories, he is helping young people forge a stronger connection to their cultural heritage and values, including music and dance, subsistence hunting, and protection of the environment. These lessons are now passed down by Nicholai. AVILIAQ: ENTWINED Director Alethea Arnaquq-Baril (Inuk), 2014, 15 mins Inuktitut with English subtitles, Nunuvut In the 1950s, two Inuit women attempt to protect their relationship when pressure from their new colonial culture forces them to marry men. IMALIRIJIT Director, Vincent L'Hérault, Tim Anaviapik Soucie, Inuktitut, 2022, 27:11 mins The inspired journey of a young Inuit community researcher. THE FUTURE INNU Innu Community : Mashteuiatsh, Canada, 2021, 5:40 mins An ode to the land in relation to my double identity as an urban Indigenous person. A story that is both personal and poetic.
	ReCover: Meet the Artist Friday 4 November, 10am – 4pm 2022 marks the 50th anniversary of the adoption of a ten-year moratorium on commercial whaling by the 1972 United Nations Conference on the Human Environment. To commemorate this, artist Caroline Hack has made a decorated tarpaulin cover, which is on temporary display outside the Polar Museum. Come along for this free, drop-in event to find out more about the artist and her work. Caroline will be giving a demonstration of her processes, and will be available to answer any questions about her work.
	Reindeer Escape: Museum Trail Wednesday 26 October - Saturday 29 October 10am - 4pm Pick up our *Reindeer Escape* trail at the Polar Museum this half-term. Using UV torches, you will able to see in UV light, just like reindeer do! Using your new UV sight, find the letters to help spell out the name of predator that wants to eat you for dinner! This a free, drop in event for ages 5+ Also available - our Children's Audio Guide is free on the Smartify app for you to listen to on your own device, or just £1.50 per child to hire a handset in the museum.
	Behind the Scenes of The Worst Journey in the World Thursday 27 October In 1922, Apsley Cherry-Garrard, one of the youngest survivors of Captain Scott's ill-fated attempt to reach the South Pole, published his memoir of the expedition. The Worst Journey in the World humanised the epic tragedy with its sensitive observations of the men involved and evocative descriptions of Antarctic life. In the temporary gallery we currently have an exhibiton of the retelling of the story in graphic novel form. 11am-1pm Explore additional equipment and archive documents from the actual expedition. Plus, meet the artsist Sarah Airriess, to chat about her research and graphic retelling of the story. This is a free, drop in event in the library, for ages 10+. 2pm and 3pm Storytelling for children in the lecture theatre. This is a free, drop in event for ages 5+. Please ask at reception for directions to the library/lecture theatre.
	Meet and Make at the Museum Join us for our new wellbeing and making workshops for adults at the Polar Museum! Meet and Make at the Museum sessions are all about giving you a supportive and social space to be creative. Making new crafts, making space for yourself, and making new connections. A chance for you to explore working with different materials and learn new skills with others. For ages 16+ Monday 24 October, 1pm – 3.30pm Polar Animals
	Ice from above: Remotely sensing the Arctic Saturday 15 October, 10am – 4pm Visit the Polar Museum and try out our re-launched interactive Arctic Ice Exhibit. Spin the wheel to discover how Arctic ice cover has changed over the last century. Learn how we sense temperature with one of our self-led activity boxes. For all ages. Drop in anytime. Part of the Cambridge Zero Festival
	Meet and Make at the Museum Join us for our new wellbeing and making workshops for adults at the Polar Museum! Meet and Make at the Museum sessions are all about giving you a supportive and social space to be creative. Making new crafts, making space for yourself, and making new connections. A chance for you to explore working with different materials and learn new skills with others. For ages 16+ Monday 26 September, 1pm – 3.30pm Art of the North
	Open Cambridge: The Science of Quest FULLY BOOKED Thursday 15 September, 6pm Doors open at 5.30pm, guests are welcome to look around the Polar Museum. Talk start at 6pm. End time 7.00pm including questions. A century after Shackleton's final expedition returned to port, join historian of science Dr Sam Robinson to hear how the expedition marked a key transition from the age of heroic exploration in Antarctica to the beginnings of sustained scientific enquiry. The Shackleton-Rowett expedition, also known as the 'Quest' expedition after the name of the ship, paved the way for today's Antarctic research. Image credit: Jan Chojecki (Rowett Chojecki Collection) This event is free. If you would like to make a donation on the night, it will support the work of the Polar Museum.
	Open Cambridge: Self-guided tours of the Polar Library Thursday 15 and Friday 16 September, 11am - 3pm A chance to explore the library of the Scott Polar Research Institute and discover how polar explorers used new technologies to help them live and work in extreme environments. Open for two days only, self-guided tours of our Polar Innovations displays, as well as a new exhibition on Cherry-Garrard's seminal work The Worst Journey in the World. Drop-in, no booking required
	Polar Pop-ups: Summer Saturdays at the Polar Museum Saturday 4 September 10am-4pm Explore the museum this summer with your family and friends. Try out our pop-up activity station bursting with different activities, games and books to discover. For families. No booking required.
	Tours for Blind and Partially Sighted Adults at the University of Cambridge of Museums Monday 5 September, 11am - 12pm Join the Polar Museum team for a Touch Tour and explore a range of objects from polar history. The tour will also include some of the objects and sculptures outside on the museum lawn. Meet at Museum entrance. Guide dogs and companions are welcome. The Tour will last 1 hour.
	Ice from Above: Our Place in Space Saturday 27 August, 10am - 4pm. (Rescheduled) Join the team at The Polar Museum and help to map the coldest places on planet Earth with our large floor maps. Satellites circle our planet, remotely mapping important things about the world using different kinds of light. How deep are the lakes? How thick is the ice? Are the forests getting smaller? Drop-in and discover how seeing the Polar Regions from above can unlock their secrets. Using large maps on the lecture theatre floor, children will use different kinds of light to discover hidden features. This is a drop-in, family-friendly and hands-on activity that is open to everyone. Image: Oliver Jeffers
	Polar Stay and Plays - Museum Openings for under 5s Monday 22 August, 10am – 12.30pm Explore the Polar Museum with your little ones when it is closed to the public! There will be sensory play, crafts and a short storytime at 10.30am and 12pm. Renowned storyteller Marion Leeper will be joining us on 26 July and 1 August. This event is for under-5s and their carers only. Unfortunately, we cannot accommodate older siblings at this event.
	ReCover: Meet the Artist Wednesday 10 August, 10am – 4pm Friday 19 August, 10am – 4pm 2022 marks the 50th anniversary of the adoption of a ten-year moratorium on commercial whaling by the 1972 United Nations Conference on the Human Environment. To commemorate this, artist Caroline Hack has made a decorated tarpaulin cover, which is on temporary display outside the Polar Museum. Come along for this free, drop-in event to find out more about the artist and her work. Caroline will be giving a demonstration of her processes, and will be available to answer any questions about her work.
	Polar Pop-ups: Summer Saturdays at the Polar Museum Every Saturday, 23 July - 4 September 10am-4pm Explore the museum this summer with your family and friends. Try out our pop-up activity station bursting with different activities, games and books to discover. For families. No booking required.
	Free talk: Antarctic Art, Creative Journeys Thursday 28 July, 6pm FULLY BOOKED Doors open at 5.30pm, guests are welcome to look around the Polar Museum including Shelly's exhibition. Talks start at 6pm. End time 7.30pm including questions. In 2017, Shelly Perkins travelled Antarctica onboard HMS Protector as the Friends of SPRI Artist in Residence. She became the latest in a long line of artists to travel to the frozen continent, and capture her experiences through her creative work. Join Shelly and the Polar Museum's Curator Charlotte Connelly to hear about the long tradition of expedition artists in Antarctica, and Shelly's own experiences of travelling south with the Royal Navy. This event is free. If you would like to make a donation on the night, it will support the work of the Friends of SPRI and the Polar Museum.
	Meet and Make at the Museum Join us for our new wellbeing and making workshops for adults at the Polar Museum! Meet and Make at the Museum sessions are all about giving you a supportive and social space to be creative. Making new crafts, making space for yourself, and making new connections. A chance for you to explore working with different materials and learn new skills with others. For ages 16+ Monday 23 May, 1pm – 3.30pm Auroras Explore light and colour, crafting with coloured acetate to craft your own Northern Lights. Discover the magic of fluorescent paints as you make your own aurora. Tuesday 30 August, 1pm – 3.30pm Where in the World
	'The Art of Science' workshop series Monday 4 – Wednesday 6 April 2022 1-4pm each day at The Polar Museum, Lensfield Road, Cambridge, CB2 1ER Join us at the Polar Museum with artist Alice White, to explore where science and art collide and discover how the spirit of exploration is shared by artists and scientists alike. This exciting series of co-disciplinary workshops for 15-18 year olds combine practical art techniques with live science experiments and a chance to be inspired by the awe inspiring, icy worlds of the Polar Regions. Workshops are free to book and you can attend one, two or all three in the series. As places are limited, please ensure you are available to attend the workshops in person at the Polar Museum. Workshop 1 – The Art of Navigation (Contrasting pencil sketches: Exploring icy Polar landscapes.) Monday 4 April, 1pm- 4pm Workshop 2 – The Colour of Ice (Painting colourful light effects: Aurora, Parhelia, Sun Dogs) Tuesday 5 April, 1pm-4pm Workshop 3 - Painting Polar Optical Illusions Painting with Goggles. Collage and Mixed-Media: Mirages, Fata Morgana) Wednesday 6 April, 1pm-4pm These sessions will be run by Artist Educator, Alice White. Alice White is a Short Course Tutor at the University of the Arts London, and an Accredited Lecturer for The Arts Society. She is a team member of SunSpaceArt, winners of the Sir Arthur Clarke education and outreach Space Achievement award (2021). She completed a year's residency as Artist for Animals at ZSL London Zoo. Portfolio: www.alicewhiteart.com This project is part of the effort from the University of Cambridge Museums to support the COVID generation catch up with creative learning and practice.
	Postcards to the Planet Saturday 2 April 2pm - 4pm Thursday 7 April 2pm - 4pm Friday 8 April 2pm - 4pm The Polar Museum Greetings from a changing planet. Explore the museum objects that hide a history of how we have understood the environment and the challenges it now faces. At pop-up events throughout the University Festival, we will be inviting you to send a postcard to our changing planet. Draw an image, write or record a message or take a photo. The responses collected will form part of a wider project run by the University of Cambridge Museums to help us understand what our communities think about environmental change.
	Polar pop-up family day: Life on the ice Saturday 2 April, 10am - 4pm Join us at the Polar Museum to explore life on the ice – the trials and tribulations of living and working in the coldest place on Earth - Antarctica. There will be sanitised object handling, hands-on activities, and museum trails. There will also be some short films and science demonstrations running in our lecture theatre at points throughout the day. Timed, bookable tickets available specifically for children and their carers.
	Tours for Blind & Partially Sighted Adults at the University of Cambridge of Museums Monday 7 March, 11am & 1pm Join the Polar Museum team for a Touch Tour and explore a range of objects from polar history. The tour will also include some of the objects and sculptures outside on the museum lawn. Meet at Museum entrance. Guide dogs and companions are welcome. The Tour will last 1 hour.
	Family Friendly Opening: Lights and Ice Join us at the Polar Museum to explore lights and ice – the mysterious ways of light at the Polar Regions Free, 19 February, 10-4 There will be sanitised object handling, hands-on activities, and museum trails. There will also be some short films and science demonstrations running in our lecture theatre at points throughout the day. Timed, bookable tickets available specifically for children and their carers.
	Native Spirit Film Festival Join us for the Polar Museum's part of the Native Spirit Film Festival, the UK's first and only annual independent festival promoting Native Filmmakers, Media, Artists, Indigenous languages and narrative sovereignty. Celebrating Inuk Film on International Inuit Day – Online Film Programme Sunday 7 November Celebrating 2021 International Inuit Day, Native Spirit Festival, in partnership with The Polar Museum and Inuk filmmaker & actor, Vinnie Karetak present shorts and animations from Nunavut bringing stories of Inuit survivance in the Arctic and tales of supernatural and horror. Supported by the High Commission of Canada in the UK. GIANT BEAR ᓇᓄᕐᓗᒃ (2018, 12min) dir. Neil Christopher, Daniel Gies A timeless Inuit legend about a solitary man, a giant bear and their daunting foes: each other. Centered on a confrontation between the last monster bear and an Inuit hunter, Giant Bear is a chilling short that brings an ancient story out of the North. GNAWER OF ROCKS (2020, 13min) dir. Andrea Flaherty Two young women are trapped in the lair of the Mangittatuarjuk, the Gnawer of Rocks. The young women and their village use the teachings of the elders to try to defeat the monster. MAHAHA (2020, 12min) dir. Babah Kalluk When Aulaja's father is off hunting she ignores his reminder to be cautious. Aulaja leaves her protective sled dog Siku behind to go fishing and she is attacked by an ancient land spirit. If she hopes to survive, a sacrifice will need to be made. THE BOYS (2020, 8 min) dir. Vinnie Karetak How can we ever know how someone keeps going after a tragedy? That question is in the loving broken heart of this film. Follow this ever brief conversation that is deeper then the actual words between the two woman and their families. set with the landscape of Iqaluit, a conversation at the airport's baggage carousel and a woman's slow drive home all tell the story in this gentle searing story of grief. Please note: HAUNTED BLIZZARD (2020, 11min, dir. Aviaq Johnston) was included in error on earlier versions of the programme. Apologies for any inconvenience caused.
	Native Spirit Film Festival Join us for the Polar Museum's part of the Native Spirit Film Festival, the UK's first and only annual independent festival promoting Native Filmmakers, Media, Artists, Indigenous languages and narrative sovereignty. Supported by Film in Greenland. Greenlandic Inuit Films Saturday 6 November, 10.30am- 11.30am & 2pm - 3pm A guest film programme of shorts curated by award-winning Greenlandic filmmaker Inuk Jørgensen on the themes of Storytelling & Life including a 30 minute recorded discussion with the filmmakers. The programme will repeat in morning and the afternoon. There will be Arctic object handling sessions in the museum throughout the day. Free to attend. Tickets include entrance to the Polar Museum after the film showing but not before due to the museum's capacity. Snow (8 min) 2017 – Nivi Pedersen Shovelling snow in the capital of Greenland is a big part of everyday life during winter. In this short documentary we are exploring how living in these conditions affect the culture, through the lives of three people with each their big and small bumps on their roads of dealing with neighbours, issues with shovelling equipment and caring for one another. Naja (5 min) 2020 – Marc Fussing Rosbach Description: Naja is a fantasy short film that tells a young girls death and her journey through shock and grief. After a traumatic experience Naja ran away from home, as she runs away from the reality that she couldn't accept. As she ran her ancestors follow her through the northern lights. She meets two small Spirits that wanted to help her move on to the other world (silap aappaa). She couldn't move on until she accepts her death. Half & Half (3 min) 2014 – Aka Hansen Growing up between Denmark and Greenland, Nuuk-based Aka Hansen cannot remember a time that she did not want to have a camera in her hand, and she has since become a trailblazing member of the country's new generation of emerging filmmakers. Home (7 min) 2018 – Inuk Jørgensen A personal perspective on coming home after nearly a decade abroad and finding that something is off in the familiar paradise. A warning that profound change is coming. Change that will influence future generations. In Conversation with Inuit Filmmakers – 30 mins : Join us at the Polar Museum for our part of the Native Spirit Film Festival with conversation between filmmakers, touching on Greenlandic culture and Narrative Sovereignty, with inserts of filmed drum dance.
	Crossing Antarctica Free online talk as part of Open Cambridge How do you cross a continent made of ice? Join the Scott Polar Research Institute's archivists through this online film as they discuss the planning, provisions and progress of an adventure from the 1950s era of exploration. Find out about Cambridge resident Vivian 'Bunny' Fuchs, the first person to cross the icy continent of Antarctica in the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition. Talk lasts 10 minutes and can be watched any time from Friday 10 September.
	Family Friendly Opening Saturday 23 October, 10am - 4pm Join us at the Polar Museum for our Family Friendly Opening Day this half-term. Timed, bookable tickets available specifically for children and their carers. There will be sanitised object handling, museum trails and there will also be some short films and science demonstrations running in our lecture theatre at points throughout the day.
	Love Stories for the Earth Monday 25 October, 10.30am- 11.30am & 11.45am - 12.45pm Join us at the Polar Museum with renowned storyteller Marion Leeper to explore life under water, with a story from the far North about The Mended Seal. 17 stories, each one launched in a different place. Love Stories for the Earth will lure children away from screens and into nature, asking questions and having adventures. Expect rocks and shells, an undersea palace, and a story about give and take between the people that row on the sea and the creatures that live underneath. For ages 10 and under. Parents/carers must be present.
	'The Art of Science' workshop series Sunday 25 – Tuesday 27 July 2021 1-4pm each day at The Polar Museum, Lensfield Road, Cambridge, CB2 1ER Join us at the Polar Museum with artist Alice White, to explore where science and art collide and discover how the spirit of exploration is shared by artists and scientists alike. This exciting series of co-disciplinary workshops for 15-18 year olds combine practical art techniques with live science experiments and a chance to be inspired by the awe inspiring, icy worlds of the Polar Regions. Workshops are free to book and you can attend one, two or all three in the series. As places are limited, please ensure you are available to attend the workshops in person at the Polar Museum. Workshop 1 – The Art of Navigation (exploring Polar landscapes and ice, sketching with contrasting pencil effects and textures) Sunday 25 July, 1pm- 4pm Workshop 2 – The Colour of Ice (painting colourful light effects) Monday 26 July, 1pm-4pm Workshop 3 - Painting Polar Optical Illusions (working with collage and mixed media) Tuesday 27 July, 1pm-4pm These sessions will be run by Artist Educator, Alice White. Alice White is a Short Course Tutor at the University of the Arts London, and an Accredited Lecturer for The Arts Society. She is a team member of SunSpaceArt, winners of the Sir Arthur Clarke education and outreach Space Achievement award (2021). She completed a year's residency as Artist for Animals at ZSL London Zoo. Portfolio: www.alicewhiteart.com This project is part of the effort from the University of Cambridge Museums to support the COVID generation catch up with creative learning and practice.
	Family Friendly Openings at the Polar Museum Saturday 31 July Thursday 5 August Saturday 14 August Thursday 26 August 10am - 4pm Join us at the Polar Museum for our family friendly opening days this Summer. These days are bookable specifically for children and their carers. There will be sanitised object handling, museum trails and there will also be some short films and science demonstrations running in our lecture theatre at points throughout the day.
	Half -Term Family Friendly Openings 10am – 4pm – Saturday 29 May & Friday 4 June 2021 Join us at the Polar Museum for our two family friendly opening days during half-term. These days are bookable specifically for children and their carers. There will be sanitised object handling, a museum trail and there will also be some short films and science demonstrations running in our lecture theatre. Tickets are free but must be booked in advance.
	The Big Freeze Free online festival of polar art www.bit.ly/BigFreezeArtFest #BigFreezeArtFest This spring, the Scott Polar Research Institute is holding an online art festival. Featuring work from the Polar Museum's collections, Friends of SPRI artists in residence and a range of other polar artists and film makers, the Big Freeze art festival will be the perfect way to wave goodbye to winter. Watch Throughout the festival we'll be sharing short films and interviews with a range of artists. Find out about the Inuit traditions that inspire Alaskan artist Art Oomittuk's work, watch a short film about Lesley Burr's residency in the Canadian Arctic and watch a film showing a day in the studio with Theo Crutchley-Mack. Most of our programme will be streamed over social media, you can see the full programme on our website. Read The Big Freeze art festival includes the Big Freeze online exhibition. Featuring work from our participating artists and from our collection, the exhibition will offer the opportunity to explore at your own pace. Do You can get involved too by joining in with The Big Freeze Challenge: Polar self Portraits! How about a polar self portrait of… yourself? The festival will open with a special online screening of artist and curator Zsuzsanna Ardó's Polar Self Portraits project, and the invitation to you to join in by imagining yourself in the polar regions and creating your own self portrait. Share your image with us using the #BigFreezeArtFest hashtag on social media.
	An Introduction to the Arctic Tuesday 19 November, 2020, 17:30-18:45. Free online event. This free event is part of the public programme accompanying the Citi exhibition Arctic: culture and climate at the British Museum (22 October 2020 – 21 February 2021). The Polar Museum is delighted to have lent a few objects to the exhibition. Join academics from The Open University and special guests as they introduce you to the diverse landscapes and complex histories of the Arctic Peoples and their region. Chaired by Academic Advisor to the BBC series Frozen Planet, Professor Mark Brandon, speakers include: environmental geographer Dr Shonil Bhagwat; Senior Lecturer in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Aberdeen, Dr Tatiana Argounova-Low; cultural anthropologist Dr Carol Brown-Leonardi; and British Museum project curator for the Arctic exhibition, Dr Peter Loovers.
	Alumni Centenary Dinner CANCELLED - In light of current Government advice regarding the spread of COVID-19, we have cancelled all events. We hope to reschedule in the future. Saturday 18th April 2020 In celebration of our hundredth year, the Director and Staff of the Scott Polar Research Institute invite our alumni to attend a special Alumni Centenary Dinner. Join us as we look back over the past 100 years, reunite with friends and colleagues, and celebrate the history of the Scott Polar Research Institute.
	Little Explorers CANCELLED - In light of current Government advice regarding the spread of COVID-19, we have cancelled all events. We hope to reschedule in the future. Tuesday 12 May 2020, 10am - 10.45am & 11am - 11.45am A different Polar story each session with renowned storyteller Marion Leeper. This month we will explore the story of the Emperor's Egg. For under 5s only. Children must be accompanied by an adult. £1.50 per child to be paid on arrival. Under 1s free. Bookings open on 13 March.
	Little Explorers CANCELLED - In light of current Government advice regarding the spread of COVID-19, we have cancelled all events. We hope to reschedule in the future. Tuesday 14 July 2020, 10am - 10.45am & 11am - 11.45am A different Polar story each session with renowned storyteller Marion Leeper. This month we will explore whales and canoes! For under 5s only. Children must be accompanied by an adult. £1.50 per child to be paid on arrival. Under 1s free. Bookings open on 1 May.
	Past and Present Science Day Saturday 21 March 2020, 10.30am- 3.30pm CANCELLED - Due to advice from the University's Emergency Planning Team to the Cambridge Science Festival, we have been advised to cancel all hands-on events due to the particular nature of these activities. Celebrating our centenary year, the Scott Polar Research Institute would like to welcome families to a day of science exploration. Get the chance to meet some of our intrepid polar scientists. Experiments and activities throughout the day. Suitable for the whole family. Drop-in, for all ages. This event is part of the Cambridge Science Festival.
	Little Explorers - Auroras Tuesday 17 March 2020 CANCELLED - Due to advice from the University's Emergency Planning Team to the Cambridge Science Festival, we have been advised to cancel all hands-on events due to the particular nature of these activities. Join us for a colourful story of the Northern Lights in this sensory story session for the under-5s with storyteller Marion Leeper. An experiment in each session. For under 5s only. Children must be accompanied by an adult. This special science festival session is free of charge.
	Exhibition tea and talk: Walking on Thin Ice Friday 13 March 2020, 3pm – 3.45pm CANCELLED- Due to advice from the University's Emergency Planning Team to the Cambridge Science Festival, we have been advised to cancel all Science Festival events. Join us for a unique chance to hear from our museum team about our latest exhibition over a cup of tea! 'Walking on Thin Ice: Co-operation in the face of a changing climate' is a co-curated exhibition about climate change from views of twelve teenagers selected from around the UK to work directly with our polar researchers. This event is part of the Cambridge Science Festival
	Twilight at the Museums Wednesday 19th February 2020, 4.30pm - 7.30pm Join us in the Twilight as we bring alive historic pioneers of Antarctic discovery! Meet Frank Debenham, the founder of the Scott Polar Research Institute, or Lois Jones, who led the first all-woman science team to Antarctica. Not to mention Captain Robert Falcon Scott himself and even some modern polar explorers! This is part of our centenary programme of events to celebrate 100 years of the Scott Polar Research Institute. Drop in for free. This year you can even get a delicious hot drink or snack from the Rural Coffee Project! Find out about the other museums taking part in Twilight.
	Little Explorers Tuesday 14 January 2020, 10am - 10.45am & 11am - 11.45am A different Polar story each session with renowned storyteller Marion Leeper. This month we will explore the Arctic story of Immi. For under 5s only. Children must be accompanied by an adult. £1.50 per child to be paid on arrival. Under 1s free.
	Teaching a Polar Project? Wednesday 23 October 2019 11am-1pm FREE session suitable for teachers of KS1, KS2 or KS3 classes. Are you looking for activity ideas and inspiration for your polar project? We can help with resources, information, multi-disciplinary ideas, handling collections and activities for your classroom. This session would also benefit teachers who have booked a self-guided visit to the Polar Museum. For more information please contact schools@spri.cam.ac.uk
	Talk: Arctic Cultures Tuesday 22 October 2019, 18:00-19:30 How do we imagine and define 'the Arctic'? How many people live there? How have their lives been understood and recorded, and by whom? What have been the consequences for Arctic peoples? Dr Richard Powell, Scott Polar Research Institute, will attempt to answer some of these questions by discussing his latest research into Arctic Cultures.us for a talk by Dr Richard Powell discussing his latest research on Arctic Cultures. Age: 16+
	Arctic family day Saturday 19 October 2019, 10:30-15:30 Join us for a day exploring the top of the world! Arctic crafts and activities for all ages throughout the day. All ages, Hands-on, Drop in, Free of charge Image copyright: Ruth Mugford
	Tea and Talk with Inupiaq artist, Willy Topkok Friday 18 October 2019, 3pm – 3.30pm Join us for a cup of tea and a talk by Inupiaq artist, Willy Topkok. Hailing from the small villages of Teller and Wales, Alaska, Willy Topkok is an Inupiaq artist from the North American Arctic. His love of the Inupiat way of life is revealed through his many skills, including sewing, traditional beading and storytelling. Join him for an exploration of life in the far north.
	Little Explorers: Charlie and the Blanket Toss Friday 18 October 2019, 10am-11am & 11.15am-12:15pm Both sessions now fully booked. Join us with renowned storyteller Marion Leeper for an interactive Alaskan story, Charlie and the Blanket Toss, which following Charlie and the Whaling Festival, along with a craft activity. For under 5s only. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
	Small Library - Big State: A self-guided tour of the Alaskan collections in the library and archive Friday 13 September 2019, 10:00-16:00 This self-guided tour highlights items from Alaskan collections held in the library and archive. Items on display include books on wildlife and maps and archival materials on the exploration of Alaska.
	Museum Adventures with the 'Hidden Tales' at Heffers! Friday 9th August, 2pm-3pm Come to Heffers children's department for some amazing activities to celebrate the exciting new museum adventure book, Hidden Tales! (Heffers Bookshop can be found on Trinity Street in Cambridge) Pop in to investigate penguins past and present with the education team from the Polar Museum. There will be photographs to look at, some objects to handle and you can even make your very own origami penguin to take home! The activities are free to attend but you must book tickets to be sure of a place! (Book for the number of children attending, up to a maximum of 3 per booking)
	Little Explorers Monday 12 August 2019, 10:00-10:45 and 11:00-11:45 A different Polar story each session with renowned storyteller Marion Leeper. The theme this month is an adaptation of Coleridge's The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. For under 5s only. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Please note places must be booked in advance. (Bookings open on the 15th July 2019)
	Hidden Tales with Mark Wells Sunday 4 August 10:30-15:30 Join us for a fun-filled day to celebrate the launch of Mark Well's exciting new book and explore the Polar Museum with fun activities and crafts suitable for all the family on one of our Sunday openings which we are currently trialing.
	Polar Play: Under 5s Mon 29 July 2019, 10am - 12pm Explore the Polar Museum with your little ones when it is closed to the public! There will be sensory play, crafts and books to read. This event is for under-5s and their carers only. Unfortunately we cannot accommodate older siblings at this event.
	Bridging Binaries: LGBTQ+ tours Saturday 13 July, 3pm From same-sex behaviour among penguins to eroticism in the ancient world, explore the spectrum of identities that exist across time, place and culture in the Polar Museum and three other University of Cambridge museums. Join our volunteer guides to discover their personal selection of fascinating stories of non-normative gender and sexual identities through a range of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer-related objects
	Fun Lab on Parker's Piece Part of Big Weekend 2019 Saturday 6 July, 12pm - 5pm Come and find us on Parker's Piece as part of Fun Lab. We will be in marquee 4. Discover the effect pollution has on the Polar oceans, and use your scientist skills to find out what this means for the organisms living in them. For more information about Big Weekend and the saturday line up please see the Big Weekend website.
	Little Explorers Monday 1 July 2019, 10:00-10:45 and 11:00-11:45 A different Polar story each session with renowned storyteller Marion Leeper. The theme this month is Olaf magnus' map and the Northwest Passage. For under 5s only. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
	Friends of SPRI free lecture Exploring Arctic Frontiers in a Changed Climate Wednesday 29th May 2019 6:00pm (doors open 5:30) This lecture addresses the question: "What is the purpose of Arctic exploration in the 21stCentury?" It examines the nature of exploration and why people explore, before considering climate change in the Arctic, its consequences, and the role of exploration in addressing climate driven phenomena. The term 'exploration' conjures images of expeditions travelling to uncharted territories in heroic ventures of geographic conquest. The motivation behind exploration has long been a matter of debate, and modern science has subjected the psychology of expedition members to increasingly penetrating scrutiny. However, the Anthropocene Era brings not only a changing, and therefore new Arctic environment to explore; but a series of consequences for which exploration becomes not merely a matter of territorial acquisition or academic interest, but a means of mitigating existential risks to humanity. This event is free but please confirm attendance to friends@spri.cam.ac.uk.
	Little Explorers Monday 13 May 2019, 10:00-10:45 and 11:00-11:45 A different Polar story each session with renowned storyteller Marion Leeper. The theme this month is Arctic Birds. For under 5s only. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Please note places must be booked in advance.
	Paradise Planet 6 April 2019, 11:00 and 14:00 Suitable for age: 7 – 11 Places must be booked in advance Running time: approx. 1 hour Q&A and meet the cast after the performance Paradise Planet is English Touring Opera's latest opera for children Paradise Planet is a collection of ocean stories for families and children. This world of musical mayhem follows the adventures of humans who live on the waves, and the animals that live beneath them. This interactive opera celebrates the awesome power of the ocean – but things are not all as they seem and the animals are in danger. As the stories collide it's up to us to save this magical world. This interactive performance uses song, live musicians and sound-design wizardry to show children that they have the power to change the world. Written by artists Hanbury & Groves, the opera is performed by a cast of 4 professional singers. The musical ensemble is cello, clarinet and keyboard.
	Operation Survival Selected Saturdays 20 October – 23 March, 10am-12.30pm Take part in a high-energy game about survival across four University of Cambridge Museums with Fire Hazard Games. To face a world in crisis, a competition has been set to create the Foundation for the Future, which could help humanity survive the many challenges facing the environment in the coming years. With cryptic clues and roaming characters your team will have to be curious, cooperative and clever to come out on top with just your mobile phones to help you. Operation Survival is designed for adults (18+). No prior knowledge is required. You'll need to be comfortable moving around at walking pace for a couple of hours and one of you will need a smart phone. The game will run across the Polar Museum, The Museum of Zoology, Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences and Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology.
	Polar Ocean: the dead end of plastic debris Tuesday, 19 March 2019 at 6 PM – 7:30 PM An estimated 80% of all the litter in our oceans is plastic, with a significant concentration of plastics debris in both polar oceans. The impact of this debris on the sensitive polar ecosystem could be profound. Join us for this fanscinating and highly relevant talk by Pelagic Marine Ecologist Dr Clara Manno from BAS as she explores the current research and existing situation in the polar regions. Part of the University of Cambridge Science Festival
	Discover Polar Science - Family Day Saturday 16 March 2019, 10.30am- 3.30pm Join us for a day of discovery as we explore the amazing science from the coldest and harshest environments on Earth! Object handling, experiments and crafts all day and get the chance to meet intrepid polar scientists from the British Antarctic Survey Suitable for the whole family. Drop-in, for all ages. Part of the University of Cambridge Science Festival
	Little Explorers Monday 11 March 2019, 10:00-11:00 and 11:15-12:15 A different Polar story each session with renowned storyteller Marion Leeper. The theme this month is Ice, ice fish and anti freeze. For under 5s only. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
	Twilight at the Museums Wednesday 20 February 2019, 4.30-7.30 This February half-term, take a leap into the unknown and explore 14 local museums and collections after dark… Experience museums and collections in a different way, discover somewhere new, and unearth some remarkable objects. Twilight at the Museums is a FREE after-hours event for families where museums and collections across the city turn down the lights and open their doors for after-hours fun. With free, drop-in activities and themed trails across the venues, there is plenty for families to enjoy.
	Teaching a Polar Project? FREE session suitable for teachers of KS1, KS2 or KS3 classes. Wednesday 20 February 2019 11am-1pm Are you looking for activity ideas and inspiration for your polar project? We can help with resources, information, multi-disciplinary ideas, handling collections and activities for your classroom. This session would also benefit teachers who have booked a self-guided visit to the Polar Museum. There will be a 20% discount at the shop for teachers attending the session.
	Bridging Binaries: LGBTQ+ tours Saturdays at 2pm from 19 January - 26 February - Sold Out From same-sex behaviour among penguins to eroticism in the ancient world, explore the spectrum of identities that exist across time, place and culture in the Polar Museum and three other University of Cambridge museums. Join our volunteer guides to discover their personal selection of fascinating stories of non-normative gender and sexual identities through a range of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer-related objects.
	Little Explorers Monday 14 January 2019, 10:00-10:45 and 11:00-11:45 A different Polar story each session with renowned storyteller Marion Leeper. The theme this month is Earth sister sky sister For under 5s only. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Please note this event is now fully booked
	Bridging Binaries: LGBTQ+ tours Saturdays 8th, 15th Dec, 2:30pm From same-sex behaviour among penguins to eroticism in the ancient world, explore the spectrum of identities that exist across time, place and culture in the Polar Museum and three other University of Cambridge museums. Join our volunteer guides to discover their personal selection of fascinating stories of non-normative gender and sexual identities through a range of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer-related objects.
	An afternoon with Nancy Campbell and The Library of Ice Saturday 8 December 2018 14:00-16:00 Join us for an afternoon with acclaimed poet and writer Nancy Campell to celebrate the publication of her latest book The Library of Ice. This fantastic drop-in event will include readings, book signing and a chance to meet the author in our newly-refurbished Friends Room. Refreshments will be provided. Long captivated by the solid yet impermanent nature of ice, by its stark, rugged beauty, acclaimed poet and writer Nancy Campbell sets out from the world's northernmost museum – at Upernavik in Greenland – to explore it in all its facets. From the Bodleian Library archives to the traces left by the great polar expeditions, from remote Arctic settlements to the ice houses of Calcutta, she examines the impact of ice on our lives at a time when it is itself under threat from climate change. The Library of Ice is a fascinating and beautifully rendered evocation of the interplay of people and their environment on a fragile planet, and of a writer's quest to define the value of her work in a disappearing landscape.
	Little Explorers Monday 3 December 2018, 10:00-10:45 and 11:00-11:45 A different Polar story each session with renowned storyteller Marion Leeper. The theme this month is Earth sister sky sister For under 5s only. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
	Michael Palin Talk Wednesday 28th November 7:00pm, doors open at 6:30pm This event is now sold out. Bristol-Myers Squibb Lecture Theatre, Chemistry Department, Cambridge (next door to the Scott Polar Research Institute). The former Monty Python stalwart and much-loved television globe trotter- brings to life the world and voyages of HMS Erebus as part of the book tour This is a fundraising event for the Friends of SPRI.
	Special late opening! Wednesday 28 November, 4pm-7pm Stop by after work to explore the world's coldest, driest and windiest places, and pick up a few unique gifts in our shop. Perfect for the chilly weather.
	After hours at the Polar Museum Saturday 27 October, 4pm – 9pm Explore objects of extreme survival from the World's coldest, windiest, highest and driest places as you enjoy an after hours visit to the Polar Museum. We'll be getting out a selection of rarely seen objects from our museum store, you can enjoy dressing up in expedition gear and our museum team will be on hand to answer your questions about polar exploration. You can also drop in on our marathon reading of Frankenstein.
	Teaching a Polar Project? FREE session suitable for teachers of KS1, KS2 or KS3 classes. Wednesday 24th October 2018 11am-1pm Are you looking for activity ideas and inspiration for your polar project? We can help with resources, information, multi-disciplinary ideas, handling collections and activities for your classroom. This session would also benefit teachers who have booked a self-guided visit to the Polar Museum. For more information or to book a place please contact schools@spri.cam.ac.uk
	Living in the Arctic: Family Day Saturday 20 October, 10.30am – 3.30pm Join us for a day exploring the Arctic and the animals and people that live there! Crafts and activities for all ages throughout the day as well as a chance to see live reindeer and find out about the people that live and work with them. Special guests from the Whipple Museum, the Museum of Zoology and the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology will be running exciting activities as well. Drop-in event. Please be aware there may be a queue to see the reindeer. Suitable for all ages. A list of activities on the day is available. A welfare statement regarding this event is available
	How polar maps changed the way we view the World Thursday 18 October 2018, 6pm – 7.30pm Since the advent of space exploration, viewing planet Earth from Space has been an inseparable part of the way we imagine and make sense of our place in the universe. Join us for a talk by Dr Michael Bravo and discover how the cosmographers of the renaissance produced new ways of visualising the poles and the world. Drawing from his soon to be published book, North Pole, Michael Bravo explains for the first time the mystique behind polar maps and the idea that we can look down on the Earth from above.
	Film screening: Spitsbergen Retraced Tue 16 October 2018, 17:15 – 19:00 In 1923, four students from Oxford University made the first crossing of the Spitsbergen ice cap. Bad weather, failing equipment and heavy sleds made the 32-day crossing an unimaginably arduous endeavour. 93 years later, four students returned to the Arctic in their footsteps, to retrace this epic journey. The film "Spitsbergen Retraced" tells the story of the 2016 unsupported journey across the ice cap as the team experiences arctic storms, climb stunning alpine ridges and discover historical artifacts. The film will be of interest to those with a fascination with Arctic landscape, glaciology and exploration. It also provides a useful introduction to those considering expeditions within the Circumpolar North.
	Little Explorers - A Symphony of Whales Monday 15 October, 10am & 11.15am sessions Join us for an interactive story of the Chukchi people that saved a group of stranded Beluga Whales in the Arctic. Story and craft activity with renowned storyteller Marion Leeper. For under 5s only. Children must be accompanied by an adult. This special Festival of Ideas session is free of charge.
	Meet the Author Book Signing FREE drop-in session Saturday 22 September 2018 11am-1pm Author Joanna Grochowicz will be joining us to talk about her book 'Into the White'. Aimed at older children it tells the story of Scott's journey to the South Pole. Joanna will be signing copies of her book in the entrance hall. Come along and explore a selection of handling objects linked to the story on display in the museum.
	Open Cambridge 2018: If the Shoe fits: Conservation Conversations Friday 14 September, 2pm – 4pm Drop in to the Polar Museum and see some of our curious collection of boots used in Polar exploration. A chance to meet our conservator, Sophie Rowe and find out about the stories behind the shoes. Drop–in event. No booking required.
	Little Explorers - Summer Special Mon 20 August 2018, 10am & 11am Now fully booked A different Polar story each session with renowned storyteller Marion Leeper. For under 5s only. Children must be accompanied by an adult. This Summer Special is free of charge.
	Science Detectives @ the University of Cambridge Museums Sat 18 August 2018, 9.30am - 3pm Now fully booked Calling all detectives in training! Join us for a day of science and problem solving at the University of Cambridge Museums. Hone your scientific skills in preparation for a forensic investigation at the Botanic Gardens in the afternoon. Drop-off at the Museum of Zoology. Pick up at the Botanic Gardens. Sessions will be run by the Whipple Museum of the History of Science, the Polar Museum, the Sedgwick Museum, the Museum of Zoology and the Botanic Gardens. Age restrictions/suitability: Event suitable for 8-11 year olds that have not yet started secondary school. Unfortunately we are not able to accommodate younger or older siblings outside of this age range. £10 per child - Booking required.
	Polar Play: Under 5s Drop In Afternoon Session Mon 30 July, 2pm - 4pm Now fully booked Explore the Polar Museum with your little ones when it is closed to the public! There will be sensory play, crafts and books to read. This event is for under-5s and their carers only. Unfortunately we cannot accommodate older siblings at this event.
	Polar Play: Under 5s Drop In Morning Session Mon 30 July, 10am - 12pm Now fully booked Explore the Polar Museum with your little ones when it is closed to the public! There will be sensory play, crafts and books to read. This event is for under-5s and their carers only. Unfortunately we cannot accommodate older siblings at this event.
	Little Explorers Mon 16 July 2018, 10am & 11am Now fully booked A different Polar story each session with renowned storyteller Marion Leeper. The next theme is whales and canoes! For under 5s only. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Places cost £1.50 per child payable on arrival. Children under 1 are free.
	The Polar Museum @ The FunLab The Big Weekend, Parker's Piece Saturday 14 July, 12pm - 5pm Find out how the amazing displays of colour at the North and South Poles work and make your own fluorescent 'Aurora' potion with the Polar Museum education team. There will be activities from the British Science Association, Wellcome Genome Campus, the Sedgwick Museum and many more. The University of Cambridge Museums will also be running activities in the Make and Create tent to launch the Summer at the Museums programme.
	Talk: Sir Ranulph Fiennes Please note this event takes place at the Royal Geographical Society in London. Wednesday 11 July 2018 Doors open 18:15 Venue: Royal Geographical Society, Exhibition Road, London Join us for an exciting evening, featuring a talk by Sir Ranulph Fiennes. During the evening there will be tributes to polar pioneer and scientist Dr Charles Swithinbank, who passed away in 2014. The event is being held at the Royal Geographical Society, and they will have some of their historic polar collections on display in the Foyle Reading Room to view before the lecture starts. Doors open at 18.15 for a 19.00 start. There will be a pay bar available before and after the event.
	Polar Board Game Bar Tues 26 June 2018, 5.30pm - 9.30pm Stay ice-cool: you'll need to be at the Polar Museum's epic night of gaming. Dust off your gaming skills and join us to hang out in the Polar Museum after-hours for a night of Polar Board Games. Play a range of polar, environmental and science themed games from top trumps to strategy and problem solving games including climate change poker, Hey! That's my Fish!, Exit: The Polar Station and Evolution: Climate and many more. With a paid bar providing drinks and snacks from Cambridge Wine Merchants until 9pm. Free, booking advised. Adults only. All visitors will receive one free drink upon arrival.
	Book signing Saturday 16 June 12.00 - 2.00pm Free to drop in. Come and meet Isobel Williams & John Dudeney who will be signing copies of their new book, 'William Speirs Bruce: Forgotten Polar Hero', at The Polar Museum, Scott Polar Research Institute on 16th June from 12-2pm. The event is organised by Amberley Publishing.
	Teaching a Polar Project? FREE session suitable for teachers of KS1, KS2 or KS3 classes. Friday 1st June 2018 11am-1pm Are you looking for activity ideas and inspiration for your polar project? We can help with resources, information, multi-disciplinary ideas, handling collections and activities for your classroom. This session would also benefit teachers who have booked a self-guided visit to the Polar Museum. For more information or to book a place please contact schools@spri.cam.ac.uk
	Little Explorers Mon 14 May 2018 10am & 11am SOLD OUT A different Polar story each session with renowned storyteller Marion Leeper. This month's theme is penguins! For under 5s only. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Places cost £1.50 per child payable on arrival. Children under 1 are free.
	Late opening Thursday 10 May - museum open until 5.45 pm. We'll be keeping the museum open a little later than usual on Thursday 10 May. Visitors to the museum might also be interested in booking a place at an event being held by our neighbour: Inuit Visions of the Polar World will take place at the Heong Gallery at Downing College, starting from 6pm (now sold out). Join SPRI researcher Dr Michael Bravo, and learn about how Inuit understand and navigate land, sea and ice. The late opening at the Polar Museum is free to attend, just drop in.
	Meet the artist: Jane Rushton Tuesday 24 April 3.30pm - 5.00pm Enjoy a sneak preview of our exhibition Arctic Dialogue(s), and meet the artist, Jane Rushton. Her art is inspired by the Arctic and informed by science, and she spent time in Greenland and Svalbard as she developed her work. This event is free - just drop in. Please enter the Institute via the entrance next to the car park after 4pm.
	Shackleton's Cat - Children's Opera Saturday 21 April, 10.30am & 2pm (2pm show now SOLD OUT) Shackleton's Cat returns in 2018, as part of English Touring Opera's award-winning strand of operas for young people. The opera features nine performers, including singers and players, and tells the story of the voyage and destruction of the Endurance 100 years ago, and the subsequent tale of survival against all odds. The opera features an ingenious set, with maps and images from the expedition, interactive songs and a puppet cat!
	A Polar Sensory Adventure - Family Day Saturday 24 March, 10.30am- 3.30pm Join us for a polar sensory adventure at our polar science family day! Object handling, experiments and a chance to see colour in a whole different light. Try your hand at ice carving and view Stasis, a large-scale sculpture in ice and steel by sculptor Melissa Pierce Murray. Not forgetting our whale song workshops at 10.30am & 12pm with marine ecologist Annette Scheffer (30 min sessions). Suitable for the whole family. Drop-in activities, no booking required.
	A Taste of the Polar Regions Monday 12 March 2018, 6pm - 8pm FULLY BOOKED Ever wondered what there is to eat at the South Pole? Find out how polar explorers survived on rations and try some yourself! An evening of pop-up talks, tastings and activities with the first official tasting of a 100 year old sample of Sandow's Cocoa. With talks from Lesley Steinitz from the faculty of history and the great-grandson of Eugen Sandow.
	Little Explorers – Volcanoes! Monday 12 March, 10am – 11am & 11.15 – 12.15am FULLY BOOKED Join us for an explosive story of volcanoes in Antarctica! Touch and feel volcanic rocks and other natural objects in this sensory story session for the under-5s with storyteller Marion Leeper. For under 5s only. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Book places my emailing museumevents@spri.cam.ac.uk with your child's full name and age. Bookings open from 12 February. This special science session is free of charge.
	Twilight at the Polar Museum: Meet the Explorers Tuesday 13 February, 4.30pm – 7.30pm New for this year - meet some of the characters that have made polar history whilst exploring the museum under cover of darkness! Meet Lady Jane Franklin who spent years searching for her husband, lost in the Arctic. Not to mention Captain Robert Falcon Scott himself and even some modern polar explorers! Free, Drop-in event. We will be operating a one-in, one-out basis this year to allow people to enjoy the full experience during their visit.
	Climate Hack Showcase For one day only – see exciting new prototypes across four museums! 2pm - 4pm, 21 January 2018 How would you change a museum? Over three days, teams of makers, scientists, artists and communicators will develop prototypes to showcase our museums' narratives on climate change in our first ever Climate Hack. On Sunday the 21 January we will reveal these a limited time to the public in four university museums. It could be an audio experience, a game or something totally unexpected! Have a chat with the makers, vote on your favourite and tell us what you would like to see in our museums. The following museums will be open and showcasing one prototype each: the Polar Museum, the University Museum of Zoology, the Whipple Museum of the History of Science & the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology.
	Little Explorers Monday 8 January 10am – 10.45am & 11am - 11.45pm A different Polar story each session with renowned storyteller Marion Leeper. For under 5s only. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Places cost £1.50 per child payable on arrival. Children under 1 are free.
	Climate Hack 19-21 January 2018 What is Climate Hack? Over three days, four museums in Cambridge, will be handing over control to teams of people to shake up how they share stories about climate change. From Friday morning to Sunday afternoon, participants will collaborate in multi-disciplinary teams to create a prototype museum installation or experience in one of our collections. The teams will be put together by the Climate Hack organisers to ensure that they each have the right combination of skills to bring a brilliant new idea to life – whether it's a 3D interactive, an audio interpretation, an immersive experience or a hands on challenge, the choice is yours! At the end of the weekend the prototypes will be revealed for the public to play with and enjoy.
	Teaching a Polar Project? FREE session suitable for teachers of KS1, KS2 or KS3 classes. Wednesday 25th October 2017 11am-1pm Are you looking for activity ideas and inspiration for your polar project? We can help with resources, information, multi-disciplinary ideas, handling collections and activities for your classroom. This session would also benefit teachers who have booked a self-guided visit to the Polar Museum. For more information or to book a place please contact schools@spri.cam.ac.uk
	FULLY BOOKED Sci-Fi at the Poles: Screening of 'The Thing' (1982) Tuesday 24th October 7pm – 9pm The truth is out there, and it is buried in the Antarctic ice in 1982. Join us for thrills and chills at the South Pole with a screening of John Carpenter's eighties horror classic 'The Thing' with an introductory talk by Dr John Ash on dread, fears and the Other in the polar environment. Introductory talk (20 mins) Refreshments available for donations.
	Living in the Arctic: Family Day Saturday 21st October 10.30am – 3.30pm Join us for a day exploring the Arctic and the animals and people that live there! Crafts and activities for all ages throughout the day as well as a chance to see live reindeer and find out about their natural environment. Drop-in activities. Please be aware there may be a queue to see the reindeer. Suitable for all ages.
	Little Explorers - Arctic Special Monday 16th October 10am – 11am & 11.15 - 12.15pm Explore the Arctic and the people and animals that live there in our special Festival of Ideas session of Little Explorers for under 5s! Join us for story and crafts with renowned storyteller, Marion Leeper. Book places by emailing museumevents@spri.cam.ac.uk with your child's full name and age. For under 5s only. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Bookings open on 25 September. This special Festival of Ideas session is free of charge.
	Missing Maps Polar Mapathon Tuesday 10th October 6pm-8:30pm Join us for an evening of mapping and pizza with the Missing Maps project. With just a laptop and some enthusiasm you can help us map some of the world's most disaster affected places. The evening shall also include a talk from the Canadian Red Cross on the mapping of indigenous communities in northern Canada and an after dark tour of The Polar Museum. Missing Maps events support Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), the Red Cross and the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT).
	William Speirs Bruce Lecture by Dr Isobel Williams Tuesday 19th September, 2017, 6pm-7pm Join the Friends of SPRI for a fascinating lecture by Dr Isobel P. Williamson on the life and discoveries of William Speirs Bruce. Bruce made discoveries that are recognised today. Under the banner of Scotland, he brought a team of experienced scientists together who contributed significantly to knowledge about the Polar Regions. On the Scotia expedition of 1902 to the Antarctic, he discovered new land bordering the Weddell Sea, made an unrivalled number of meteorological and oceanographic records and built a meteorological station in the South Orkneys that still operates today. His contribution to science, particularly oceanography, was probably greater and more lasting than any of his contemporaries. Dr Isobel P. Williams qualified in medicine at St George's hospital, London and her interest in Antarctica began as a student – Edward Wilson, Scott's confidant and friend, had qualified in St George's and there were many of his iconic paintings in the medical school. Isobel became interested in Wilson and wrote his biography. She then subsequently wrote the biography of Chief Petty Officer, Edgar Evans. Along with her co-author John Dudeney, ex Deputy Director of BAS, Isobel has now completed the biography of William Speirs Bruce. The work is with the publishers and she is looking forward to speaking about Bruce's life and work. This event is free to attend Booking essential by emailing: friends@spri.cam.ac.uk
	Little Explorers 11 September: 10am – 10.45am & 11.15 - 12pm A different Polar story each session with renowned storyteller Marion Leeper. For under 5s only. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Places cost £1.50 per child payable on arrival. Children under 1 are free. Please book by emailing museumevents@spri.cam.ac.uk stating your child's full name and age.
	Wild about the Poles: Stories of the birds and animals in the Polar regions Friday 8 September, 10.15–10.45am Friday 8 September, 11.15–11.45am Want to learn about the Polar birds and animals, but can't get to where they live? From those who live in the Polar Regions to those taken there, in this talk, we will uncover the stories of polar birds and animals through the unique collections of the Institute's Library and Archive. Free drop in event in the lecture theatre at the Scott Polar Research Institute Suitable for ages 14+ Image copyright: Liam Quinn
	Animals at the Poles: A Polar Library Safari Friday 8 September, 10.30am-4pm Want to learn about Polar animals, but can't get to where they live? From penguins to ponies, in this library trail, you'll discover the fascinating material available on animals in the Polar Regions and have a chance to look around the Library itself. Binoculars optional! Suitable for ages 14+ Free, drop in event at the Scott Polar Research Institute Library.
	Polar Animals: Museum Children's Tour FULLY BOOKED Tuesday 29 August, 10am – 11am Ever felt overwhelmed by all the exciting things in a museum? Don't know where to look first? Join us for a tour of The Polar Museum with our friends from the Museum of Zoology. Find out all about polar animals that live in extreme environments and the creatures that lived there long ago. This tour is especially for children. Suitable for ages 7-13 year olds. Unfortunately we cannot accommodate older and younger siblings outside of the stated age range (with the exception of babies under 1). Free bookable session. All children must be accompanied by an adult.
	The Year That Made Antarctica – Bank Holiday Monday Exhibition Tour Monday 28 August, 2.30pm - 3pm Learn about the science and the history of the year that built the Antarctic Treaty - from fossil hunters to Sputnik and Polar politics! Suitable for 16+ Free entry. No booking required.
	Polar Play & Storytime FULLY BOOKED Tuesday 22 August, 10am – 11am Stories of the polar regions with a craft making session. Suitable for 4-8 year olds. Unfortunately we cannot accommodate older and younger siblings outside of the stated age range (with the exception of babies under 1). Free bookable session. All children must be accompanied by an adult.
	The Year That Made Antarctica – Saturday Exhibition Tour Saturday 12 August, 2.30pm - 3.30pm Learn about the science and the history of the year that built the Antarctic Treaty - from fossil hunters to Sputnik and Polar politics!
	Polar Animals: Museum Children's Tour FULLY BOOKED Tuesday 1 August, 10am – 11am & Ever felt overwhelmed by all the exciting things in a museum? Don't know where to look first? Join us for a tour of The Polar Museum with our friends from the Museum of Zoology. Find out all about polar animals that live in extreme environments and the creatures that lived there long ago. This tour is especially for children. Suitable for ages 7-13 year olds. Unfortunately we cannot accommodate older and younger siblings outside of the stated age range (with the exception of babies under 1). Free bookable session. All children must be accompanied by an adult.
	Polar Play & Storytime FULLY BOOKED Tuesday 25 July, 10am – 11am & Stories of the polar regions with a craft making session. Suitable for 4-8 year olds. Unfortunately we cannot accommodate older and younger siblings outside of the stated age range (with the exception of babies under 1). Free bookable session. All children must be accompanied by an adult.
	Fat fur & Blubber - How to stay warm in the polar regions Saturday 8 July, 12pm - 5pm on Parker's Piece in the Fun Lab Marquee Find out how polar bears survive in the cold, how whales survive the icy oceans and find out if you can survive an icy challenge! Free drop-in activities for all ages.
	Little Explorers 5 July: 10am – 10.45am & 11.15 - 12pm A different Polar story each session with renowned storyteller Marion Leeper. For under 5s only. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Places cost £1.50 per child payable on arrival. Children under 1 are free. Please book by emailing museumevents@spri.cam.ac.uk stating your child's full name and age.
	The Year That Made Antarctica – Exhibition Tours Tuesday 27 June, 1.15pm - 1.45pm Over dinner in the spring of 1950 a party of scientists produced an ambitious proposal for a global year of science: the International Geophysical Year was born. With a heavy emphasis on Antarctica, thousands of people from dozens of countries came together to learn about our planet. Among many other achievements, the year laid the foundations for the Antarctic Treaty which has preserved the continent for science and peaceful activity for almost sixty years.
	In the pink: why penguin poo is extremely interesting Thursday 23rd March NOW FULLY BOOKED 6pm – 7pm Gareth Rees is part of a team from the Scott Polar Research Institute and the British Antarctic Survey, developing new ways of counting penguins from space. In this talk he will explain how, where and why he and his student became world experts in the colour of penguin poo and what this might tell us about climate change.
	Little Explorers - Wandering Rocks Wednesday 15 March 10am – 11am & 11.15 – 12.15am Dive below the polar surface in search of rocks, fossils and other natural objects in this sensory story session for the under-5s with storyteller Marion Leeper. For under 5s only. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Book places my emailing museumevents@spri.cam.ac.uk with your child's full name and age. This special Science Festival session is free of charge.
	Polar Science - 'Back to Nature' Activity Day Saturday 18 March 10.30am- 3.30pm Explore the wonders of Nature at the Poles! Penguins, plants and colour changing skies, all at our Polar science activity day! There will be range of drop in activities for ages 3+. Now joining us for the day - The Cambridge Science Centre and The British Antarctic Survey Scientists!
	Twilight at The Polar Museum Wednesday 15^th February 2017 4.30pm - 7.30pm Experience the darkness of a polar winter. Explore the gallery at the Polar Museum; what will you hear? What will you see? Who will you meet? Drop-in activity for families. Please be warned that there can be large queues. This year there will also be a cafe open just next to us in the Chemistry Department so you can keep warm with a nice hot drink!
	Teaching a Polar Project? FREE session suitable for teachers of KS1, KS2 or KS3 classes. Wednesday 15^th February 2017 11am-1pm Are you looking for activity ideas and inspiration for your polar project? We can help with resources, information, multi-disciplinary ideas, handling collections and activities for your classroom. This session would also benefit teachers who have booked a self-guided visit to the Polar Museum. For more information or to book a place please contact schools@spri.cam.ac.uk
	Science Centre Pop Up @ The Polar Museum Tuesday 14 February 10.30am - 3.30pm Come and get hands-on with Cambridge Science Centre this half term at The Polar Museum! We'll be at the museum with some fun, space themed activities and experiments. Find out how you keep warm, whether in space or on Earth! Can you identify a meteorite? Plus, get crafty and make a rainbow bracelet to take home. Drop in activities for families throughout the day.
	Little Explorers Wednesday 30th November: 10.00am and 11.15am A different story each session with renowned storyteller Marion Leeper. For under 5s only. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Places cost £1.50 per child payable on arrival. One year olds and under are free. Sessions last approximately 50 minutes. Please book by emailing museumevents@spri.cam.ac.uk stating your child's full name and age.
	Museum Escape: The Polar Domes Thursday 17 November Due to a cancellation there is now a slot available at 6.30-7.30pm Back due to popular demand - Your mission should you choose to accept it, is to escape the museum…The Polar Museum brings you 'Museum Escape', an interactive live escape game designed for groups of 3 to 8 people. Find hints and clues, solve puzzles, and crack codes as you race against time in order to escape from a room before you are 'locked in'. The Polar Museum will be open to the public to browse from 5pm – 8.30pm and a bar will be available. Each slot is 45 minutes starting at 4.30pm, 5.30pm, 6.30pm 7.30pm & 8.30pm. With only five slots available, book fast for your group. Bookings will only be reserved once payment is made. Each slot costs £30 no matter how many people are in the group. Bookings begin September 26th. To make a booking enquiry, please email museumevents@spri.cam.ac.uk
	Family Activity Day 'Movement' is the theme for the Festival of Ideas 2016. See how extinct giant penguins and tyrannasaurs moved through Antarctica millions of years ago when it's climate was less harsh. And try out how scientists and explorers have moved through the ice in more recent times. Saturday October 29th, 11.00am - 4.00pm. No need to book, just drop in and join us.
	Museum Escape: The Polar Domes Tuesday 25 October Slots at 4.30pm, 5.30pm, 6.30pm 7.30pm & 8.30pm All sessions are currently booked. In the event of cancellations, we will re-open bookings. Back due to popular demand - Your mission should you choose to accept it, is to escape the museum…The Polar Museum brings you 'Museum Escape', an interactive live escape game designed for groups of 3 to 8 people. Find hints and clues, solve puzzles, and crack codes as you race against time in order to escape from a room before you are 'locked in'. The Polar Museum will be open to the public to browse from 5pm – 8.30pm and a bar will be available. Each slot is 45 minutes starting at 4.30pm, 5.30pm, 6.30pm 7.30pm & 8.30pm. With only five slots available, book fast for your group. Bookings will only be reserved once payment is made. Each slot costs £30 no matter how many people are in the group. Bookings begin September 26th. To make a booking enquiry, please email museumevents@spri.cam.ac.uk
	Data Floes This event is fully booked. It is quite likely that there will be cancellations on the night of the event. We will operate a queue for admission on the night but we cannot guarantee entry. Hear artists and scientists talk about how they have used climate and environmental data sets to explore issues around the communication of science. Our event showcases work by artists, composers and scientists who share a desire to enable a different kind of access to knowledge, an access that is direct and unmediated and that acts as a gateway to understanding.
	Little Explorers Wednesday 12th October: 10.00am and 11.15am A different story each session with renowned storyteller Marion Leeper. For under 5s only. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Places cost £1.50 per child payable on arrival. One year olds and under are free. Sessions last approximately 50 minutes. Please book by emailing museumevents@spri.cam.ac.uk stating your child's full name and age.
	Wunderkammer Comedy at the Polar Museum Fresh from the Edinburgh fringe, hilarious comedy improv group Do Not Adjust Your Stage bring 'Wunderkammer' to the Polar Museum. Discover intriguing objects from our collection, then watch on as the group create totally improvised comedy, scenes, stories and characters in response. 29 September 7.00pm-9.00pm SOLD OUT
	Operation Deep Freeze You can enjoy a behind the scenes tour of our next exhibition, Operation Deep Freeze, before its official opening in October. Join the Polar Museum's Exhibition Officer Bryan Lintott for a tour of the exhibition, and discover the technology that went into establishing the first American Antarctic base in the 1950s through the work of artists on the team. Tuesday 27 September 6pm. It's fre
	Polar tours for families 2016 A guided tour of the highlights of the museum including tales of adventure. Suitable for ages 4 to 8. Wednesday 10^th August: 11.00am. Wednesday 24^th August: 11.00am. No need to book.
	Snowy storytelling activities. Different stories every time! Suitable for ages 4 to 8. Wednesday 3^rd August: 11.00am. Wednesday 17^th August: 11.00am. Wednesday 31^st August: 11.00am. No need to book.
	Friday Fun, Polar Play Create frozen worlds through play and construction using the museum's kits and toys. Suitable for ages 4 to 10. Friday 29^th July: 11.00am 'til 12.30pm. Friday 5^th August: 11.00am 'til 12.30pm. Friday 12^th August: 11.00am 'til 12.30pm. Friday 19^th August: 11.00am 'til 12.30pm. Friday 26^th August: 11.00am 'til 12.30pm. No need to book.
	Chill out this summer - The Big Weekend and beyond... Come and get chilled on a summer's day! Find out how explorers like Ernest Shackleton, a hundred years ago, polar scientists nowadays and creatures like penguins and caribou cope with the cold. The Big Weekend: Saturday 9^th July on Parker's Piece, 12.00 'til 5.00pm. Children's and Young People's Participation Service (ChYpPs): Wednesday 27^th July at Lammas Land, 1.00 'til 4.00pm. ChYpPs: Wednesday 10th August at Trumpington, King George V Playing Field, 12.30 'til 4.30pm.
	Little Explorers Wednesday 18th May - 10.00 – 10.45 SORRY, WE ARE NOW FULLY BOOKED! A different story each session with renowned storyteller Marion Leeper. For under 5s only. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Places cost £1.50 per child payable on arrival. One year olds and under are free. Please book by emailing museumevents@spri.cam.ac.uk stating your child's full name and age.
	Lucky 13? Evening of storytelling for adults Friday 13 May, 7pm-9.30pm Event Description Has your life ever been held balanced on a knife edge? Has your fate been taken out of your hands, the difference between glory and ignominy depending on a gust of wind? Lit by the sparkle of a storyteller's eye, immerse yourself in tales and legends where good luck, and bad, turn worlds upside down. The Polar Museum at S.P.R.I. host the Cambridge Storytellers as they recount adventures from the extreme north and south of the world. Inuit legends will be woven between moments from the epic tale of Ernest Shackleton's failed Trans-Antarctic expedition.
	Antarctica is all stitched up! Handling session for blind and partially sighted adults Wednesday 27 April 2016 \| 15:00 to 15:45 at the Fitzwilliam Museum Join trained Museum staff from the Polar Museum and explore their interactive textile map of Antarctica. This free event will take place at the Fitzwilliam Museum Booking Essential. tel: 01223 332904
	Little Explorers Wednesday 16th March - Now fully booked A different story each session with renowned storyteller Marion Leeper. For under 5s only. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Places cost £1.50 per child payable on arrival. 1 year olds and under are free. Please book by emailing museumevents@spri.cam.ac.uk stating your child's full name and age, and the time of session you would like to attend.
	On the Axis of this World Tuesday 15th March 6.15-8.00pm Cambridge City Opera, in association with The Polar Museum, presents On the Axis of this World by Matt Rogers - an operatic meditation on the vast perspectives of Antarctica, inspired by the words of British explorers. Their haunting writings reach out to us through a through a shifting musical landscape born of weather systems and ice flow. 6.15pm – 7pm Introductory talk on Polar Science 7pm -7.15pm Intermission 7.15pm – 8pm 'On the Axis of this World' Music: Matt Rogers Words: Verbatim, from the papers of the British Antarctic Expedition of 1911-13 Book Tickets: £8.50 (standard) / £5.75 (concessions) Concessions include persons over 60 years, persons registered disabled, under 16s and full time students (student ID required on the door before entry). Image copyright Claire Shovelton
	Polar Science Family Day Saturday 12th March 11am - 3.30pm Brought to you by the British Antarctic Survey and The Polar Museum Join us at The Polar Museum for a day full of polar science activities and experiments. Learn polar survival skills and find out about the latest discoveries in Antarctic science. No need to book - this is a FREE drop in event for families.
	The Private Life of Museums Wednesday 9th March 6.00 - 7.30 Grab a mocktail and chat with conservators about what we do behind the scenes at the University of Cambridge Museums. You'll have a chance to see some of our amazing projects up close and get a private view of the Polar Museum too. Reception for 15-18 year olds. Under 16's must be accompanied by an adult.
	Bitesize Polar Science Evening Monday 7th March: 6:00pm - 8:00pm Cleanse your palate for an evening of bitesize science at The Polar Museum. Try out experiments yourself and be entertained by our buskers from the British Science Association! This is a FREE drop in evening for adults
	The Big Game Night Thursday 22 October, 6pm – 7.30pm The Polar Museum Back due to popular demand, The Museum of Zoology, The Whipple Museum & The Polar Museum bring you a night of entertainment with our very own game show Q-ice. Watch as our contestants battle out for museum domination with our wise and witty compere, Ed Turner. Points will be given for knowledge, perseverance and of course for pure entertainment value.
	Polar Exploration: A Touch Tour for People with Visual Impairment Monday 26 October, 11am – 12.15pm & 2.30pm – 3.45pm Join us for the Polar Museum's first touch tour. Handle the objects that made polar exploration history and get close to our rarely seen collections. This tour is designed specifically for people with visual impairment. Ages 7+. Accessible for both children and adults with visual impairment.
	*The Encyclopaedia Britannica* in Antarctica Monday 26 October, 6pm – 7.30pm NOW FULLY BOOKED** The Polar Museum Heading south in 1914, Ernest Shackleton's ship Endurance was loaded with equipment, clothing and food needed by 28 men to survive and explore in Antarctica. But tucked on board were things essential for men's minds. A gramophone, musical instruments, packs of playing cards, footballs; most important, books. Pride of place, available for all to borrow were the 28 volumes of the latest edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica. A treasure house of information, instructions and the latest thinking. Meredith Hooper and Rosalind Grooms will describe how, as Shackleton's expedition unfolded in ways unplanned and danger-filled, the Encyclopaedia began fulfilling roles beyond the relief of reading. The talk will be followed by an optional guided tour of the Polar Museum at 7pm.
	Explorers and Collectors Activity Day Wednesday 28 October, 10.30am – 3.30pm Location: The Polar Museum Exploring the unknown, expeditions to find rare artefacts, collecting specimens of creatures from the distant past… Join the University of Cambridge Museums as we celebrate the explorers and collectors that make our museums. Science experiments, craft activities and much more throughout the day as you get the chance to be an explorer yourself! With special activities from the Botanic Garden, the Whipple Museum, the Museum of Zoology, the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. Free, Drop in activities, so no booking required. Suitable for children of all ages.
	The Ozone Hole Discovery - 30 years on Wednesday 16 September, 6pm - 8pm The Polar Museum Join Jon Shanklin, one of the trio from British Antarctic Survey who made the discovery of the ozone hole in 1985 to find out how it led to a global ban on harmful-ozone depleting substances - and hear from Professor John Pyle about his award-winning research into ozone depletion today. Is the hole healing? Are we safe from harmful UV rays? This event celebrates 'The International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer' marking the 30th anniversary of the discovery of the ozone hole. The talk is scheduled from 6pm -7.30pm with the opportunity for a short tour of The Polar Museum afterwards. Refreshments will be available to purchase before and after the talk. This is part of the Green Museums project across the University of Cambridge Museums
	The Polar Museum Children's Tour Monday 17 August & Monday 24 August - THIS TOUR NOW FULLY BOOKED 11am – 11.45am Suitable for ages 7-13 year olds Ever felt overwhelmed by all the exciting things in a museum and didn't know where to look first? Join us for a tour of The Polar Museum where we will tell you all about the Polar Regions, and everything from explorers to shamanism. This tour is especially for children. Free bookable session. All children must be accompanied by an adult. Bookings via email: museumevents@spri.cam.ac.uk
	Drawing out Science Activity Day Wednesday 5 August 2015, 11am – 4pm at the Polar Museum Suitable for families and children of all ages. Get inspired by science and make something creative! Polar Science not only helps us discover our changing world, but can inspire the artist in all of us. Join us for our activity day where art and science meet! Science experiments with ice! Drawing activities with artist Emma Stibbon and scientist Professor Katharine Cashman, with many more activities available throughout the day. Free drop in activities available all day plus bookable drawing workshops with artist Emma Stibbon at 1pm, 2pm, 3pm.
	Get Creative with Science: Storytelling and Activity Session Thursday 6 August 2015, 10am -11.30am at the Polar Museum Suitable for 4-8 year olds NOW FULLY BOOKED Ever thought about the stories behind science? Or the adventures had by explorers and scientists? Join us for science storytime followed by drawing activities with artist, Emma Stibbons. Free bookable session (All children must be accompanied by an adult) Bookings via email: museumevents@spri.cam.ac.uk Places are limited so please book early to avoid disappointment.
	Little Explorers Wednesday 24 June 10am – 10.45am NEW FORMAT, NEW LOWER PRICE! Join us on an adventure to explore the Poles through story and play. A different story and playtime activity each month. Places cost £1.50 per child payable on arrival. 1 year olds and under are free. For under 5s only. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Please come ready to start at 10am. Please book by emailing museumevents@spri.cam.ac.uk stating your child's full name and age.
	Shackleton's Cat A new interactive opera for children aged 7-11 and their families 29th May 2015, 2pm and 30th May 2015, 11.30am & 2pm ALL SHOWS SOLD OUT English Touring Opera are delighted to be performing their engaging new children's opera at the Polar Museum this May half term. Featuring nine performers including singers and players, Shackleton's Cat tells the story of the voyage and destruction of the Endurance 100 years ago, and the subsequent tale of survival against all odds. The opera features an ingenious set, with maps and images from the expedition, interactive songs and a puppet cat. Shackleton's Cat is created by ETO's award-winning team: composer Russell Hepplewhite, writer and director Tim Yealland and designer Jude Munden, with thanks to the Scott Polar Research Institute for historic information and resources. Tickets: £5 adults, £4 children. Running time: 1 hour
	Hidden Histories: Green Museums A Panel Discussion Thursday 14 May 2015, 6pm - 7.30pm Location: The Polar Museum What do we mean by 'green'? The environment is a vast series of subjects. The museums of Cambridge hide a history of how we have understood the environment and the problems it now faces, deep in their archives and in the objects in plain sight. As part of Museums at Night, join us for a discussion to find out the secret environmental stories hidden in our museums.
	Little Explorers Wednesday 20 May 10am – 10.45am NEW FORMAT, NEW LOWER PRICE! Join us on an adventure to explore the Poles through story and play. A different story and playtime activity each month. Places cost £1.50 per child payable on arrival. 1 year olds and under are free. For under 5s only. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Please come ready to start at 10am. Please book by emailing museumevents@spri.cam.ac.uk stating your child's full name and age.
	Polar Inspiration - An Evening of Short Plays Monday 13 April 2015, 7.30pm - 9.30pm Four fully staged short plays written by local writers, inspired by a tour of the Polar Museum. From icebergs to volunteer museum helpers, spirits of the Poles and statues of the brave explorers, characters freezing to death, falling in and out of love, hating and protecting each other. By the end of the evening you will be questioning the ethical, political and personal aspects of the polar expeditions but also find new meanings in a stuffed polar bear or a winter parka. 7:30pm - 8.40pm The Plays Ice by Jean Reese-Lyons The Lost Boy by Dave Pescod This is Water by Rachel Mariner Cast Out by Trish Rawson Followed by an optional guided tour of the museum which will last app. 30 minutes. Afterwards you are welcome to stay for a drink and an informal chat with the writers, the cast and the production team.
	A Victorian Polar Explorer Remembered: Vice-Admiral Sir George Nares Tuesday 28 April 2015, 6pm - 7pm The commander of the first steam vessel to cross the Antarctic Circle in 1874, Vice-Admiral Sir George Nares played a pivotal role in Victorian Arctic exploration. The commander of the "Challenger" expedition to the Antarctic in 1874 and the British Arctic Expedition in 1875, when he took charge of the "Discovery" and "Alert" in search of the North Pole. On the centenary of his death, descendent Jerrard Nares will discuss this extraordinary Victorian polar pioneer.
	Little Explorers 25 March 2015, 10am – 11am Join us on an adventure to explore the Poles through story and play. A different story and playtime activity each month. Please book by emailing museumevents@spri.cam.ac.uk stating your child's full name and age. Places cost £3 per child payable on arrival. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Please come ready to start at 10am. Under 5s only.
Museum Escape: The Polar Domes Tuesday 17 March, Slots at 4.30pm, 5.30pm, 6.30pm 7.30pm & 8.30pm NOW FULLY BOOKED Back due to popular demand - Your mission should you choose to accept it, is to escape the museum…The Polar Museum brings you 'Museum Escape', an interactive live escape game designed for groups of 3 to 8 people. Find hints and clues, solve puzzles, and crack codes as you race against time in order to escape from a room you are 'locked in'. The Polar Museum will be open to the public to browse from 5pm – 8.30pm and a bar will be available. Each slot is 45 minutes starting at 4.30pm, 5.30pm, 6.30pm 7.30pm & 8.30pm. With only five slots available, book fast for your group. Bookings will only be reserved once payment is made. Each slot costs £30 no matter how many people are in the group. To make a booking enquiry, please email museumevents@spri.cam.ac.uk Booking required on The Polar Museum website, 18+

Tales from the Poles: Women in Antarctica A Panel Discussion Tuesday 10 March, 6pm – 7.30pm In the great white wildness, Antarctica is a place of legend. Hear stories from the field from expert scientists from the British Antarctic Survey with a female perspective. This is now fully booked, but please come to our drop in late night opening to talk to female scientists from 7.30pm Late Night Opening Tuesday 10 March, 7.30pm – 9.30pm The panel discussion will be followed by a late night opening of the Polar Museum where you can meet and talk to female polar scientists from the Scott Polar Research Institute and the British Antarctic Survey whilst browsing the museum with a glass of wine in tow! No booking required for late night opening. You can attend this without attending the Panel Discussion.
	Look in to the Polar Light: Family Day Saturday 14 March, 10.30am – 3.30pm Brought to you by the British Antarctic Survey and the Polar Museum: How do the Northern lights work? Why do birds migrate with the light? And how do plants in the ocean store up a greenhouse gas? Find out at our family drop in day. Including the *Pop-up Zoology Museum*! All ages, drop in activities, so no booking required.
	Little Explorers 25 February 2015, 10am – 11am Join us on an adventure to explore the Poles through story and play. A different story and playtime activity each month. Please book by emailing museumevents@spri.cam.ac.uk stating your child's full name and age. Places cost £3 per child payable on arrival. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Please come ready to start at 10am. Under 5s only.
	Come in and try our new Polar Poetry Pack Fun for all ages and the whole family! From Tuesday 17 February 2015 From half term children, families and budding poets will be able to enjoy a new resource at the Polar Museum. The Poetry Pack is specially designed to help you write poems in response to the unusual objects you will find around the museum. You will be equipped with a back pack, snow goggles, and all the equipment you will need to create your own Polar Poetry expedition. Do send us your finished poems or leave them in the poetry box in the museum and we will upload them to our Polar Muse website for all to enjoy.
	Twilight: Deep Sea Darkness Wednesday 18 February, 4.30pm - 8.30pm Location: The Polar Museum Join the Zoology and Polar Museums for a deep-sea dive into underwater darkness. Find out about creatures from the ocean's depths with games, specimens, and then take a torch-lit walk around the galleries with the sounds of the ocean. Drop-in. Bring a torch! Once you have queued, you will be led into the Polar Museum lecture theatre for your first activity for 15 minutes, where seating is provided. Afterwards you can explore the main museum. No booking required. Drop in only.
In time for tomorrow: Why is climate change so easy to ignore? A talk and reception with Rosemary Randall and Andy Brown Monday 9 February, 6pm - 7.30pm Rosemary Randall, (psychotherapist researching and writing on climate change) and Andy Brown (energy consultant), will discuss the factors that stop people engaging with difficult subjects like climate change. Exploring why engagement needs to be psychological and social as well as practical, they set about creating a project that would help people past their avoidance of this difficult topic. The Carbon Conversations project is now used by a growing number of organisations across the UK, with the second edition of the handbook, In Time for Tomorrow? just released. Drinks available from 6pm with the talk beginning at 6.30pm.
	Little Explorers 21 January 2015, 10am – 11am Join us on an adventure to explore the Poles through story and play. A different story and playtime activity each month. Please book by emailing museumevents@spri.cam.ac.uk stating your child's full name and age. Places cost £3 per child payable on arrival. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Please come ready to start at 10am. Under 5s only.
	Curating Cambridge: our city, our stories, our stuff Monday 20 October – Sunday 23 November 2014 Five weeks of exhibitions, events, workshops, performances, talks, trails and hand-on fun bringing together culture and creativity across the city
'	The Thing Is…' Lunchtime Talk Series 1.15pm - 1.45pm on Tuesday 21 October, Tuesday 28 October, Tuesday 4 November Location: The Polar Museum Exhibiting a loaned object from each of the other University of Cambridge Museums & Botanic Gardens with a paired item from The Polar Museum's collections, the temporary exhibition 'The Thing Is…' will raise questions about the nature of curating, collecting, and the stories objects can tell us. Join us for one of our lunch time talks relating to individual themes from the exhibition. For more information of the speaker for each of the talks, please see The Polar Museum website. Free, Drop-in, Adults Tuesday 21 October: Combining collections, the making of 'The Thing Is ...'- Curator Bridget Cusack & Film maker Rosie Amos Tuesday 28 October: Exploration and Odysseus - Dr Kate Beats from the Museum of Classical Archaeology Tuesday 4 November: Sawdust and Threads: Taking apart a Museum - Artist Caroline Wright will discuss her work with de-accessioned museum objects. Fitz Family Day: Curious Collections Wednesday 29 October, 12.00 – 16.00, Location: The Fitzwilliam Museum As part of Curating Cambridge the Fitzwilliam Museums Family programme will be taken over by Cambridge Museums including the Polar Museum. Join them in creating and organising your own collection by joining in various activities spread throughout the Museum. What curious stories and connections will you discover between objects and creatures from across time and the world? Free, Drop-in, All Ages 'Treaty Yourself ': Drop in activities with theatre maker Rachel Mars Thursday 30 October, 11am – 2pm Location: The Polar Museum, Lecture Theatre The Ceremonial South Pole has gone missing. You are invited to be part of an urgent International Antarctic Treaty meeting. Take your seat around the table, open your tool box and work together with other countries to complete special tasks to help find it! Activity last about 20 minutes, running from 11am - 2pm. Free, Drop-in, Ages 7+ In Conversation with a Museum: The Polar Muse Tuesday 4 November, 6pm Location: The Polar Museum Hear from the eight poets who have taken over The Polar Museum as part of the Polar Muse project. Readings and conversation with Lucy Hamilton, Sarah Howe, Rod Mengham, Drew Milne, Redell Olsen, Andrea Porter, Lucy Sheerman and Rebecca Watts. Whale of a Time Family Drop in Day Saturday 15 November, 10.30am – 3.30pm, Location: The Polar Museum Have a whale of a time at our family drop in day. Join us in our Polar Ocean, hear whale song, stories from the depths and go fishing for information with our whale expert. Don't forget to bring the whole pod for a virtual splash around. Including 'Ocean Song: Sounds of the Sea workshop' with the Museum of Zoology team at 2pmin the Polar Museum Lecture Theatre. This is a drop in day for the whole family, but the Ocean Song Workshop is bookable for ages 7 – 13 years old. See the Polar Museum website for booking information. Free, Drop-in, All Ages Museum Escape – The Polar Domes Tuesday 11 November, Slots at 4.30pm, 5.30pm, 6.30pm 7.30pm & 8.30pm: Fully Booked Location: The Polar Museum Your mission should you choose to accept it, is to escape the museum…The Polar Museum and the Sedgwick Museum bring you 'Museum Escape', an interactive live escape game designed for groups of 3 to 8 people. Find hints and clues, solve puzzles, and crack codes as you race against time in order to escape from a room you are 'locked in'. The Polar Museum will be open to the public to browse from 4.30pm – 8.30pm and a bar will be available. Each slot is 45 minutes starting at 4.30pm, 5.30pm, 6.30pm 7.30pm & 8.30pm. With only five slots available, book fast for your group. Bookings will only be reserved once payment is made. Each slot costs £30 no matter how many people are in the group. We also have 'Museum Escape: The Crystal Room' at the Sedgwick Museum on 18 November. To make a booking enquiry, please email museumevents@spri.cam.ac.uk Booking required on The Polar Museum website, 18+ Museum Escape – The Crystal Room Tuesday 18 November, Slots at 5pm, 6pm, 7pm & 8pm: Fully Booked Location: The Sedgwick Museum Your mission should you choose to accept it, is to escape the museum…The Polar Museum and the Sedgwick Museum bring you 'Museum Escape', an interactive live escape game designed for groups of 3 to 8 people. Find hints and clues, solve puzzles, and crack codes as you race against time in order to escape from a room you are 'locked in'. The Sedgwick Museum will be open to the public to browse from 5pm – 8pm and a bar will be available. Each slot is 45 minutes starting at 5pm, 6pm, 7pm & 8pm. With only four slots available, book fast for your group. Bookings will only be reserved once payment is made. Each slot costs £30 no matter how many people are in the group. We also have 'Museum Escape: The Polar Domes' at The Polar Museum on 11 November. To make a booking enquiry, please email museumevents@spri.cam.ac.uk Booking required on The Polar Museum website, 18+ A Big Game Night Friday 21 November, 6pm – 7.30pm, Location: The Polar Museum The Museum of Zoology and The Polar Museum bring you a night of entertainment with our very own game shows, Just a Minnow & Q-Ice. Watch as our contestants battle out for museum domination! Points will be given for knowledge, perseverance and of course for pure entertainment value.
Christmas at the Poles: From Paranoia to Plum Pudding Monday 8 December, 6pm – 7.30pm Location: The Polar Museum
	On historic polar expeditions the Christmas festival was universally anticipated as a time of relaxation, entertainment, and emotional connection with loved ones back home. On ships and in huts in Antarctica and the Arctic, crew and officers recognised the importance of a mid-winter festival in the maintenance of general health and morale. Just as at home, hair would be cut, beards shaved, and bodies, decks, and camps scrubbed and decorated in preparation for a ritualised time of feasting. In this talk Shane McCorristine looks back at accounts of Christmas celebrations, showing how the diaries of explorers are full of salacious details about the food and drink served on Christmas Day. Free, Booking required, 16+ http://christmasatthepoles.eventbrite.co.uk
	Summer at the Museums Putting your stamp on The Polar Museum: A children's tour Tuesday 29th July, 10am -11am & Tuesday 19th August, 10am - 11am BOTH NOW FULLY BOOKED Suitable for ages 7 - 13 Ever felt overwhelmed by all the exciting things in a museum and didn't know where to look first? Join us for a tour of The Polar Museum where we will tell you all about the Polar Regions, and everything from explorers to shamanism. This is the first time we have a tour especially for children. The tour will end with a craft making session where you can make your own Polar stamp inspired by our Polar Post displays. These are free events. All children must be accompanied by an adult. To book for either one, email museumevents@spri.cam.ac.uk Going Postal: Storytelling and Activity Session Wednesday 13th August, 10am -11am & Wednesday 27th August, 10am - 11am BOTH NOW FULLY BOOKED Suitable for ages 4 - 8 Stories of the Polar Regions and the different ways we communicate with the rest of the world, ending with a craft making session where you can make your own Polar stamp inspired by our Polar Post displays. These are free events. All children must be accompanied by an adult. To book for either one, email museumevents@spri.cam.ac.uk
	Other events On the Axis of this World Thursday, 7 August - Friday, 8 August 2014 / Kings Place, London: St Pancras Room Cambridge City Opera, in association with the Scott Polar Research Institute, present On the Axis of this World - an operatic meditation on the vast perspectives of Antarctica, inspired by the words of British explorers. Their haunting writings reach out to us through a through a shifting musical landscape born of weather systems and ice flow. Music: Matt Rogers Words: Verbatim, from the papers of the British Antarctic Expedition of 1911-13 Duration: 45 mins
	Reinventing the Wheel: Family Activity Days Saturday 5 & Sunday 6 July, 10.30am - 3.30pm The Polar Museum Join us at The Polar Museum and discover how and why bicycle wheels were used on ice in this temporary exhibition to celebrate the Tour de France. During the weekend of Tour de France in Cambridge, the museum is opening especially on the Saturday and Sunday. Drop in activities will be running throughout on both days.
	Delivery by Design: Stamps in Antarctica A Lunchtime Talk Wednesday 16 July 2014, 1.30pm - 2pm The Polar Museum How do you put your stamp on something? Commemorating decades of polar exploration and the extraordinary flora and fauna in the British Antarctic Territories of the Polar Regions, artists have captured these themes in the designs of Polar stamps. Bridget Cusack, the curator of our new exhibition 'Delivery by Design: Stamps in Antarctica' will talk through the exhibition on display. Free, no booking required. Meet in the entrance to the museum under the domes.
	Museums at Night: Science Tasting Evening Friday 16 May, 6pm - 8pm The Polar Museum, 18+ Only Cleanse your palette for an evening of science tasting at the polar museum. A night where you can find out about current polar science in stand up style, try out science experiments yourself and be entertained by our science buskers!
	Exploring the Unknown: A sensory trail between St John's College Library & The Polar Museum Throughout the Festival (11 – 23 March) during museum and library opening hours. Please check opening hours for both on their websites. Age: 5+ Approximately 45 mins Young explorers needed to undertake mission of discovery! Historic explorers didn't have maps to help them find their way. They had to look out for landmark objects and use all their senses to map their surroundings. Forge your own trail through Cambridge discovering as you go. Collect your trail from either St John's College Library or the Polar Museum. Throughout the Science Festival (11 - 23 March) during museum and library opening hours. Please check opening hours for both on their websites.
	Conservation Conversations Saturday 15 March, 2pm - 4pm The Fitzwilliam Museum On Saturday 15th March there is a chance to have a really close encounter with some of our historic boots and quiz the experts about them. Come to the Courtyard in the Fitzwilliam Museum between 2pm and 4pm where we are holding a drop-in session, looking in detail at all kinds of Polar boots, including one belonging to Captain Scott. Meet the people who investigate how they were made and why some of them change over time, and discuss the decisions we take about conservation. Objects from other University museums will also be on show, including ancient and fake bronze sculptures and a Ronald Searle drawing.
	The Story of Science: Family Activity Day Saturday 15 March 2014, 10.30am - 3.30pm Once upon a time there was a scientist – well, really an explorer - and actually there were lots of them. They wanted to find out about the North and South Poles, how to get there, what ice was made of and what was at the bottom of the ocean. Join us for a day of science storytelling. Discover the stories throughout the Polar Museum and tell your own. With special guest storyteller, Marion Leeper. For families. Drop in, no booking required.
	When Scientists Fly: The Arctic Science Experience Wednesday 19 March 2014, 4pm - 5pm The Polar Museum Hands on activity event for ages 12 – 18 Have you ever wondered what a scientist does? What a researcher gets up to? For one day only, join our mission to map the Arctic atmosphere. Climb aboard and take control of our replica aircraft. Meet the experts, become a scientist and analyse data in the Arctic skies. Brought to you by the 'Methane in the Arctic: Measurements and Modelling (MAMM) project and the Polar Museum.
	Out of This World: The Arctic Science Experience Wednesday 19 March 2014, 6pm - 7.30pm Hands on activity event for ages 18+ With a glass of wine in hand, join our mission to map the Arctic atmosphere. Get the chance to take on the role of a polar scientist and analyse data on board our replica aircraft. Learn from the experts; members of the 'Methane in the Arctic: Measurements and Modelling (MAMM) project' will be with us to explain their roles and take us on our campaign through the Arctic skies. Brought to you by MAMM and the Polar Museum.
	Sea Monsters to Sonar: Charting the Polar Oceans A talk by Dr John Ash Monday 14 April, 6pm - 7pm The Polar Museum Dr John Ash, an ex-submariner with experience in the Arctic and curator of this temporary exhibition, will trace the development and use of maps in the harsh Polar Oceans, looking at how maps are used as tools for survival and the journeys made for scientific discovery at the poles.
	Explore the World: Mapping Day with St John's College Library & The Polar Museum Tuesday 15 April, 10.30am - 2.30pm Ages 7 - 11, £10 per child Join us for Easter Holiday fun with a day of exploration and mapping at two Cambridge venues. Drop off at at St John's College Library and moving on to The Polar Museum. To book a place email museumevents@spri.cam.ac.uk
	Phantom Islands Thursday 13 March, 7.30pm - 10pm The Polar Museum Have you ever seen something that wasn't really there? Discover the explorers that imagined whole islands. An introductory talk on the science and history of phantom islands followed by a screening of the 1970s film 'The Island on the Top of the World' (90 min duration). Age 16+
	Stories by Candlelight Friday 7 February 2014, 7pm - 9pm NOW FULLY BOOKED 18+ only See a different side to the Polar Museum. Start with a mystery tour of the collection, and then settle down to an evening of stories under the dome: listen to Arctic myths and legends and tales of Polar adventure that will bring the collections to life. Tickets £3.50. Reserve your ticket by emailing museumevents@spri.cam.ac.uk .Payments to be made on the door.
	Twilight: Icily Done Wednesday 19 February, 4.30pm - 8.30pm The Polar Museum Is there a chill in the air? The shimmer of reflected light? The sounds of ice cracking beneath your feet? Join us to discover the sights and sounds of ice at the Polar Museum. Don't forget to bring a torch. Drop in evening for families.
	Forced Labour - A talk by Professor Anatoli Shirokov Saturday 25 January 2014, 7.30pm - 8.30pm The Polar Museum Professor Anatoli Shirokov is Rector of North Eastern State University in Magadan, Russia. A GUlag Scholar as well as the First Vice-Head of the Magadan Regional Duma, Professor Shirokov will illuminate us on the history of the forced labour during the Stalinist period using the example of Dal'stroi, the largest industrial- forced labour complex in the USSR.
	The Last Ocean - Film Screening with Introduction Tuesday 14 January 2014 6pm – 8pm The Polar Museum The Ross Sea Antarctica is the most pristine stretch of ocean on Earth. Scientists describe it as our last 'living laboratory', a place that can teach us about the workings of all marine ecosystems. 'The Last Ocean' tells the story of the race to protect Earth's last untouched ocean from our insatiable appetite for fish, and raises the simple ethical question: do we fish the last ocean or do we protect it?
	Life in the Russian North: A Reception Tuesday 21 January 2014, 6pm - 7.30pm The Polar Museum Join us for a reception to celebrate the new exhibition, 'Magadan: Life in the Russian North'. An introduction to the exhibition will be held 6.30pm – 7pm.
	Antarctica Day Saturday 30 November 2013, 10.30am – 3.30pm The Polar Museum Help us celebrate Antarctica Day with a variety of hands-on drop-in activities available at The Polar Museum throughout the day. Family activity day. No booking required.
	The Poetry of Antarctica Wednesday 6 November 6pm – 7pm The Polar Museum Join us for poetry readings and discussion with Antarctic poet & naturalist, Charles Hood. Hood's poetry and writings celebrates and explores life at the extreme edge of our planet. Blending travel narrative, historical research, and surprises of magical realism, Hood presents life in Antarctica and the history of polar aviation as both a miracle of achievement yet also as a way to understand humanity need to push themselves to their limits. At present Professor Hood is a Research Fellow at the Art and Environment Institute of the Nevada Art Museum, and also is a Professor of English at Antelope Valley College in the Mojave Desert.
	Where am I? Compasses, maps and other useful things Saturday 26 October, 10.30am – 3.30pm, The Polar Museum Do you know where the Arctic is? Find out about sundials and compasses! Drawing, making and hands-on activities throughout the day; brought to you by The Polar Museum and the Whipple Museum as part of the Festival of Ideas. No booking required.
	Landscapes of Exploration: Artist in Conversation Tuesday 29 October, 6pm – 7pm The Polar Museum Exhibiting artist Chris Drury will speak of his experiences, his collaborations with scientists and the artwork he produced whilst artist in residence in Antarctica. Well known for creating site-specific environmental art, Drury uses the landscape itself. Exploring a wide variety of themes, Drury produces art that is resonant with his experiences of places visited and journeys made. Drury's piece Albatross is exhibited at The Polar Museum as part of the Landscapes of Exploration exhibition (3 October – 16 November).
	Mapping the Past: A Panel Discussion Friday 1 November, 6pm - 7pm The Polar Museum Join us for a panel discussion on the history and art of maps and globes; brought to you by The Polar Museum and the Whipple Museum as part of the Festival of Ideas.
	Landscapes of Exploration Exhibition Tour Thursday 3 October, 10.30am – 11.30am The Polar Museum Liz Wells, Professor in Photographic Culture at Plymouth University and curator of Landscapes of Exploration gives an informative tour of the exhibition at The Polar Museum with the option to continue on to the second venue for the exhibition at the Ruskin Gallery at Anglia Ruskin University.
	"How and Why New York's Elite's Made Robert Peary a National Icon": A talk by Lyle Dick Wednesday 9 October, 6pm – 7pm The Polar Museum In his talk, Canadian historian, Lyle Dick will be discussing how the explorer Robert Peary, in the absence of evidence, managed to emerge as the victor in the Race to the North Pole in 1909-1910. Lyle Dick is the author of many publications in Canadian, American and Arctic history, including the books Muskox Land (winner, Harold Adams Innis Prize, 2003) and Farmers "Making Good" (co-winner, Clio Prize, 1990). Between 2011-2013 he served as President of the Canadian Historical Association.

People crafting

scrimshaw

Meet and Make at the Museum

Join us for our museum wellbeing and making workshops for adults at the Polar Museum! Meet and Make at the Museum sessions are all about giving you a supportive and social space to be creative. Making new crafts, making space for yourself, and making new connections. A chance for you to explore working with different materials and learn new skills with others. This session we will be doing soap carving inspired by scrimshaw.

For ages 16+

Monday 22 May, 1.30pm - 3.30pm

Secure your place and book your free ticket

Two King Penguins. One in Ultraviolet light

Egg-cellent Penguins: Museum Trail

1 April – 15 April 2023

Tuesday to Saturday each week, 10am - 4pm

Closed on Good Friday, 7 April 2023

Pick up our Egg-cellent Penguins trail at the Polar Museum this Easter break. Using ultraviolet light torches, find the hidden clues to lead you to the missing penguin!

This a free, drop in activity for ages 7+

Also available - our Children's Audio Guide is free on the Smartify app for you to listen to on your own device, or just £1.50 per child to hire a handset in the museum.

People crafting

Meet and Make at the Museum

Join us for our wellbeing and making workshops for adults at the Polar Museum! Meet and Make at the Museum sessions are all about giving you a supportive and social space to be creative. Making new crafts, making space for yourself, and making new connections. A chance for you to explore working with different materials and learn new skills with others.

For ages 16+

Monday 27 March, Cambridge Festival taster session, 1.30pm - 3.30pm

Secure your place and book your free ticket

Polar Textiles: the hidden stories of polar women

Monday 20 March, 2pm - 3pm

Ever wondered how women supported polar expeditions before they were allowed to travel to the poles themselves? Join the Polar Museum and a team of student costume designers who have recreated one of the most eccentric and beloved items in the museum's collection: Dorothy Irving Bell's polar-themed party costume. Learn about a woman whose self-proclaimed mission in life was to imbue the young with a love of polar exploration and try on the replica costume for yourself!

Part of the Cambridge Festival Student Creatives project.

Book your free tickets here

For ages 12+

Snow Widows: A talk by Katherine MacInnes

Saturday 4 March, 1.30pm – 2.15pm

Join us at the Polar Museum with author Katherine MacInnes to celebrate International Women's Day this March. Discover the untold stories of the race for the South Pole from the perspective of the women whose lives would be forever changed by it. Katherine MacInness is the author of Snow Widows, a book that gives a voice to five remarkable women; separated by class, education and religion but forever joined by their stories in the heroic age of exploration.

Book your free tickets here

For ages 16+

Polar Bear Quilling

People crafting

Meet and Make at the Museum

For ages 16+

Monday 27 February, 1pm - 3.30pm Polar Bear Paper Craft - Quilling

Adult and child looking at sensory lights

Polar Museum Disability Friendly Opening

Monday 13 February 2023 10am – 12pm

Now fully booked

We look forward to welcoming you to the Polar Museum for a relaxed morning aimed at children with special educational needs and disabilities, who usually find visiting museums overwhelming due to conditions that affect their sensory processing and/or have a developmental disability, and their families, siblings and carers.

During this time, the museum will be open exclusively for families with children with sensory sensitivities, so we can ensure a quieter environment.

We will be opening the Museum for you to explore. Come & discover stories and objects about Polar adventure and exploration.

There are very limited spaces to keep the museums from feeling too overwhelming. We will turn off any sounds & will control the lighting as best we can.

We provide a chill out space, a sensory den, sensory stories, a craft table and a safe, friendly museum to explore!

The events are free to attend but booking is required. Please book places for any family members that will be attending too. Prior to the event you'll be sent out a visual story. We look forward to welcoming you to the museum. Please email Marie mfk25@cam.ac.uk If you have any questions about the session.

Polar Pop-up: Twilight at the Museum

Monday 13 February 2023, 3pm - 6pm

Now fully booked

Join us for our Twilight opening of the Polar Museum. Explore the museum the with lights off with only your torches to guide you. Object handling and museum trails will be available.

Unlike previous years, this event is for booked time slots only to reduce crowding. You can arrive any time in your time slot but you must leave before the end time.

Time slots: 3pm – 4pm, 4pm – 5pm & 5pm – 6pm – coloured wrist bands so people know when they need to leave their hour slot.

Meet and Make at the Museum

For ages 16+

Monday 23 January, 1pm – 3.30pm Auroras

Objectively Speaking: Museum Late at the Polar Museum

Friday 13 January, 5.30pm – 7.30pm

Evening opening of the Polar Museum. Grab a drink, browse the museum and drop by our pop-up object handling stations and mini talks.

The programme will include pop-up short talks from our collections staff, co-author of 'Antarctica: A history in 100 objects', Jean Pomereu and guest starring the Sedgwick Museum team.

This is a FREE drop in evening for adults.

Book cover: The Worst Journey in the World by Sarah Airriess Museum Shop Sunday - 27 November 2022

Special Sunday opening and book signing

Sunday 27 November

Museum open: 10:00-4:00
Drop in book signing 1:00-3:30

We are thrilled to announce the publication of the graphic novel retelling of The Worst Journey in the World . To celebrate the event, we are delighted to welcome you to meet the artist Sarah Airriess, chat about her research, art and retelling of the story. Signed copies of the newly published first volume of her graphic novel will be available to buy on the day.

Seasonal special offers and discounts will be available in the shop on the day.

This is a free, drop-in event.

Visit www.worstjourney.com to find out more about the book.

Yupiit film image

Entwined film image

IMALIRIJIT film image

future innu

Indigenous Film: Native Spirit Film Festival screenings at the Polar Museum

Saturday 12 November, 5pm - 7.15pm

NOW FULLY BOOKED

Join us for the Polar Museum's part of the Native Spirit Film Festival, the UK's first and only annual independent festival promoting Native Filmmakers, Media, Artists, Indigenous languages and narrative sovereignty. To celebrate International Inuit Day, we will be screening four films at the Polar Museum. This event is part of the Power and Memory programme taking part across the University of Cambridge Museums throughout 2022-24.

18+ only.

Programme:

YUPIIT: EYE OF BOTH WORLDS

Director Stephanie Alton, Alaska, United States, 2021, 28:13 mins

In a remote village in Alaska, local singer/songwriter Byron Nicholai engages a new generation of Yupik natives using rap and beatboxing. Retelling traditional stories, he is helping young people forge a stronger connection to their cultural heritage and values, including music and dance, subsistence hunting, and protection of the environment. These lessons are now passed down by Nicholai.

AVILIAQ: ENTWINED

Director Alethea Arnaquq-Baril (Inuk), 2014, 15 mins

Inuktitut with English subtitles, Nunuvut

In the 1950s, two Inuit women attempt to protect their relationship when pressure from their new colonial culture forces them to marry men.

IMALIRIJIT

Director, Vincent L'Hérault, Tim Anaviapik Soucie, Inuktitut, 2022, 27:11 mins

The inspired journey of a young Inuit community researcher.

THE FUTURE INNU

Innu Community : Mashteuiatsh, Canada, 2021, 5:40 mins

An ode to the land in relation to my double identity as an urban Indigenous person. A story that is both personal and poetic.

Photograph of the Polar Museum's harpoon gun, covered by Caroline Hack's decorated tarpaulin.

ReCover: Meet the Artist

Friday 4 November, 10am – 4pm

2022 marks the 50th anniversary of the adoption of a ten-year moratorium on commercial whaling by the 1972 United Nations Conference on the Human Environment. To commemorate this, artist Caroline Hack has made a decorated tarpaulin cover, which is on temporary display outside the Polar Museum.

Come along for this free, drop-in event to find out more about the artist and her work. Caroline will be giving a demonstration of her processes, and will be available to answer any questions about her work.

Reindeer Escape: Museum Trail

Wednesday 26 October - Saturday 29 October

10am - 4pm

Pick up our Reindeer Escape trail at the Polar Museum this half-term. Using UV torches, you will able to see in UV light, just like reindeer do! Using your new UV sight, find the letters to help spell out the name of predator that wants to eat you for dinner!

This a free, drop in event for ages 5+

Also available - our Children's Audio Guide is free on the Smartify app for you to listen to on your own device, or just £1.50 per child to hire a handset in the museum.

A drawing of an icy cave with two people waving

Behind the Scenes of The Worst Journey in the World

Thursday 27 October

In 1922, Apsley Cherry-Garrard, one of the youngest survivors of Captain Scott's ill-fated attempt to reach the South Pole, published his memoir of the expedition. The Worst Journey in the World humanised the epic tragedy with its sensitive observations of the men involved and evocative descriptions of Antarctic life.

In the temporary gallery we currently have an exhibiton of the retelling of the story in graphic novel form.

11am-1pm Explore additional equipment and archive documents from the actual expedition. Plus, meet the artsist Sarah Airriess, to chat about her research and graphic retelling of the story. This is a free, drop in event in the library, for ages 10+.

2pm and 3pm Storytelling for children in the lecture theatre. This is a free, drop in event for ages 5+.

Please ask at reception for directions to the library/lecture theatre.

Meet and Make at the Museum

Join us for our new wellbeing and making workshops for adults at the Polar Museum! Meet and Make at the Museum sessions are all about giving you a supportive and social space to be creative. Making new crafts, making space for yourself, and making new connections. A chance for you to explore working with different materials and learn new skills with others.

For ages 16+

Monday 24 October, 1pm – 3.30pm Polar Animals

Ice from above: Remotely sensing the Arctic

Saturday 15 October, 10am – 4pm

Visit the Polar Museum and try out our re-launched interactive Arctic Ice Exhibit. Spin the wheel to discover how Arctic ice cover has changed over the last century. Learn how we sense temperature with one of our self-led activity boxes.

For all ages. Drop in anytime.

Part of the Cambridge Zero Festival

Meet and Make at the Museum

For ages 16+

Monday 26 September, 1pm – 3.30pm Art of the North

People on deck of a boat wrangling some science apparatus

Open Cambridge: The Science of Quest

FULLY BOOKED

Thursday 15 September, 6pm

Doors open at 5.30pm, guests are welcome to look around the Polar Museum.
Talk start at 6pm.
End time 7.00pm including questions.

A century after Shackleton's final expedition returned to port, join historian of science Dr Sam Robinson to hear how the expedition marked a key transition from the age of heroic exploration in Antarctica to the beginnings of sustained scientific enquiry. The Shackleton-Rowett expedition, also known as the 'Quest' expedition after the name of the ship, paved the way for today's Antarctic research.

Image credit: Jan Chojecki (Rowett Chojecki Collection)

This event is free. If you would like to make a donation on the night, it will support the work of the Polar Museum.

Open Cambridge: Self-guided tours of the Polar Library

Thursday 15 and Friday 16 September, 11am - 3pm

A chance to explore the library of the Scott Polar Research Institute and discover how polar explorers used new technologies to help them live and work in extreme environments. Open for two days only, self-guided tours of our Polar Innovations displays, as well as a new exhibition on Cherry-Garrard's seminal work The Worst Journey in the World.

Drop-in, no booking required

Polar Pop-ups: Summer Saturdays at the Polar Museum

Saturday 4 September

10am-4pm

Explore the museum this summer with your family and friends. Try out our pop-up activity station bursting with different activities, games and books to discover.

For families.

No booking required.

Touch Tour

Tours for Blind and Partially Sighted Adults at the University of Cambridge of Museums

Monday 5 September, 11am - 12pm

Join the Polar Museum team for a Touch Tour and explore a range of objects from polar history. The tour will also include some of the objects and sculptures outside on the museum lawn.

Meet at Museum entrance. Guide dogs and companions are welcome. The Tour will last 1 hour.

Ice from Above: Our Place in Space

Saturday 27 August, 10am - 4pm. (Rescheduled)

Join the team at The Polar Museum and help to map the coldest places on planet Earth with our large floor maps.

Satellites circle our planet, remotely mapping important things about the world using different kinds of light. How deep are the lakes? How thick is the ice? Are the forests getting smaller? Drop-in and discover how seeing the Polar Regions from above can unlock their secrets.

Using large maps on the lecture theatre floor, children will use different kinds of light to discover hidden features.

This is a drop-in, family-friendly and hands-on activity that is open to everyone.

Image: Oliver Jeffers

Polar Stay and Plays - Museum Openings for under 5s

Monday 22 August, 10am – 12.30pm

Explore the Polar Museum with your little ones when it is closed to the public! There will be sensory play, crafts and a short storytime at 10.30am and 12pm. Renowned storyteller Marion Leeper will be joining us on 26 July and 1 August.

This event is for under-5s and their carers only. Unfortunately, we cannot accommodate older siblings at this event.

ReCover: Meet the Artist

Wednesday 10 August, 10am – 4pm

Friday 19 August, 10am – 4pm

Polar Pop-ups: Summer Saturdays at the Polar Museum

Every Saturday, 23 July - 4 September

10am-4pm

Explore the museum this summer with your family and friends. Try out our pop-up activity station bursting with different activities, games and books to discover.

For families.

No booking required.

Free talk: Antarctic Art, Creative Journeys

Thursday 28 July, 6pm

FULLY BOOKED

Doors open at 5.30pm, guests are welcome to look around the Polar Museum including Shelly's exhibition.
Talks start at 6pm.
End time 7.30pm including questions.

In 2017, Shelly Perkins travelled Antarctica onboard HMS Protector as the Friends of SPRI Artist in Residence. She became the latest in a long line of artists to travel to the frozen continent, and capture her experiences through her creative work.

Join Shelly and the Polar Museum's Curator Charlotte Connelly to hear about the long tradition of expedition artists in Antarctica, and Shelly's own experiences of travelling south with the Royal Navy.

This event is free. If you would like to make a donation on the night, it will support the work of the Friends of SPRI and the Polar Museum.

Meet and Make at the Museum

For ages 16+

Monday 23 May, 1pm – 3.30pm Auroras

Explore light and colour, crafting with coloured acetate to craft your own Northern Lights. Discover the magic of fluorescent paints as you make your own aurora.

Tuesday 30 August, 1pm – 3.30pm Where in the World

Alice White in workshop

'The Art of Science' workshop series

Monday 4 – Wednesday 6 April 2022 1-4pm each day

at The Polar Museum, Lensfield Road, Cambridge, CB2 1ER

Join us at the Polar Museum with artist Alice White, to explore where science and art collide and discover how the spirit of exploration is shared by artists and scientists alike. This exciting series of co-disciplinary workshops for 15-18 year olds combine practical art techniques with live science experiments and a chance to be inspired by the awe inspiring, icy worlds of the Polar Regions.

Workshops are free to book and you can attend one, two or all three in the series. As places are limited, please ensure you are available to attend the workshops in person at the Polar Museum.

Workshop 1 – The Art of Navigation (Contrasting pencil sketches: Exploring icy Polar landscapes.) Monday 4 April, 1pm- 4pm

Workshop 2 – The Colour of Ice (Painting colourful light effects: Aurora, Parhelia, Sun Dogs) Tuesday 5 April, 1pm-4pm

Workshop 3 - Painting Polar Optical Illusions Painting with Goggles. Collage and Mixed-Media: Mirages, Fata Morgana) Wednesday 6 April, 1pm-4pm

These sessions will be run by Artist Educator, Alice White. Alice White is a Short Course Tutor at the University of the Arts London, and an Accredited Lecturer for The Arts Society. She is a team member of SunSpaceArt, winners of the Sir Arthur Clarke education and outreach Space Achievement award (2021). She completed a year's residency as Artist for Animals at ZSL London Zoo. Portfolio: www.alicewhiteart.com

This project is part of the effort from the University of Cambridge Museums to support the COVID generation catch up with creative learning and practice.

Postcards to the Planet

Saturday 2 April 2pm - 4pm
Thursday 7 April 2pm - 4pm
Friday 8 April 2pm - 4pm

The Polar Museum

Greetings from a changing planet. Explore the museum objects that hide a history of how we have understood the environment and the challenges it now faces. At pop-up events throughout the University Festival, we will be inviting you to send a postcard to our changing planet. Draw an image, write or record a message or take a photo.

The responses collected will form part of a wider project run by the University of Cambridge Museums to help us understand what our communities think about environmental change.

Family Day

Polar pop-up family day: Life on the ice

Saturday 2 April, 10am - 4pm

Join us at the Polar Museum to explore life on the ice – the trials and tribulations of living and working in the coldest place on Earth - Antarctica. There will be sanitised object handling, hands-on activities, and museum trails. There will also be some short films and science demonstrations running in our lecture theatre at points throughout the day. Timed, bookable tickets available specifically for children and their carers.

Touch Tour

Tours for Blind & Partially Sighted Adults at the University of Cambridge of Museums

Monday 7 March, 11am & 1pm

Join the Polar Museum team for a Touch Tour and explore a range of objects from polar history. The tour will also include some of the objects and sculptures outside on the museum lawn.

Meet at Museum entrance. Guide dogs and companions are welcome. The Tour will last 1 hour.

rainbow over ice and snow

Family Friendly Opening: Lights and Ice

Join us at the Polar Museum to explore lights and ice – the mysterious ways of light at the Polar Regions

Free, 19 February, 10-4

There will be sanitised object handling, hands-on activities, and museum trails. There will also be some short films and science demonstrations running in our lecture theatre at points throughout the day. Timed, bookable tickets available specifically for children and their carers.

giant bear

gnawers of rock

mahaha

The Boys

Native Spirit Film Festival

Celebrating Inuk Film on International Inuit Day – Online Film Programme

Sunday 7 November

Celebrating 2021 International Inuit Day, Native Spirit Festival, in partnership with The Polar Museum and Inuk filmmaker & actor, Vinnie Karetak present shorts and animations from Nunavut bringing stories of Inuit survivance in the Arctic and tales of supernatural and horror. Supported by the High Commission of Canada in the UK.

GIANT BEAR ᓇᓄᕐᓗᒃ (2018, 12min) dir. Neil Christopher, Daniel Gies

A timeless Inuit legend about a solitary man, a giant bear and their daunting foes: each other.

Centered on a confrontation between the last monster bear and an Inuit hunter, Giant Bear is a chilling short that brings an ancient story out of the North.

GNAWER OF ROCKS (2020, 13min) dir. Andrea Flaherty

Two young women are trapped in the lair of the Mangittatuarjuk, the Gnawer of Rocks. The young women and their village use the teachings of the elders to try to defeat the monster.

MAHAHA (2020, 12min) dir. Babah Kalluk

When Aulaja's father is off hunting she ignores his reminder to be cautious. Aulaja leaves her protective sled dog Siku behind to go fishing and she is attacked by an ancient land spirit. If she hopes to survive, a sacrifice will need to be made.

THE BOYS (2020, 8 min) dir. Vinnie Karetak

How can we ever know how someone keeps going after a tragedy? That question is in the loving broken heart of this film. Follow this ever brief conversation that is deeper then the actual words between the two woman and their families. set with the landscape of Iqaluit, a conversation at the airport's baggage carousel and a woman's slow drive home all tell the story in this gentle searing story of grief.

Please note: HAUNTED BLIZZARD (2020, 11min, dir. Aviaq Johnston) was included in error on earlier versions of the programme. Apologies for any inconvenience caused.

Snow

Naja

Home

Native Spirit Film Festival

Greenlandic Inuit Films

Saturday 6 November, 10.30am- 11.30am & 2pm - 3pm

A guest film programme of shorts curated by award-winning Greenlandic filmmaker Inuk Jørgensen on the themes of Storytelling & Life including a 30 minute recorded discussion with the filmmakers. The programme will repeat in morning and the afternoon. There will be Arctic object handling sessions in the museum throughout the day.

Free to attend. Tickets include entrance to the Polar Museum after the film showing but not before due to the museum's capacity.

Snow (8 min) 2017 – Nivi Pedersen

Shovelling snow in the capital of Greenland is a big part of everyday life during winter. In this short documentary we are exploring how living in these conditions affect the culture, through the lives of three people with each their big and small bumps on their roads of dealing with neighbours, issues with shovelling equipment and caring for one another.

Naja (5 min) 2020 – Marc Fussing Rosbach

Description: Naja is a fantasy short film that tells a young girls death and her journey through shock and grief. After a traumatic experience Naja ran away from home, as she runs away from the reality that she couldn't accept. As she ran her ancestors follow her through the northern lights. She meets two small Spirits that wanted to help her move on to the other world (silap aappaa). She couldn't move on until she accepts her death.

Half & Half (3 min) 2014 – Aka Hansen

Growing up between Denmark and Greenland, Nuuk-based Aka Hansen cannot remember a time that she did not want to have a camera in her hand, and she has since become a trailblazing member of the country's new generation of emerging filmmakers.

Home (7 min) 2018 – Inuk Jørgensen

A personal perspective on coming home after nearly a decade abroad and finding that something is off in the familiar paradise. A warning that profound change is coming. Change that will influence future generations.

In Conversation with Inuit Filmmakers – 30 mins : Join us at the Polar Museum for our part of the Native Spirit Film Festival with conversation between filmmakers, touching on Greenlandic culture and Narrative Sovereignty, with inserts of filmed drum dance.

SnoCat motor vehicle

Crossing Antarctica

Free online talk as part of Open Cambridge

How do you cross a continent made of ice?

Join the Scott Polar Research Institute's archivists through this online film as they discuss the planning, provisions and progress of an adventure from the 1950s era of exploration. Find out about Cambridge resident Vivian 'Bunny' Fuchs, the first person to cross the icy continent of Antarctica in the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition.

Talk lasts 10 minutes and can be watched any time from Friday 10 September.

Object Handling

Family Friendly Opening

Saturday 23 October, 10am - 4pm

Join us at the Polar Museum for our Family Friendly Opening Day this half-term. Timed, bookable tickets available specifically for children and their carers. There will be sanitised object handling, museum trails and there will also be some short films and science demonstrations running in our lecture theatre at points throughout the day.

Marion Leeper

Love Stories for the Earth

Monday 25 October, 10.30am- 11.30am & 11.45am - 12.45pm

Join us at the Polar Museum with renowned storyteller Marion Leeper to explore life under water, with a story from the far North about The Mended Seal.

17 stories, each one launched in a different place. Love Stories for the Earth will lure children away from screens and into nature, asking questions and having adventures.

Expect rocks and shells, an undersea palace, and a story about give and take between the people that row on the sea and the creatures that live underneath.

For ages 10 and under. Parents/carers must be present.

Alice White, artist

'The Art of Science' workshop series

Sunday 25 – Tuesday 27 July 2021 1-4pm each day

at The Polar Museum, Lensfield Road, Cambridge, CB2 1ER

Workshops are free to book and you can attend one, two or all three in the series. As places are limited, please ensure you are available to attend the workshops in person at the Polar Museum.

Workshop 1 – The Art of Navigation (exploring Polar landscapes and ice, sketching with contrasting pencil effects and textures) Sunday 25 July, 1pm- 4pm

Workshop 2 – The Colour of Ice (painting colourful light effects) Monday 26 July, 1pm-4pm

Workshop 3 - Painting Polar Optical Illusions (working with collage and mixed media) Tuesday 27 July, 1pm-4pm

This project is part of the effort from the University of Cambridge Museums to support the COVID generation catch up with creative learning and practice.

Family visiting the Polar Museum

Family Friendly Openings at the Polar Museum

Saturday 31 July

Thursday 5 August

Saturday 14 August

Thursday 26 August

10am - 4pm

Join us at the Polar Museum for our family friendly opening days this Summer. These days are bookable specifically for children and their carers. There will be sanitised object handling, museum trails and there will also be some short films and science demonstrations running in our lecture theatre at points throughout the day.

welcoming family

Half -Term Family Friendly Openings

10am – 4pm – Saturday 29 May & Friday 4 June 2021

Join us at the Polar Museum for our two family friendly opening days during half-term. These days are bookable specifically for children and their carers. There will be sanitised object handling, a museum trail and there will also be some short films and science demonstrations running in our lecture theatre. Tickets are free but must be booked in advance.

SPRI exterior

The Big Freeze

Free online festival of polar art

www.bit.ly/BigFreezeArtFest #BigFreezeArtFest

This spring, the Scott Polar Research Institute is holding an online art festival. Featuring work from the Polar Museum's collections, Friends of SPRI artists in residence and a range of other polar artists and film makers, the Big Freeze art festival will be the perfect way to wave goodbye to winter.

Watch

Throughout the festival we'll be sharing short films and interviews with a range of artists. Find out about the Inuit traditions that inspire Alaskan artist Art Oomittuk's work, watch a short film about Lesley Burr's residency in the Canadian Arctic and watch a film showing a day in the studio with Theo Crutchley-Mack. Most of our programme will be streamed over social media, you can see the full programme on our website.

Read

The Big Freeze art festival includes the Big Freeze online exhibition. Featuring work from our participating artists and from our collection, the exhibition will offer the opportunity to explore at your own pace.

You can get involved too by joining in with The Big Freeze Challenge: Polar self Portraits! How about a polar self portrait of… yourself? The festival will open with a special online screening of artist and curator Zsuzsanna Ardó's Polar Self Portraits project, and the invitation to you to join in by imagining yourself in the polar regions and creating your own self portrait. Share your image with us using the #BigFreezeArtFest hashtag on social media.

SPRI exterior

An Introduction to the Arctic

Tuesday 19 November, 2020, 17:30-18:45. Free online event.

This free event is part of the public programme accompanying the Citi exhibition Arctic: culture and climate at the British Museum (22 October 2020 – 21 February 2021). The Polar Museum is delighted to have lent a few objects to the exhibition.

Join academics from The Open University and special guests as they introduce you to the diverse landscapes and complex histories of the Arctic Peoples and their region.

Chaired by Academic Advisor to the BBC series Frozen Planet, Professor Mark Brandon, speakers include: environmental geographer Dr Shonil Bhagwat; Senior Lecturer in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Aberdeen, Dr Tatiana Argounova-Low; cultural anthropologist Dr Carol Brown-Leonardi; and British Museum project curator for the Arctic exhibition, Dr Peter Loovers.

SPRI exterior

Alumni Centenary Dinner

CANCELLED - In light of current Government advice regarding the spread of COVID-19, we have cancelled all events. We hope to reschedule in the future.

Saturday 18th April 2020

In celebration of our hundredth year, the Director and Staff of the Scott Polar Research Institute invite our alumni to attend a special Alumni Centenary Dinner.

Join us as we look back over the past 100 years, reunite with friends and colleagues, and celebrate the history of the Scott Polar Research Institute.

Little Explorers

CANCELLED - In light of current Government advice regarding the spread of COVID-19, we have cancelled all events. We hope to reschedule in the future.

Tuesday 12 May 2020, 10am - 10.45am & 11am - 11.45am

A different Polar story each session with renowned storyteller Marion Leeper. This month we will explore the story of the Emperor's Egg.

For under 5s only. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

£1.50 per child to be paid on arrival. Under 1s free.

Bookings open on 13 March.

Little Explorers

CANCELLED - In light of current Government advice regarding the spread of COVID-19, we have cancelled all events. We hope to reschedule in the future.

Tuesday 14 July 2020, 10am - 10.45am & 11am - 11.45am

A different Polar story each session with renowned storyteller Marion Leeper. This month we will explore whales and canoes!

For under 5s only. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

£1.50 per child to be paid on arrival. Under 1s free.

Bookings open on 1 May.

Past and Present Science Day

Saturday 21 March 2020, 10.30am- 3.30pm

CANCELLED - Due to advice from the University's Emergency Planning Team to the Cambridge Science Festival, we have been advised to cancel all hands-on events due to the particular nature of these activities.

Celebrating our centenary year, the Scott Polar Research Institute would like to welcome families to a day of science exploration. Get the chance to meet some of our intrepid polar scientists. Experiments and activities throughout the day.

Suitable for the whole family. Drop-in, for all ages.

This event is part of the Cambridge Science Festival.

Little Explorers - Auroras

Tuesday 17 March 2020

Join us for a colourful story of the Northern Lights in this sensory story session for the under-5s with storyteller Marion Leeper. An experiment in each session.

For under 5s only. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

This special science festival session is free of charge.

Exhibition tea and talk: Walking on Thin Ice

Friday 13 March 2020, 3pm – 3.45pm

CANCELLED- Due to advice from the University's Emergency Planning Team to the Cambridge Science Festival, we have been advised to cancel all Science Festival events.

Join us for a unique chance to hear from our museum team about our latest exhibition over a cup of tea! 'Walking on Thin Ice: Co-operation in the face of a changing climate' is a co-curated exhibition about climate change from views of twelve teenagers selected from around the UK to work directly with our polar researchers.

This event is part of the Cambridge Science Festival

Twilight at the Polar Museum

Twilight at the Museums

Wednesday 19th February 2020, 4.30pm - 7.30pm

Join us in the Twilight as we bring alive historic pioneers of Antarctic discovery!

Meet Frank Debenham, the founder of the Scott Polar Research Institute, or Lois Jones, who led the first all-woman science team to Antarctica. Not to mention Captain Robert Falcon Scott himself and even some modern polar explorers!

This is part of our centenary programme of events to celebrate 100 years of the Scott Polar Research Institute.

Drop in for free.

This year you can even get a delicious hot drink or snack from the Rural Coffee Project!

Find out about the other museums taking part in Twilight.

Little Explorers

Tuesday 14 January 2020, 10am - 10.45am & 11am - 11.45am

A different Polar story each session with renowned storyteller Marion Leeper. This month we will explore the Arctic story of Immi.

For under 5s only. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

£1.50 per child to be paid on arrival. Under 1s free.

Teaching a Polar Project?

Wednesday 23 October 2019

11am-1pm

FREE session suitable for teachers of KS1, KS2 or KS3 classes.

Are you looking for activity ideas and inspiration for your polar project? We can help with resources, information, multi-disciplinary ideas, handling collections and activities for your classroom.

This session would also benefit teachers who have booked a self-guided visit to the Polar Museum.

For more information please contact schools@spri.cam.ac.uk

Talk: Arctic Cultures

Tuesday 22 October 2019, 18:00-19:30

How do we imagine and define 'the Arctic'? How many people live there? How have their lives been understood and recorded, and by whom? What have been the consequences for Arctic peoples? Dr Richard Powell, Scott Polar Research Institute, will attempt to answer some of these questions by discussing his latest research into Arctic Cultures.us for a talk by Dr Richard Powell discussing his latest research on Arctic Cultures.

Age: 16+

Arctic family day

Saturday 19 October 2019, 10:30-15:30

Join us for a day exploring the top of the world! Arctic crafts and activities for all ages throughout the day.

All ages, Hands-on, Drop in, Free of charge

Image copyright: Ruth Mugford

Tea and Talk with Inupiaq artist, Willy Topkok

Friday 18 October 2019, 3pm – 3.30pm

Join us for a cup of tea and a talk by Inupiaq artist, Willy Topkok. Hailing from the small villages of Teller and Wales, Alaska, Willy Topkok is an Inupiaq artist from the North American Arctic. His love of the Inupiat way of life is revealed through his many skills, including sewing, traditional beading and storytelling. Join him for an exploration of life in the far north.

Library

Little Explorers: Charlie and the Blanket Toss

Friday 18 October 2019, 10am-11am
& 11.15am-12:15pm

Both sessions now fully booked.

Join us with renowned storyteller Marion Leeper for an interactive Alaskan story, Charlie and the Blanket Toss, which following Charlie and the Whaling Festival, along with a craft activity.

For under 5s only. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Small Library - Big State:
A self-guided tour of the Alaskan collections in the library and archive

Friday 13 September 2019, 10:00-16:00

This self-guided tour highlights items from Alaskan collections held in the library and archive. Items on display include books on wildlife and maps and archival materials on the exploration of Alaska.

Museum Adventures with the 'Hidden Tales' at Heffers!

Friday 9th August, 2pm-3pm

Come to Heffers children's department for some amazing activities to celebrate the exciting new museum adventure book, Hidden Tales!

(Heffers Bookshop can be found on Trinity Street in Cambridge)

Pop in to investigate penguins past and present with the education team from the Polar Museum. There will be photographs to look at, some objects to handle and you can even make your very own origami penguin to take home!

The activities are free to attend but you must book tickets to be sure of a place! (Book for the number of children attending, up to a maximum of 3 per booking)

Little Explorers

Monday 12 August 2019, 10:00-10:45 and 11:00-11:45

A different Polar story each session with renowned storyteller Marion Leeper. The theme this month is an adaptation of Coleridge's The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.

For under 5s only. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Please note places must be booked in advance. (Bookings open on the 15th July 2019)

Hidden Tales with Mark Wells

Sunday 4 August 10:30-15:30

Join us for a fun-filled day to celebrate the launch of Mark Well's exciting new book and explore the Polar Museum with fun activities and crafts suitable for all the family on one of our Sunday openings which we are currently trialing.

Polar Play: Under 5s

Mon 29 July 2019, 10am - 12pm

Explore the Polar Museum with your little ones when it is closed to the public! There will be sensory play, crafts and books to read. This event is for under-5s and their carers only. Unfortunately we cannot accommodate older siblings at this event.

Bridging Binaries: LGBTQ+ tours

Saturday 13 July, 3pm

From same-sex behaviour among penguins to eroticism in the ancient world, explore the spectrum of identities that exist across time, place and culture in the Polar Museum and three other University of Cambridge museums. Join our volunteer guides to discover their personal selection of fascinating stories of non-normative gender and sexual identities through a range of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer-related objects

Fun Lab on Parker's Piece

Part of Big Weekend 2019

Saturday 6 July, 12pm - 5pm

Come and find us on Parker's Piece as part of Fun Lab. We will be in marquee 4.

Discover the effect pollution has on the Polar oceans, and use your scientist skills to find out what this means for the organisms living in them.

For more information about Big Weekend and the saturday line up please see the Big Weekend website.

Little Explorers

Monday 1 July 2019, 10:00-10:45 and 11:00-11:45

A different Polar story each session with renowned storyteller Marion Leeper. The theme this month is Olaf magnus' map and the Northwest Passage.

For under 5s only. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Friends of SPRI free lecture

Exploring Arctic Frontiers in a Changed Climate

Wednesday 29th May 2019 6:00pm (doors open 5:30)

This lecture addresses the question: "What is the purpose of Arctic exploration in the 21stCentury?" It examines the nature of exploration and why people explore, before considering climate change in the Arctic, its consequences, and the role of exploration in addressing climate driven phenomena. The term 'exploration' conjures images of expeditions travelling to uncharted territories in heroic ventures of geographic conquest. The motivation behind exploration has long been a matter of debate, and modern science has subjected the psychology of expedition members to increasingly penetrating scrutiny. However, the Anthropocene Era brings not only a changing, and therefore new Arctic environment to explore; but a series of consequences for which exploration becomes not merely a matter of territorial acquisition or academic interest, but a means of mitigating existential risks to humanity.

This event is free but please confirm attendance to friends@spri.cam.ac.uk.

Little Explorers

Monday 13 May 2019, 10:00-10:45 and 11:00-11:45

A different Polar story each session with renowned storyteller Marion Leeper. The theme this month is Arctic Birds.

For under 5s only. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Please note places must be booked in advance.

Paradise Planet

6 April 2019, 11:00 and 14:00

Suitable for age: 7 – 11

Places must be booked in advance

Running time: approx. 1 hour
Q&A and meet the cast after the performance

Paradise Planet is English Touring Opera's latest opera for children

Paradise Planet is a collection of ocean stories for families and children. This world of musical mayhem follows the adventures of humans who live on the waves, and the animals that live beneath them. This interactive opera celebrates the awesome power of the ocean – but things are not all as they seem and the animals are in danger. As the stories collide it's up to us to save this magical world.

This interactive performance uses song, live musicians and sound-design wizardry to show children that they have the power to change the world.

Written by artists Hanbury & Groves, the opera is performed by a cast of 4 professional singers. The musical ensemble is cello, clarinet and keyboard.

Operation Survival

Selected Saturdays 20 October – 23 March, 10am-12.30pm

Take part in a high-energy game about survival across four University of Cambridge Museums with Fire Hazard Games.

To face a world in crisis, a competition has been set to create the Foundation for the Future, which could help humanity survive the many challenges facing the environment in the coming years. With cryptic clues and roaming characters your team will have to be curious, cooperative and clever to come out on top with just your mobile phones to help you.

Operation Survival is designed for adults (18+). No prior knowledge is required. You'll need to be comfortable moving around at walking pace for a couple of hours and one of you will need a smart phone. The game will run across the Polar Museum, The Museum of Zoology, Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences and Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology.

Plastics in the polar region

Polar Ocean: the dead end of plastic debris

Tuesday, 19 March 2019 at 6 PM – 7:30 PM

An estimated 80% of all the litter in our oceans is plastic, with a significant concentration of plastics debris in both polar oceans. The impact of this debris on the sensitive polar ecosystem could be profound. Join us for this fanscinating and highly relevant talk by Pelagic Marine Ecologist Dr Clara Manno from BAS as she explores the current research and existing situation in the polar regions.

Part of the University of Cambridge Science Festival

Discover Polar Science - Family Day

Saturday 16 March 2019, 10.30am- 3.30pm

Join us for a day of discovery as we explore the amazing science from the coldest and harshest environments on Earth! Object handling, experiments and crafts all day and get the chance to meet intrepid polar scientists from the British Antarctic Survey

Suitable for the whole family. Drop-in, for all ages.

Part of the University of Cambridge Science Festival

Little Explorers

Monday 11 March 2019, 10:00-11:00 and 11:15-12:15

A different Polar story each session with renowned storyteller Marion Leeper. The theme this month is Ice, ice fish and anti freeze.

For under 5s only. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Twilight at the Museums

Wednesday 20 February 2019, 4.30-7.30

This February half-term, take a leap into the unknown and explore 14 local museums and collections after dark… Experience museums and collections in a different way, discover somewhere new, and unearth some remarkable objects.

Twilight at the Museums is a FREE after-hours event for families where museums and collections across the city turn down the lights and open their doors for after-hours fun. With free, drop-in activities and themed trails across the venues, there is plenty for families to enjoy.

Teaching a Polar Project?

FREE session suitable for teachers of KS1, KS2 or KS3 classes.

Wednesday 20 February 2019
11am-1pm

Are you looking for activity ideas and inspiration for your polar project? We can help with resources, information, multi-disciplinary ideas, handling collections and activities for your classroom.

This session would also benefit teachers who have booked a self-guided visit to the Polar Museum.

There will be a 20% discount at the shop for teachers attending the session.

Bridging Binaries: LGBTQ+ tours

Saturdays at 2pm from 19 January - 26 February - Sold Out

Little Explorers

Monday 14 January 2019, 10:00-10:45 and 11:00-11:45

A different Polar story each session with renowned storyteller Marion Leeper. The theme this month is Earth sister sky sister

For under 5s only. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Please note this event is now fully booked

Bridging Binaries: LGBTQ+ tours

Saturdays 8th, 15th Dec, 2:30pm

An afternoon with Nancy Campbell and The Library of Ice

Saturday 8 December 2018 14:00-16:00

Join us for an afternoon with acclaimed poet and writer Nancy Campell to celebrate the publication of her latest book The Library of Ice.

This fantastic drop-in event will include readings, book signing and a chance to meet the author in our newly-refurbished Friends Room. Refreshments will be provided.

Long captivated by the solid yet impermanent nature of ice, by its stark, rugged beauty, acclaimed poet and writer Nancy Campbell sets out from the world's northernmost museum – at Upernavik in Greenland – to explore it in all its facets. From the Bodleian Library archives to the traces left by the great polar expeditions, from remote Arctic settlements to the ice houses of Calcutta, she examines the impact of ice on our lives at a time when it is itself under threat from climate change.

The Library of Ice is a fascinating and beautifully rendered evocation of the interplay of people and their environment on a fragile planet, and of a writer's quest to define the value of her work in a disappearing landscape.

Little Explorers

Monday 3 December 2018, 10:00-10:45 and 11:00-11:45

A different Polar story each session with renowned storyteller Marion Leeper. The theme this month is Earth sister sky sister

For under 5s only. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Michael Palin Talk

Wednesday 28th November 7:00pm, doors open at 6:30pm

This event is now sold out.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Lecture Theatre, Chemistry Department, Cambridge (next door to the Scott Polar Research Institute).

The former Monty Python stalwart and much-loved television globe trotter- brings to life the world and voyages of HMS Erebus as part of the book tour

This is a fundraising event for the Friends of SPRI.

Special late opening!

Wednesday 28 November, 4pm-7pm

Stop by after work to explore the world's coldest, driest and windiest places, and pick up a few unique gifts in our shop. Perfect for the chilly weather.

After hours at the Polar Museum

Saturday 27 October, 4pm – 9pm

Explore objects of extreme survival from the World's coldest, windiest, highest and driest places as you enjoy an after hours visit to the Polar Museum. We'll be getting out a selection of rarely seen objects from our museum store, you can enjoy dressing up in expedition gear and our museum team will be on hand to answer your questions about polar exploration.

You can also drop in on our marathon reading of Frankenstein.

Teaching a Polar Project?

FREE session suitable for teachers of KS1, KS2 or KS3 classes.

Wednesday 24th October 2018
11am-1pm

Are you looking for activity ideas and inspiration for your polar project? We can help with resources, information, multi-disciplinary ideas, handling collections and activities for your classroom.

This session would also benefit teachers who have booked a self-guided visit to the Polar Museum.

For more information or to book a place please contact schools@spri.cam.ac.uk

Living in the Arctic: Family Day

Saturday 20 October, 10.30am – 3.30pm

Join us for a day exploring the Arctic and the animals and people that live there! Crafts and activities for all ages throughout the day as well as a chance to see live reindeer and find out about the people that live and work with them. Special guests from the Whipple Museum, the Museum of Zoology and the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology will be running exciting activities as well.

Drop-in event. Please be aware there may be a queue to see the reindeer. Suitable for all ages. A list of activities on the day is available.

A welfare statement regarding this event is available

How polar maps changed the way we view the World

Thursday 18 October 2018, 6pm – 7.30pm

Since the advent of space exploration, viewing planet Earth from Space has been an inseparable part of the way we imagine and make sense of our place in the universe. Join us for a talk by Dr Michael Bravo and discover how the cosmographers of the renaissance produced new ways of visualising the poles and the world.

Drawing from his soon to be published book, North Pole, Michael Bravo explains for the first time the mystique behind polar maps and the idea that we can look down on the Earth from above.

Film screening: Spitsbergen Retraced

Tue 16 October 2018, 17:15 – 19:00

In 1923, four students from Oxford University made the first crossing of the Spitsbergen ice cap. Bad weather, failing equipment and heavy sleds made the 32-day crossing an unimaginably arduous endeavour. 93 years later, four students returned to the Arctic in their footsteps, to retrace this epic journey.

The film "Spitsbergen Retraced" tells the story of the 2016 unsupported journey across the ice cap as the team experiences arctic storms, climb stunning alpine ridges and discover historical artifacts.

The film will be of interest to those with a fascination with Arctic landscape, glaciology and exploration. It also provides a useful introduction to those considering expeditions within the Circumpolar North.

Little Explorers - A Symphony of Whales

Monday 15 October, 10am & 11.15am sessions

Join us for an interactive story of the Chukchi people that saved a group of stranded Beluga Whales in the Arctic. Story and craft activity with renowned storyteller Marion Leeper.

For under 5s only. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

This special Festival of Ideas session is free of charge.

Meet the Author

Book Signing

FREE drop-in session

Saturday 22 September 2018
11am-1pm

Author Joanna Grochowicz will be joining us to talk about her book 'Into the White'. Aimed at older children it tells the story of Scott's journey to the South Pole.

Joanna will be signing copies of her book in the entrance hall.

Come along and explore a selection of handling objects linked to the story on display in the museum.

If the shoe fits

Open Cambridge 2018:
If the Shoe fits: Conservation Conversations

Friday 14 September, 2pm – 4pm

Drop in to the Polar Museum and see some of our curious collection of boots used in Polar exploration. A chance to meet our conservator, Sophie Rowe and find out about the stories behind the shoes.

Drop–in event. No booking required.

Little Explorers - Summer Special

Mon 20 August 2018, 10am & 11am

Now fully booked

A different Polar story each session with renowned storyteller Marion Leeper.

For under 5s only. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

This Summer Special is free of charge.

Science Detectives @ the University of Cambridge Museums

Sat 18 August 2018, 9.30am - 3pm

Now fully booked

Calling all detectives in training! Join us for a day of science and problem solving at the University of Cambridge Museums. Hone your scientific skills in preparation for a forensic investigation at the Botanic Gardens in the afternoon.

Drop-off at the Museum of Zoology. Pick up at the Botanic Gardens. Sessions will be run by the Whipple Museum of the History of Science, the Polar Museum, the Sedgwick Museum, the Museum of Zoology and the Botanic Gardens.

Age restrictions/suitability: Event suitable for 8-11 year olds that have not yet started secondary school. Unfortunately we are not able to accommodate younger or older siblings outside of this age range.

£10 per child - Booking required.

Polar Play: Under 5s Drop In

Afternoon Session

Mon 30 July, 2pm - 4pm

Now fully booked

Polar Play: Under 5s Drop In

Morning Session

Mon 30 July, 10am - 12pm

Now fully booked

Little Explorers

Mon 16 July 2018, 10am & 11am

Now fully booked

A different Polar story each session with renowned storyteller Marion Leeper. The next theme is whales and canoes!

For under 5s only. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Places cost £1.50 per child payable on arrival.
Children under 1 are free.

The Polar Museum @ The FunLab

The Big Weekend, Parker's Piece

Saturday 14 July, 12pm - 5pm

Find out how the amazing displays of colour at the North and South Poles work and make your own fluorescent 'Aurora' potion with the Polar Museum education team.

There will be activities from the British Science Association, Wellcome Genome Campus, the Sedgwick Museum and many more.

The University of Cambridge Museums will also be running activities in the Make and Create tent to launch the Summer at the Museums programme.

Talk: Sir Ranulph Fiennes

Please note this event takes place at the Royal Geographical Society in London.

Wednesday 11 July 2018
Doors open 18:15

Venue: Royal Geographical Society, Exhibition Road, London

Join us for an exciting evening, featuring a talk by Sir Ranulph Fiennes. During the evening there will be tributes to polar pioneer and scientist Dr Charles Swithinbank, who passed away in 2014.

The event is being held at the Royal Geographical Society, and they will have some of their historic polar collections on display in the Foyle Reading Room to view before the lecture starts.

Doors open at 18.15 for a 19.00 start. There will be a pay bar available before and after the event.

Polar Board Game Bar

Tues 26 June 2018, 5.30pm - 9.30pm

Stay ice-cool: you'll need to be at the Polar Museum's epic night of gaming. Dust off your gaming skills and join us to hang out in the Polar Museum after-hours for a night of Polar Board Games. Play a range of polar, environmental and science themed games from top trumps to strategy and problem solving games including climate change poker, Hey! That's my Fish!, Exit: The Polar Station and Evolution: Climate and many more.

With a paid bar providing drinks and snacks from Cambridge Wine Merchants until 9pm.

Free, booking advised. Adults only. All visitors will receive one free drink upon arrival.

Artwork: Topography I

Book signing

Saturday 16 June

12.00 - 2.00pm

Free to drop in.

Come and meet Isobel Williams & John Dudeney who will be signing copies of their new book, 'William Speirs Bruce: Forgotten Polar Hero', at The Polar Museum, Scott Polar Research Institute on 16th June from 12-2pm.

The event is organised by Amberley Publishing.

Teaching a Polar Project?

FREE session suitable for teachers of KS1, KS2 or KS3 classes.

Friday 1st June 2018
11am-1pm

Are you looking for activity ideas and inspiration for your polar project? We can help with resources, information, multi-disciplinary ideas, handling collections and activities for your classroom.

This session would also benefit teachers who have booked a self-guided visit to the Polar Museum.

For more information or to book a place please contact schools@spri.cam.ac.uk

Little Explorers

Mon 14 May 2018

10am & 11am SOLD OUT

A different Polar story each session with renowned storyteller Marion Leeper. This month's theme is penguins!

For under 5s only. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Places cost £1.50 per child payable on arrival.
Children under 1 are free.

Late opening

Thursday 10 May - museum open until 5.45 pm.

We'll be keeping the museum open a little later than usual on Thursday 10 May.

Visitors to the museum might also be interested in booking a place at an event being held by our neighbour: Inuit Visions of the Polar World will take place at the Heong Gallery at Downing College, starting from 6pm (now sold out). Join SPRI researcher Dr Michael Bravo, and learn about how Inuit understand and navigate land, sea and ice.

The late opening at the Polar Museum is free to attend, just drop in.

Meet the artist: Jane Rushton

Tuesday 24 April

3.30pm - 5.00pm

Enjoy a sneak preview of our exhibition Arctic Dialogue(s), and meet the artist, Jane Rushton. Her art is inspired by the Arctic and informed by science, and she spent time in Greenland and Svalbard as she developed her work.

This event is free - just drop in. Please enter the Institute via the entrance next to the car park after 4pm.

Shackleton's Cat - Children's Opera

Saturday 21 April,

10.30am &

2pm (2pm show now SOLD OUT)

Shackleton's Cat returns in 2018, as part of English Touring Opera's award-winning strand of operas for young people. The opera features nine performers, including singers and players, and tells the story of the voyage and destruction of the Endurance 100 years ago, and the subsequent tale of survival against all odds.

The opera features an ingenious set, with maps and images from the expedition, interactive songs and a puppet cat!

A Polar Sensory Adventure - Family Day

Saturday 24 March, 10.30am- 3.30pm

Join us for a polar sensory adventure at our polar science family day! Object handling, experiments and a chance to see colour in a whole different light.

Try your hand at ice carving and view Stasis, a large-scale sculpture in ice and steel by sculptor Melissa Pierce Murray. Not forgetting our whale song workshops at 10.30am & 12pm with marine ecologist Annette Scheffer (30 min sessions).

Suitable for the whole family. Drop-in activities, no booking required.

A Taste of the Polar Regions

Monday 12 March 2018, 6pm - 8pm

FULLY BOOKED

Ever wondered what there is to eat at the South Pole? Find out how polar explorers survived on rations and try some yourself! An evening of pop-up talks, tastings and activities with the first official tasting of a 100 year old sample of Sandow's Cocoa. With talks from Lesley Steinitz from the faculty of history and the great-grandson of Eugen Sandow.

Little Explorers – Volcanoes!

Monday 12 March, 10am – 11am & 11.15 – 12.15am

FULLY BOOKED

Join us for an explosive story of volcanoes in Antarctica! Touch and feel volcanic rocks and other natural objects in this sensory story session for the under-5s with storyteller Marion Leeper.

For under 5s only. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Book places my emailing museumevents@spri.cam.ac.uk with your child's full name and age. Bookings open from 12 February.

This special science session is free of charge.

Twilight at the Polar Museum: Meet the Explorers

Tuesday 13 February, 4.30pm – 7.30pm

New for this year - meet some of the characters that have made polar history whilst exploring the museum under cover of darkness! Meet Lady Jane Franklin who spent years searching for her husband, lost in the Arctic. Not to mention Captain Robert Falcon Scott himself and even some modern polar explorers!

Free, Drop-in event. We will be operating a one-in, one-out basis this year to allow people to enjoy the full experience during their visit.

museum makers

Climate Hack Showcase

For one day only – see exciting new prototypes across four museums!

2pm - 4pm, 21 January 2018

How would you change a museum? Over three days, teams of makers, scientists, artists and communicators will develop prototypes to showcase our museums' narratives on climate change in our first ever Climate Hack.

On Sunday the 21 January we will reveal these a limited time to the public in four university museums. It could be an audio experience, a game or something totally unexpected! Have a chat with the makers, vote on your favourite and tell us what you would like to see in our museums.

The following museums will be open and showcasing one prototype each: the Polar Museum, the University Museum of Zoology, the Whipple Museum of the History of Science & the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology.

Little Explorers

Monday 8 January

10am – 10.45am & 11am - 11.45pm

A different Polar story each session with renowned storyteller Marion Leeper.

For under 5s only. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Places cost £1.50 per child payable on arrival.
Children under 1 are free.

Climate Hack

19-21 January 2018

What is Climate Hack?

Over three days, four museums in Cambridge, will be handing over control to teams of people to shake up how they share stories about climate change.

From Friday morning to Sunday afternoon, participants will collaborate in multi-disciplinary teams to create a prototype museum installation or experience in one of our collections. The teams will be put together by the Climate Hack organisers to ensure that they each have the right combination of skills to bring a brilliant new idea to life – whether it's a 3D interactive, an audio interpretation, an immersive experience or a hands on challenge, the choice is yours! At the end of the weekend the prototypes will be revealed for the public to play with and enjoy.

Teaching a Polar Project?

FREE session suitable for teachers of KS1, KS2 or KS3 classes.

Wednesday 25th October 2017
11am-1pm

Are you looking for activity ideas and inspiration for your polar project? We can help with resources, information, multi-disciplinary ideas, handling collections and activities for your classroom.

This session would also benefit teachers who have booked a self-guided visit to the Polar Museum.

For more information or to book a place please contact schools@spri.cam.ac.uk

FULLY BOOKED

Sci-Fi at the Poles: Screening of 'The Thing' (1982)

Tuesday 24th October
7pm – 9pm

The truth is out there, and it is buried in the Antarctic ice in 1982. Join us for thrills and chills at the South Pole with a screening of John Carpenter's eighties horror classic 'The Thing' with an introductory talk by Dr John Ash on dread, fears and the Other in the polar environment.

Introductory talk (20 mins) Refreshments available for donations.

Living in the Arctic: Family Day

Saturday 21st October
10.30am – 3.30pm

Drop-in activities. Please be aware there may be a queue to see the reindeer. Suitable for all ages.

Little Explorers - Arctic Special

Monday 16th October
10am – 11am & 11.15 - 12.15pm

Explore the Arctic and the people and animals that live there in our special Festival of Ideas session of Little Explorers for under 5s! Join us for story and crafts with renowned storyteller, Marion Leeper.

Book places by emailing museumevents@spri.cam.ac.uk with your child's full name and age. For under 5s only. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Bookings open on 25 September.

This special Festival of Ideas session is free of charge.

Missing Maps Polar Mapathon

Tuesday 10th October
6pm-8:30pm

Join us for an evening of mapping and pizza with the Missing Maps project. With just a laptop and some enthusiasm you can help us map some of the world's most disaster affected places. The evening shall also include a talk from the Canadian Red Cross on the mapping of indigenous communities in northern Canada and an after dark tour of The Polar Museum.

Missing Maps events support Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), the Red Cross and the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT).

William Speirs Bruce

Lecture by Dr Isobel Williams
Tuesday 19th September, 2017, 6pm-7pm

Join the Friends of SPRI for a fascinating lecture by Dr Isobel P. Williamson on the life and discoveries of William Speirs Bruce. Bruce made discoveries that are recognised today. Under the banner of Scotland, he brought a team of experienced scientists together who contributed significantly to knowledge about the Polar Regions. On the Scotia expedition of 1902 to the Antarctic, he discovered new land bordering the Weddell Sea, made an unrivalled number of meteorological and oceanographic records and built a meteorological station in the South Orkneys that still operates today. His contribution to science, particularly oceanography, was probably greater and more lasting than any of his contemporaries.

Dr Isobel P. Williams qualified in medicine at St George's hospital, London and her interest in Antarctica began as a student – Edward Wilson, Scott's confidant and friend, had qualified in St George's and there were many of his iconic paintings in the medical school. Isobel became interested in Wilson and wrote his biography. She then subsequently wrote the biography of Chief Petty Officer, Edgar Evans. Along with her co-author John Dudeney, ex Deputy Director of BAS, Isobel has now completed the biography of William Speirs Bruce. The work is with the publishers and she is looking forward to speaking about Bruce's life and work.

This event is free to attend

Booking essential by emailing: friends@spri.cam.ac.uk

Little Explorers

11 September:

10am – 10.45am & 11.15 - 12pm

A different Polar story each session with renowned storyteller Marion Leeper.

For under 5s only. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Places cost £1.50 per child payable on arrival.
Children under 1 are free.

Please book by emailing museumevents@spri.cam.ac.uk stating your child's full name and age.

Wild about the Poles: Stories of the birds and animals in the Polar regions

Friday 8 September, 10.15–10.45am

Friday 8 September, 11.15–11.45am

Want to learn about the Polar birds and animals, but can't get to where they live?

From those who live in the Polar Regions to those taken there, in this talk, we will uncover the stories of polar birds and animals through the unique collections of the Institute's Library and Archive.

Free drop in event in the lecture theatre at the Scott Polar Research Institute

Suitable for ages 14+

Image copyright: Liam Quinn

Animals at the Poles: A Polar Library Safari

Friday 8 September, 10.30am-4pm

Want to learn about Polar animals, but can't get to where they live?
From penguins to ponies, in this library trail, you'll discover the fascinating material available on animals in the Polar Regions and have a chance to look around the Library itself. Binoculars optional!

Suitable for ages 14+

Free, drop in event at the Scott Polar Research Institute Library.

Polar Animals: Museum Children's Tour

FULLY BOOKED

Tuesday 29 August, 10am – 11am

Ever felt overwhelmed by all the exciting things in a museum? Don't know where to look first? Join us for a tour of The Polar Museum with our friends from the Museum of Zoology.

Find out all about polar animals that live in extreme environments and the creatures that lived there long ago. This tour is especially for children.

Suitable for ages 7-13 year olds. Unfortunately we cannot accommodate older and younger siblings outside of the stated age range (with the exception of babies under 1).

Free bookable session. All children must be accompanied by an adult.

The Year That Made Antarctica – Bank Holiday Monday Exhibition Tour

Monday 28 August, 2.30pm - 3pm

Learn about the science and the history of the year that built the Antarctic Treaty - from fossil hunters to Sputnik and Polar politics!

Suitable for 16+

Free entry. No booking required.

Polar Play & Storytime

FULLY BOOKED

Tuesday 22 August, 10am – 11am

Stories of the polar regions with a craft making session.

Suitable for 4-8 year olds. Unfortunately we cannot accommodate older and younger siblings outside of the stated age range (with the exception of babies under 1). Free bookable session. All children must be accompanied by an adult.

The Year That Made Antarctica – Saturday Exhibition Tour

Saturday 12 August, 2.30pm - 3.30pm

Learn about the science and the history of the year that built the Antarctic Treaty - from fossil hunters to Sputnik and Polar politics!

Polar Animals: Museum Children's Tour

FULLY BOOKED

Tuesday 1 August, 10am – 11am &

Ever felt overwhelmed by all the exciting things in a museum? Don't know where to look first? Join us for a tour of The Polar Museum with our friends from the Museum of Zoology.

Find out all about polar animals that live in extreme environments and the creatures that lived there long ago. This tour is especially for children.

Suitable for ages 7-13 year olds. Unfortunately we cannot accommodate older and younger siblings outside of the stated age range (with the exception of babies under 1).

Free bookable session. All children must be accompanied by an adult.

Polar Play & Storytime

FULLY BOOKED

Tuesday 25 July, 10am – 11am &

Stories of the polar regions with a craft making session.

Fat fur & Blubber - How to stay warm in the polar regions

Saturday 8 July, 12pm - 5pm

on Parker's Piece in the Fun Lab Marquee

Find out how polar bears survive in the cold, how whales survive the icy oceans and find out if you can survive an icy challenge!

Free drop-in activities for all ages.

Little Explorers

5 July:

10am – 10.45am & 11.15 - 12pm

A different Polar story each session with renowned storyteller Marion Leeper.

For under 5s only. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Places cost £1.50 per child payable on arrival.
Children under 1 are free.

Please book by emailing museumevents@spri.cam.ac.uk stating your child's full name and age.

The Year That Made Antarctica – Exhibition Tours

Tuesday 27 June, 1.15pm - 1.45pm

Over dinner in the spring of 1950 a party of scientists produced an ambitious proposal for a global year of science: the International Geophysical Year was born. With a heavy emphasis on Antarctica, thousands of people from dozens of countries came together to learn about our planet. Among many other achievements, the year laid the foundations for the Antarctic Treaty which has preserved the continent for science and peaceful activity for almost sixty years.

In the pink: why penguin poo is extremely interesting

Thursday 23rd March

NOW FULLY BOOKED

6pm – 7pm

Gareth Rees is part of a team from the Scott Polar Research Institute and the British Antarctic Survey, developing new ways of counting penguins from space. In this talk he will explain how, where and why he and his student became world experts in the colour of penguin poo and what this might tell us about climate change.

Little Explorers

Little Explorers - Wandering Rocks

Wednesday 15 March

10am – 11am & 11.15 – 12.15am

Dive below the polar surface in search of rocks, fossils and other natural objects in this sensory story session for the under-5s with storyteller Marion Leeper.

For under 5s only. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Book places my emailing museumevents@spri.cam.ac.uk with your child's full name and age.

This special Science Festival session is free of charge.

Polar Science - 'Back to Nature' Activity Day

Saturday 18 March

10.30am- 3.30pm

Explore the wonders of Nature at the Poles! Penguins, plants and colour changing skies, all at our Polar science activity day! There will be range of drop in activities for ages 3+.

Now joining us for the day - The Cambridge Science Centre and The British Antarctic Survey Scientists!

Twilight at The Polar Museum

Wednesday 15^th February 2017

4.30pm - 7.30pm

Experience the darkness of a polar winter.

Explore the gallery at the Polar Museum; what will you hear? What will you see? Who will you meet?

Drop-in activity for families. Please be warned that there can be large queues. This year there will also be a cafe open just next to us in the Chemistry Department so you can keep warm with a nice hot drink!

Teaching a Polar Project?

FREE session suitable for teachers of KS1, KS2 or KS3 classes.

Wednesday 15^th February 2017

11am-1pm

Are you looking for activity ideas and inspiration for your polar project? We can help with resources, information, multi-disciplinary ideas, handling collections and activities for your classroom.

This session would also benefit teachers who have booked a self-guided visit to the Polar Museum.

For more information or to book a place please contact schools@spri.cam.ac.uk

Science Centre Pop Up @ The Polar Museum

Tuesday 14 February

10.30am - 3.30pm

Come and get hands-on with Cambridge Science Centre this half term at The Polar Museum! We'll be at the museum with some fun, space themed activities and experiments. Find out how you keep warm, whether in space or on Earth! Can you identify a meteorite? Plus, get crafty and make a rainbow bracelet to take home.

Drop in activities for families throughout the day.

Little Explorers

Wednesday 30th November: 10.00am and 11.15am

A different story each session with renowned storyteller Marion Leeper.

For under 5s only. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Places cost £1.50 per child payable on arrival. One year olds and under are free.

Sessions last approximately 50 minutes.

Please book by emailing museumevents@spri.cam.ac.uk stating your child's full name and age.

Museum Escape: The Polar Domes

Thursday 17 November

Due to a cancellation there is now a slot available at 6.30-7.30pm

Back due to popular demand - Your mission should you choose to accept it, is to escape the museum…The Polar Museum brings you 'Museum Escape', an interactive live escape game designed for groups of 3 to 8 people. Find hints and clues, solve puzzles, and crack codes as you race against time in order to escape from a room before you are 'locked in'. The Polar Museum will be open to the public to browse from 5pm – 8.30pm and a bar will be available.

Each slot is 45 minutes starting at 4.30pm, 5.30pm, 6.30pm 7.30pm & 8.30pm. With only five slots available, book fast for your group. Bookings will only be reserved once payment is made. Each slot costs £30 no matter how many people are in the group.

Bookings begin September 26th. To make a booking enquiry, please email museumevents@spri.cam.ac.uk

Family Activity Day

'Movement' is the theme for the Festival of Ideas 2016. See how extinct giant penguins and tyrannasaurs moved through Antarctica millions of years ago when it's climate was less harsh. And try out how scientists and explorers have moved through the ice in more recent times.

Saturday October 29th, 11.00am - 4.00pm.

No need to book, just drop in and join us.

Museum Escape: The Polar Domes

Tuesday 25 October Slots at 4.30pm, 5.30pm, 6.30pm 7.30pm & 8.30pm

All sessions are currently booked. In the event of cancellations, we will re-open bookings.

Bookings begin September 26th. To make a booking enquiry, please email museumevents@spri.cam.ac.uk

Data Floes

This event is fully booked. It is quite likely that there will be cancellations on the night of the event. We will operate a queue for admission on the night but we cannot guarantee entry.

Hear artists and scientists talk about how they have used climate and environmental data sets to explore issues around the communication of science.

Our event showcases work by artists, composers and scientists who share a desire to enable a different kind of access to knowledge, an access that is direct and unmediated and that acts as a gateway to understanding.

Little Explorers

Wednesday 12th October: 10.00am and 11.15am

A different story each session with renowned storyteller Marion Leeper.

For under 5s only. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Places cost £1.50 per child payable on arrival. One year olds and under are free.

Sessions last approximately 50 minutes.

Please book by emailing museumevents@spri.cam.ac.uk stating your child's full name and age.

Wunderkammer

Comedy at the Polar Museum Fresh from the Edinburgh fringe, hilarious comedy improv group Do Not Adjust Your Stage bring 'Wunderkammer' to the Polar Museum.

Discover intriguing objects from our collection, then watch on as the group create totally improvised comedy, scenes, stories and characters in response.

29 September 7.00pm-9.00pm

SOLD OUT

Operation Deep Freeze

You can enjoy a behind the scenes tour of our next exhibition, Operation Deep Freeze, before its official opening in October.

Join the Polar Museum's Exhibition Officer Bryan Lintott for a tour of the exhibition, and discover the technology that went into establishing the first American Antarctic base in the 1950s through the work of artists on the team.

Tuesday 27 September 6pm. It's fre

Polar tours for families 2016

A guided tour of the highlights of the museum including tales of adventure.

Suitable for ages 4 to 8.

Wednesday 10^th August: 11.00am.

Wednesday 24^th August: 11.00am.

No need to book.

Snowy storytelling activities. Different stories every time!

Suitable for ages 4 to 8.

Wednesday 3^rd August: 11.00am.

Wednesday 17^th August: 11.00am.

Wednesday 31^st August: 11.00am.

No need to book.

Friday Fun, Polar Play

Create frozen worlds through play and construction using the museum's kits and toys. Suitable for ages 4 to 10.

Friday 29^th July: 11.00am 'til 12.30pm.

Friday 5^th August: 11.00am 'til 12.30pm.

Friday 12^th August: 11.00am 'til 12.30pm.

Friday 19^th August: 11.00am 'til 12.30pm.

Friday 26^th August: 11.00am 'til 12.30pm.

No need to book.

Chill out this summer - The Big Weekend and beyond...

Come and get chilled on a summer's day!

Find out how explorers like Ernest Shackleton, a hundred years ago, polar scientists nowadays and creatures like penguins and caribou cope with the cold.

The Big Weekend: Saturday 9^th July on Parker's Piece, 12.00 'til 5.00pm.

Children's and Young People's Participation Service (ChYpPs): Wednesday 27^th July at Lammas Land, 1.00 'til 4.00pm.

ChYpPs: Wednesday 10th August at Trumpington, King George V Playing Field, 12.30 'til 4.30pm.

Little Explorers

Wednesday 18th May - 10.00 – 10.45

SORRY, WE ARE NOW FULLY BOOKED!

A different story each session with renowned storyteller Marion Leeper.

For under 5s only. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Places cost £1.50 per child payable on arrival. One year olds and under are free.

Please book by emailing museumevents@spri.cam.ac.uk stating your child's full name and age.

Lucky 13?

Evening of storytelling for adults

Friday 13 May, 7pm-9.30pm

Event Description Has your life ever been held balanced on a knife edge? Has your fate been taken out of your hands, the difference between glory and ignominy depending on a gust of wind?

Lit by the sparkle of a storyteller's eye, immerse yourself in tales and legends where good luck, and bad, turn worlds upside down. The Polar Museum at S.P.R.I. host the Cambridge Storytellers as they recount adventures from the extreme north and south of the world. Inuit legends will be woven between moments from the epic tale of Ernest Shackleton's failed Trans-Antarctic expedition.

Antarctica is all stitched up!

Handling session for blind and partially sighted adults

Wednesday 27 April 2016 | 15:00 to 15:45
at the Fitzwilliam Museum

Join trained Museum staff from the Polar Museum and explore their interactive textile map of Antarctica.

This free event will take place at the Fitzwilliam Museum

Booking Essential.

tel: 01223 332904

Little Explorers

Wednesday 16th March - Now fully booked

A different story each session with renowned storyteller Marion Leeper.

For under 5s only. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Places cost £1.50 per child payable on arrival. 1 year olds and under are free.

Please book by emailing museumevents@spri.cam.ac.uk stating your child's full name and age, and the time of session you would like to attend.

On the Axis of this World

Tuesday 15th March

6.15-8.00pm

Cambridge City Opera, in association with The Polar Museum, presents On the Axis of this World by Matt Rogers - an operatic meditation on the vast perspectives of Antarctica, inspired by the words of British explorers. Their haunting writings reach out to us through a through a shifting musical landscape born of weather systems and ice flow.

6.15pm – 7pm Introductory talk on Polar Science
7pm -7.15pm Intermission
7.15pm – 8pm 'On the Axis of this World'
Music: Matt Rogers
Words: Verbatim, from the papers of the British Antarctic Expedition of 1911-13
Book Tickets: £8.50 (standard) / £5.75 (concessions)
Concessions include persons over 60 years, persons registered disabled, under 16s and full time students (student ID required on the door before entry).

Image copyright Claire Shovelton

image of tent

Polar Science Family Day

Saturday 12th March

11am - 3.30pm

Brought to you by the British Antarctic Survey and The Polar Museum

Join us at The Polar Museum for a day full of polar science activities and experiments. Learn polar survival skills and find out about the latest discoveries in Antarctic science.

No need to book - this is a FREE drop in event for families.

The Private Life of Museums

Wednesday 9th March

6.00 - 7.30

Grab a mocktail and chat with conservators about what we do behind the scenes at the University of Cambridge Museums. You'll have a chance to see some of our amazing projects up close and get a private view of the Polar Museum too.

Reception for 15-18 year olds. Under 16's must be accompanied by an adult.

Bitesize Polar Science Evening

Monday 7th March: 6:00pm - 8:00pm

Cleanse your palate for an evening of bitesize science at The Polar Museum. Try out experiments yourself and be entertained by our buskers from the British Science Association!

This is a FREE drop in evening for adults

The Big Game Night

Thursday 22 October, 6pm – 7.30pm

The Polar Museum

Back due to popular demand, The Museum of Zoology, The Whipple Museum & The Polar Museum bring you a night of entertainment with our very own game show Q-ice. Watch as our contestants battle out for museum domination with our wise and witty compere, Ed Turner. Points will be given for knowledge, perseverance and of course for pure entertainment value.

Polar Exploration: A Touch Tour for People with Visual Impairment

Monday 26 October, 11am – 12.15pm & 2.30pm – 3.45pm

Join us for the Polar Museum's first touch tour. Handle the objects that made polar exploration history and get close to our rarely seen collections.

This tour is designed specifically for people with visual impairment.

Ages 7+. Accessible for both children and adults with visual impairment.

**The Encyclopaedia Britannica in Antarctica**

Monday 26 October, 6pm – 7.30pm

NOW FULLY BOOKED

The Polar Museum

Heading south in 1914, Ernest Shackleton's ship Endurance was loaded with equipment, clothing and food needed by 28 men to survive and explore in Antarctica. But tucked on board were things essential for men's minds. A gramophone, musical instruments, packs of playing cards, footballs; most important, books. Pride of place, available for all to borrow were the 28 volumes of the latest edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica. A treasure house of information, instructions and the latest thinking. Meredith Hooper and Rosalind Grooms will describe how, as Shackleton's expedition unfolded in ways unplanned and danger-filled, the Encyclopaedia began fulfilling roles beyond the relief of reading. The talk will be followed by an optional guided tour of the Polar Museum at 7pm.

Explorers and Collectors Activity Day

Wednesday 28 October, 10.30am – 3.30pm

Location: The Polar Museum

Exploring the unknown, expeditions to find rare artefacts, collecting specimens of creatures from the distant past… Join the University of Cambridge Museums as we celebrate the explorers and collectors that make our museums. Science experiments, craft activities and much more throughout the day as you get the chance to be an explorer yourself!

With special activities from the Botanic Garden, the Whipple Museum, the Museum of Zoology, the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology.

Free, Drop in activities, so no booking required. Suitable for children of all ages.

The Ozone Hole Discovery - 30 years on

Wednesday 16 September, 6pm - 8pm

The Polar Museum

Join Jon Shanklin, one of the trio from British Antarctic Survey who made the discovery of the ozone hole in 1985 to find out how it led to a global ban on harmful-ozone depleting substances - and hear from Professor John Pyle about his award-winning research into ozone depletion today. Is the hole healing? Are we safe from harmful UV rays? This event celebrates 'The International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer' marking the 30th anniversary of the discovery of the ozone hole.

The talk is scheduled from 6pm -7.30pm with the opportunity for a short tour of The Polar Museum afterwards. Refreshments will be available to purchase before and after the talk.

This is part of the Green Museums project across the University of Cambridge Museums

The Polar Museum Children's Tour

Monday 17 August &

Monday 24 August - THIS TOUR NOW FULLY BOOKED

11am – 11.45am

Suitable for ages 7-13 year olds

Ever felt overwhelmed by all the exciting things in a museum and didn't know where to look first? Join us for a tour of The Polar Museum where we will tell you all about the Polar Regions, and everything from explorers to shamanism. This tour is especially for children.

Free bookable session. All children must be accompanied by an adult.

Bookings via email: museumevents@spri.cam.ac.uk

Drawing out Science Activity Day

Wednesday 5 August 2015, 11am – 4pm at the Polar Museum

Suitable for families and children of all ages.

Get inspired by science and make something creative! Polar Science not only helps us discover our changing world, but can inspire the artist in all of us. Join us for our activity day where art and science meet! Science experiments with ice! Drawing activities with artist Emma Stibbon and scientist Professor Katharine Cashman, with many more activities available throughout the day.

Free drop in activities available all day plus bookable drawing workshops with artist Emma Stibbon at 1pm, 2pm, 3pm.

Get Creative with Science: Storytelling and Activity Session

Thursday 6 August 2015, 10am -11.30am at the Polar Museum

Suitable for 4-8 year olds

NOW FULLY BOOKED

Ever thought about the stories behind science? Or the adventures had by explorers and scientists? Join us for science storytime followed by drawing activities with artist, Emma Stibbons.

Free bookable session (All children must be accompanied by an adult)

Bookings via email: museumevents@spri.cam.ac.uk

Places are limited so please book early to avoid disappointment.

Little Explorers

Wednesday 24 June

10am – 10.45am

NEW FORMAT, NEW LOWER PRICE!

Join us on an adventure to explore the Poles through story and play. A different story and playtime activity each month.

Places cost £1.50 per child payable on arrival. 1 year olds and under are free.

For under 5s only. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Please come ready to start at 10am.

Please book by emailing museumevents@spri.cam.ac.uk stating your child's full name and age.

Shackleton's Cat

A new interactive opera for children aged 7-11 and their families

29th May 2015, 2pm and 30th May 2015, 11.30am & 2pm

ALL SHOWS SOLD OUT

English Touring Opera are delighted to be performing their engaging new children's opera at the Polar Museum this May half term. Featuring nine performers including singers and players, Shackleton's Cat tells the story of the voyage and destruction of the Endurance 100 years ago, and the subsequent tale of survival against all odds. The opera features an ingenious set, with maps and images from the expedition, interactive songs and a puppet cat.

Shackleton's Cat is created by ETO's award-winning team: composer Russell Hepplewhite, writer and director Tim Yealland and designer Jude Munden, with thanks to the Scott Polar Research Institute for historic information and resources.

Tickets: £5 adults, £4 children. Running time: 1 hour

Hidden Histories: Green Museums

A Panel Discussion

Thursday 14 May 2015, 6pm - 7.30pm

Location: The Polar Museum

What do we mean by 'green'? The environment is a vast series of subjects. The museums of Cambridge hide a history of how we have understood the environment and the problems it now faces, deep in their archives and in the objects in plain sight.

As part of Museums at Night, join us for a discussion to find out the secret environmental stories hidden in our museums.

Little Explorers

Wednesday 20 May

10am – 10.45am

NEW FORMAT, NEW LOWER PRICE!

Join us on an adventure to explore the Poles through story and play. A different story and playtime activity each month.

Places cost £1.50 per child payable on arrival. 1 year olds and under are free.

For under 5s only. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Please come ready to start at 10am.

Please book by emailing museumevents@spri.cam.ac.uk stating your child's full name and age.

Polar Inspiration - An Evening of Short Plays

Monday 13 April 2015, 7.30pm - 9.30pm

Four fully staged short plays written by local writers, inspired by a tour of the Polar Museum. From icebergs to volunteer museum helpers, spirits of the Poles and statues of the brave explorers, characters freezing to death, falling in and out of love, hating and protecting each other. By the end of the evening you will be questioning the ethical, political and personal aspects of the polar expeditions but also find new meanings in a stuffed polar bear or a winter parka.

7:30pm - 8.40pm The Plays

Ice by Jean Reese-Lyons

The Lost Boy by Dave Pescod

This is Water by Rachel Mariner

Cast Out by Trish Rawson

Followed by an optional guided tour of the museum which will last app. 30 minutes. Afterwards you are welcome to stay for a drink and an informal chat with the writers, the cast and the production team.

A Victorian Polar Explorer Remembered: Vice-Admiral Sir George Nares

Tuesday 28 April 2015, 6pm - 7pm

The commander of the first steam vessel to cross the Antarctic Circle in 1874, Vice-Admiral Sir George Nares played a pivotal role in Victorian Arctic exploration. The commander of the "Challenger" expedition to the Antarctic in 1874 and the British Arctic Expedition in 1875, when he took charge of the "Discovery" and "Alert" in search of the North Pole. On the centenary of his death, descendent Jerrard Nares will discuss this extraordinary Victorian polar pioneer.

Little Explorers

25 March 2015, 10am – 11am

Join us on an adventure to explore the Poles through story and play. A different story and playtime activity each month.

Please book by emailing museumevents@spri.cam.ac.uk stating your child's full name and age. Places cost £3 per child payable on arrival. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Please come ready to start at 10am.

Under 5s only.

Museum Escape: The Polar Domes

Tuesday 17 March, Slots at 4.30pm, 5.30pm, 6.30pm 7.30pm & 8.30pm

NOW FULLY BOOKED

Back due to popular demand - Your mission should you choose to accept it, is to escape the museum…The Polar Museum brings you 'Museum Escape', an interactive live escape game designed for groups of 3 to 8 people. Find hints and clues, solve puzzles, and crack codes as you race against time in order to escape from a room you are 'locked in'. The Polar Museum will be open to the public to browse from 5pm – 8.30pm and a bar will be available.

To make a booking enquiry, please email museumevents@spri.cam.ac.uk

Booking required on The Polar Museum website, 18+

Tales from the Poles: Women in Antarctica

A Panel Discussion

Tuesday 10 March, 6pm – 7.30pm

In the great white wildness, Antarctica is a place of legend. Hear stories from the field from expert scientists from the British Antarctic Survey with a female perspective.

This is now fully booked, but please come to our drop in late night opening to talk to female scientists from 7.30pm

Late Night Opening

Tuesday 10 March, 7.30pm – 9.30pm

The panel discussion will be followed by a late night opening of the Polar Museum where you can meet and talk to female polar scientists from the Scott Polar Research Institute and the British Antarctic Survey whilst browsing the museum with a glass of wine in tow!

No booking required for late night opening. You can attend this without attending the Panel Discussion.

Look in to the Polar Light: Family Day

Saturday 14 March, 10.30am – 3.30pm

Brought to you by the British Antarctic Survey and the Polar Museum:

How do the Northern lights work? Why do birds migrate with the light? And how do plants in the ocean store up a greenhouse gas? Find out at our family drop in day.

Including the Pop-up Zoology Museum!

All ages, drop in activities, so no booking required.

Little Explorers

25 February 2015, 10am – 11am

Join us on an adventure to explore the Poles through story and play. A different story and playtime activity each month.

Under 5s only.

Come in and try our new Polar Poetry Pack

Fun for all ages and the whole family!

From Tuesday 17 February 2015

From half term children, families and budding poets will be able to enjoy a new resource at the Polar Museum. The Poetry Pack is specially designed to help you write poems in response to the unusual objects you will find around the museum. You will be equipped with a back pack, snow goggles, and all the equipment you will need to create your own Polar Poetry expedition. Do send us your finished poems or leave them in the poetry box in the museum and we will upload them to our Polar Muse website for all to enjoy.

Twilight: Deep Sea Darkness

Wednesday 18 February, 4.30pm - 8.30pm

Location: The Polar Museum

Join the Zoology and Polar Museums for a deep-sea dive into underwater darkness.

Find out about creatures from the ocean's depths with games, specimens, and then take a torch-lit walk around the galleries with the sounds of the ocean.

Drop-in. Bring a torch!

Once you have queued, you will be led into the Polar Museum lecture theatre for your first activity for 15 minutes, where seating is provided. Afterwards you can explore the main museum.

No booking required. Drop in only.

In time for tomorrow: Why is climate change so easy to ignore?

A talk and reception with Rosemary Randall and Andy Brown

Monday 9 February, 6pm - 7.30pm

Rosemary Randall, (psychotherapist researching and writing on climate change) and Andy Brown (energy consultant), will discuss the factors that stop people engaging with difficult subjects like climate change. Exploring why engagement needs to be psychological and social as well as practical, they set about creating a project that would help people past their avoidance of this difficult topic.

The Carbon Conversations project is now used by a growing number of organisations across the UK, with the second edition of the handbook, In Time for Tomorrow? just released.

Drinks available from 6pm with the talk beginning at 6.30pm.

Little Explorers

21 January 2015, 10am – 11am

Join us on an adventure to explore the Poles through story and play. A different story and playtime activity each month.

Under 5s only.

Curating Cambridge: our city, our stories, our stuff

Monday 20 October – Sunday 23 November 2014

Five weeks of exhibitions, events, workshops, performances, talks, trails and hand-on fun bringing together culture and creativity across the city

The Thing Is…' Lunchtime Talk Series

1.15pm - 1.45pm on Tuesday 21 October, Tuesday 28 October, Tuesday 4 November

Location: The Polar Museum

Exhibiting a loaned object from each of the other University of Cambridge Museums & Botanic Gardens with a paired item from The Polar Museum's collections, the temporary exhibition 'The Thing Is…' will raise questions about the nature of curating, collecting, and the stories objects can tell us.

Join us for one of our lunch time talks relating to individual themes from the exhibition. For more information of the speaker for each of the talks, please see The Polar Museum website.

Free, Drop-in, Adults

Tuesday 21 October: Combining collections, the making of 'The Thing Is ...'- Curator Bridget Cusack & Film maker Rosie Amos

Tuesday 28 October: Exploration and Odysseus - Dr Kate Beats from the Museum of Classical Archaeology

Tuesday 4 November: Sawdust and Threads: Taking apart a Museum - Artist Caroline Wright will discuss her work with de-accessioned museum objects.

Fitz Family Day: Curious Collections

Wednesday 29 October, 12.00 – 16.00,

Location: The Fitzwilliam Museum

As part of Curating Cambridge the Fitzwilliam Museums Family programme will be taken over by Cambridge Museums including the Polar Museum. Join them in creating and organising your own collection by joining in various activities spread throughout the Museum. What curious stories and connections will you discover between objects and creatures from across time and the world?

Free, Drop-in, All Ages

'Treaty Yourself ': Drop in activities with theatre maker Rachel Mars

Thursday 30 October, 11am – 2pm

Location: The Polar Museum, Lecture Theatre

The Ceremonial South Pole has gone missing. You are invited to be part of an urgent International Antarctic Treaty meeting. Take your seat around the table, open your tool box and work together with other countries to complete special tasks to help find it!

Activity last about 20 minutes, running from 11am - 2pm.

Free, Drop-in, Ages 7+

In Conversation with a Museum: The Polar Muse

Tuesday 4 November, 6pm

Location: The Polar Museum

Hear from the eight poets who have taken over The Polar Museum as part of the Polar Muse project.
Readings and conversation with Lucy Hamilton, Sarah Howe, Rod Mengham, Drew Milne, Redell Olsen, Andrea Porter, Lucy Sheerman and Rebecca Watts.

Whale of a Time Family Drop in Day

Saturday 15 November, 10.30am – 3.30pm,

Location: The Polar Museum

Have a whale of a time at our family drop in day. Join us in our Polar Ocean, hear whale song, stories from the depths and go fishing for information with our whale expert. Don't forget to bring the whole pod for a virtual splash around.

Including 'Ocean Song: Sounds of the Sea workshop' with the Museum of Zoology team at 2pmin the Polar Museum Lecture Theatre.

This is a drop in day for the whole family, but the Ocean Song Workshop is bookable for ages 7 – 13 years old. See the Polar Museum website for booking information.

Free, Drop-in, All Ages

Museum Escape – The Polar Domes

Tuesday 11 November, Slots at 4.30pm, 5.30pm, 6.30pm 7.30pm & 8.30pm:

Fully Booked

Location: The Polar Museum

Your mission should you choose to accept it, is to escape the museum…The Polar Museum and the Sedgwick Museum bring you 'Museum Escape', an interactive live escape game designed for groups of 3 to 8 people. Find hints and clues, solve puzzles, and crack codes as you race against time in order to escape from a room you are 'locked in'. The Polar Museum will be open to the public to browse from 4.30pm – 8.30pm and a bar will be available.

Each slot is 45 minutes starting at 4.30pm, 5.30pm, 6.30pm 7.30pm & 8.30pm. With only five slots available, book fast for your group. Bookings will only be reserved once payment is made. Each slot costs £30 no matter how many people are in the group. We also have 'Museum Escape: The Crystal Room' at the Sedgwick Museum on 18 November.

To make a booking enquiry, please email museumevents@spri.cam.ac.uk

Booking required on The Polar Museum website, 18+

Museum Escape – The Crystal Room

Tuesday 18 November, Slots at 5pm, 6pm, 7pm & 8pm:

Fully Booked

Location: The Sedgwick Museum

Your mission should you choose to accept it, is to escape the museum…The Polar Museum and the Sedgwick Museum bring you 'Museum Escape', an interactive live escape game designed for groups of 3 to 8 people. Find hints and clues, solve puzzles, and crack codes as you race against time in order to escape from a room you are 'locked in'. The Sedgwick Museum will be open to the public to browse from 5pm – 8pm and a bar will be available.

Each slot is 45 minutes starting at 5pm, 6pm, 7pm & 8pm. With only four slots available, book fast for your group. Bookings will only be reserved once payment is made. Each slot costs £30 no matter how many people are in the group.

We also have 'Museum Escape: The Polar Domes' at The Polar Museum on 11 November.

To make a booking enquiry, please email museumevents@spri.cam.ac.uk

Booking required on The Polar Museum website, 18+

A Big Game Night

Friday 21 November, 6pm – 7.30pm,

Location: The Polar Museum

The Museum of Zoology and The Polar Museum bring you a night of entertainment with our very own game shows, Just a Minnow & Q-Ice. Watch as our contestants battle out for museum domination! Points will be given for knowledge, perseverance and of course for pure entertainment value.

Christmas at the Poles: From Paranoia to Plum Pudding

Monday 8 December, 6pm – 7.30pm

Location: The Polar Museum

Xmas eve on Gjoa, 1903, taken from Roald Amundsen's book The North West Passage, vol.1

On historic polar expeditions the Christmas festival was universally anticipated as a time of relaxation, entertainment, and emotional connection with loved ones back home. On ships and in huts in Antarctica and the Arctic, crew and officers recognised the importance of a mid-winter festival in the maintenance of general health and morale. Just as at home, hair would be cut, beards shaved, and bodies, decks, and camps scrubbed and decorated in preparation for a ritualised time of feasting. In this talk Shane McCorristine looks back at accounts of Christmas celebrations, showing how the diaries of explorers are full of salacious details about the food and drink served on Christmas Day.

Free, Booking required, 16+

http://christmasatthepoles.eventbrite.co.uk

Summer at the Museums

Putting your stamp on The Polar Museum: A children's tour

Tuesday 29th July, 10am -11am & Tuesday 19th August, 10am - 11am

BOTH NOW FULLY BOOKED

Suitable for ages 7 - 13

The tour will end with a craft making session where you can make your own Polar stamp inspired by our Polar Post displays.

These are free events. All children must be accompanied by an adult. To book for either one, email museumevents@spri.cam.ac.uk

Going Postal: Storytelling and Activity Session

Wednesday 13th August, 10am -11am & Wednesday 27th August, 10am - 11am

BOTH NOW FULLY BOOKED

Suitable for ages 4 - 8

Stories of the Polar Regions and the different ways we communicate with the rest of the world, ending with a craft making session where you can make your own Polar stamp inspired by our Polar Post displays.

These are free events. All children must be accompanied by an adult. To book for either one, email museumevents@spri.cam.ac.uk

Other events

On the Axis of this World

Thursday, 7 August - Friday, 8 August 2014 / Kings Place, London: St Pancras Room

On-the-Axis-of-this-World (Cambridge-City-Opera) Cambridge City Opera, in association with the Scott Polar Research Institute, present

On the Axis of this World - an operatic meditation on the vast perspectives of Antarctica, inspired by the words of British explorers. Their haunting writings reach out to us through a through a shifting musical landscape born of weather systems and ice flow.

Music: Matt Rogers
Words: Verbatim, from the papers of the British Antarctic Expedition of 1911-13

Duration: 45 mins

Reinventing the Wheel: Family Activity Days

Saturday 5 & Sunday 6 July, 10.30am - 3.30pm
The Polar Museum

Join us at The Polar Museum and discover how and why bicycle wheels were used on ice in this temporary exhibition to celebrate the Tour de France.

During the weekend of Tour de France in Cambridge, the museum is opening especially on the Saturday and Sunday. Drop in activities will be running throughout on both days.

Delivery by Design: Stamps in Antarctica

A Lunchtime Talk

Wednesday 16 July 2014, 1.30pm - 2pm
The Polar Museum

How do you put your stamp on something? Commemorating decades of polar exploration and the extraordinary flora and fauna in the British Antarctic Territories of the Polar Regions, artists have captured these themes in the designs of Polar stamps. Bridget Cusack, the curator of our new exhibition 'Delivery by Design: Stamps in Antarctica' will talk through the exhibition on display.

Free, no booking required. Meet in the entrance to the museum under the domes.

Museums at Night: Science Tasting Evening

Friday 16 May, 6pm - 8pm
The Polar Museum, 18+ Only

Cleanse your palette for an evening of science tasting at the polar museum. A night where you can find out about current polar science in stand up style, try out science experiments yourself and be entertained by our science buskers!

Exploring the Unknown: A sensory trail between St John's College Library & The Polar Museum

Throughout the Festival (11 – 23 March) during museum and library opening hours.
Please check opening hours for both on their websites.

Age: 5+

Approximately 45 mins

Young explorers needed to undertake mission of discovery! Historic explorers didn't have maps to help them find their way. They had to look out for landmark objects and use all their senses to map their surroundings. Forge your own trail through Cambridge discovering as you go. Collect your trail from either St John's College Library or the Polar Museum.

Throughout the Science Festival (11 - 23 March) during museum and library opening hours. Please check opening hours for both on their websites.

Conservation Conversations

Saturday 15 March, 2pm - 4pm
The Fitzwilliam Museum

On Saturday 15th March there is a chance to have a really close encounter with some of our historic boots and quiz the experts about them. Come to the Courtyard in the Fitzwilliam Museum between 2pm and 4pm where we are holding a drop-in session, looking in detail at all kinds of Polar boots, including one belonging to Captain Scott. Meet the people who investigate how they were made and why some of them change over time, and discuss the decisions we take about conservation. Objects from other University museums will also be on show, including ancient and fake bronze sculptures and a Ronald Searle drawing.

The Story of Science: Family Activity Day

Saturday 15 March 2014, 10.30am - 3.30pm

Once upon a time there was a scientist – well, really an explorer - and actually there were lots of them. They wanted to find out about the North and South Poles, how to get there, what ice was made of and what was at the bottom of the ocean. Join us for a day of science storytelling. Discover the stories throughout the Polar Museum and tell your own. With special guest storyteller, Marion Leeper.

For families. Drop in, no booking required.

When Scientists Fly: The Arctic Science Experience

Wednesday 19 March 2014, 4pm - 5pm
The Polar Museum

Hands on activity event for ages 12 – 18

Have you ever wondered what a scientist does? What a researcher gets up to? For one day only, join our mission to map the Arctic atmosphere. Climb aboard and take control of our replica aircraft. Meet the experts, become a scientist and analyse data in the Arctic skies. Brought to you by the 'Methane in the Arctic: Measurements and Modelling (MAMM) project and the Polar Museum.

Out of This World: The Arctic Science Experience

Wednesday 19 March 2014, 6pm - 7.30pm

Hands on activity event for ages 18+

With a glass of wine in hand, join our mission to map the Arctic atmosphere. Get the chance to take on the role of a polar scientist and analyse data on board our replica aircraft. Learn from the experts; members of the 'Methane in the Arctic: Measurements and Modelling (MAMM) project' will be with us to explain their roles and take us on our campaign through the Arctic skies. Brought to you by MAMM and the Polar Museum.

Sea Monsters to Sonar: Charting the Polar Oceans

A talk by Dr John Ash

Monday 14 April, 6pm - 7pm
The Polar Museum

Dr John Ash, an ex-submariner with experience in the Arctic and curator of this temporary exhibition, will trace the development and use of maps in the harsh Polar Oceans, looking at how maps are used as tools for survival and the journeys made for scientific discovery at the poles.

Explore the World: Mapping Day with St John's College Library & The Polar Museum

Tuesday 15 April, 10.30am - 2.30pm

Ages 7 - 11, £10 per child

Join us for Easter Holiday fun with a day of exploration and mapping at two Cambridge venues. Drop off at at St John's College Library and moving on to The Polar Museum.

To book a place email museumevents@spri.cam.ac.uk

Phantom Islands

Thursday 13 March, 7.30pm - 10pm
The Polar Museum

Have you ever seen something that wasn't really there? Discover the explorers that imagined whole islands. An introductory talk on the science and history of phantom islands followed by a screening of the 1970s film 'The Island on the Top of the World' (90 min duration).

Age 16+

Stories by Candlelight

Friday 7 February 2014, 7pm - 9pm

NOW FULLY BOOKED

18+ only

See a different side to the Polar Museum. Start with a mystery tour of the collection, and then settle down to an evening of stories under the dome: listen to Arctic myths and legends and tales of Polar adventure that will bring the collections to life.

Tickets £3.50. Reserve your ticket by emailing museumevents@spri.cam.ac.uk .Payments to be made on the door.

Twilight: Icily Done

Wednesday 19 February, 4.30pm - 8.30pm
The Polar Museum

Is there a chill in the air? The shimmer of reflected light? The sounds of ice cracking beneath your feet? Join us to discover the sights and sounds of ice at the Polar Museum. Don't forget to bring a torch.

Drop in evening for families.

Forced Labour - A talk by Professor Anatoli Shirokov

Saturday 25 January 2014, 7.30pm - 8.30pm
The Polar Museum

Professor Anatoli Shirokov is Rector of North Eastern State University in Magadan, Russia. A GUlag Scholar as well as the First Vice-Head of the Magadan Regional Duma, Professor Shirokov will illuminate us on the history of the forced labour during the Stalinist period using the example of Dal'stroi, the largest industrial- forced labour complex in the USSR.

The Last Ocean - Film Screening with Introduction

Tuesday 14 January 2014 6pm – 8pm
The Polar Museum

The Ross Sea Antarctica is the most pristine stretch of ocean on Earth. Scientists describe it as our last 'living laboratory', a place that can teach us about the workings of all marine ecosystems.

'The Last Ocean' tells the story of the race to protect Earth's last untouched ocean from our insatiable appetite for fish, and raises the simple ethical question: do we fish the last ocean or do we protect it?

Life in the Russian North: A Reception

Tuesday 21 January 2014, 6pm - 7.30pm
The Polar Museum

Join us for a reception to celebrate the new exhibition, 'Magadan: Life in the Russian North'. An introduction to the exhibition will be held 6.30pm – 7pm.

Antarctica Day

Saturday 30 November 2013, 10.30am – 3.30pm
The Polar Museum

Help us celebrate Antarctica Day with a variety of hands-on drop-in activities available at The Polar Museum throughout the day.

Family activity day. No booking required.

The Poetry of Antarctica

Wednesday 6 November 6pm – 7pm
The Polar Museum

Join us for poetry readings and discussion with Antarctic poet & naturalist, Charles Hood. Hood's poetry and writings celebrates and explores life at the extreme edge of our planet. Blending travel narrative, historical research, and surprises of magical realism, Hood presents life in Antarctica and the history of polar aviation as both a miracle of achievement yet also as a way to understand humanity need to push themselves to their limits.

At present Professor Hood is a Research Fellow at the Art and Environment Institute of the Nevada Art Museum, and also is a Professor of English at Antelope Valley College in the Mojave Desert.

Where am I? Compasses, maps and other useful things

Saturday 26 October, 10.30am – 3.30pm, The Polar Museum

Do you know where the Arctic is? Find out about sundials and compasses! Drawing, making and hands-on activities throughout the day; brought to you by The Polar Museum and the Whipple Museum as part of the Festival of Ideas.

No booking required.

Landscapes of Exploration: Artist in Conversation

Tuesday 29 October, 6pm – 7pm
The Polar Museum

Exhibiting artist Chris Drury will speak of his experiences, his collaborations with scientists and the artwork he produced whilst artist in residence in Antarctica. Well known for creating site-specific environmental art, Drury uses the landscape itself. Exploring a wide variety of themes, Drury produces art that is resonant with his experiences of places visited and journeys made.

Drury's piece Albatross is exhibited at The Polar Museum as part of the Landscapes of Exploration exhibition (3 October – 16 November).

Mapping the Past: A Panel Discussion

Friday 1 November, 6pm - 7pm
The Polar Museum

Join us for a panel discussion on the history and art of maps and globes; brought to you by The Polar Museum and the Whipple Museum as part of the Festival of Ideas.

Landscapes of Exploration Exhibition Tour

Thursday 3 October, 10.30am – 11.30am
The Polar Museum

Liz Wells, Professor in Photographic Culture at Plymouth University and curator of Landscapes of Exploration gives an informative tour of the exhibition at The Polar Museum with the option to continue on to the second venue for the exhibition at the Ruskin Gallery at Anglia Ruskin University.

"How and Why New York's Elite's Made Robert Peary a National Icon": A talk by Lyle Dick

Wednesday 9 October, 6pm – 7pm
The Polar Museum

In his talk, Canadian historian, Lyle Dick will be discussing how the explorer Robert Peary, in the absence of evidence, managed to emerge as the victor in the Race to the North Pole in 1909-1910.

Lyle Dick is the author of many publications in Canadian, American and Arctic history, including the books Muskox Land (winner, Harold Adams Innis Prize, 2003) and Farmers "Making Good" (co-winner, Clio Prize, 1990). Between 2011-2013 he served as President of the Canadian Historical Association.

Summer at the Museum

Science Old & New Workshop

Tuesday 20 August 2013 2pm - 3pm

Explore changing technology as used in polar science through the ages.

Suitable for 7 - 13 year olds

This is a free event. To book your place email the education team at museumevents@spri.cam.ac.uk

Snow Queen Activity Day

Tuesday 27 August 2013 10.30am - 3.30pm

Arctic creativity... Join in with poetry inspired by the legend of the Snow Queen or have a go at some icy arts and crafts!

Suitable for families and children of all ages.

Free drop in activities available all day. Watch this space for additional bookable workshops.

Hidden Treasures

Friday 23 August 2013

Enjoy three different drop-in sessions on Friday 23 August as part of Hidden Treasures, a national initiative run by the Collections Trust and The Independent. There will be an introductory talk at the beginning of each session, with the opportunity to drop-in and ask questions during the rest of the session.

Curious about conservation?

Friday 23 August 2013 11am - 12pm

Find out how we protect, preserve and repair some of the objects in our collections. A rare opportunity to look at some Inuit clothing close up and out of the glass case.

Handling Inuit Artwork

Friday 23 August 2013 1pm - 2pm

A hands-on discovery session with a selection of carvings from the museum's Inuit Art collection, including smooth soapstone sculptures.

Discover Polar Science

Friday 23 August 2013 3pm - 4pm

Findings made in the Polar regions influence our everyday understanding of the world; discover the wonders of Polar science in this interactive workshop.

Arctic Storytelling and Activity Session

Tuesday 6 August 2013 2pm - 3pm

Have a whale of a time whilst learning all about Beluga whales in the oceans of the Arctic.

Suitable for 4 - 8 year olds (all children must be accompanied by an adult)

This is a free event. To book your place email the education team at museumevents@spri.cam.ac.uk

A Talk by Paul Coldwell

Wednesday 5 June 2013 6pm - 7.15pm

paul coldwell

Re-Imagining Scott: Objects and Journeys is a new exhibition of work by artist Paul Coldwell, exploring Scott's final expedition and how it might be possible to re-imagine aspects of the tragic final journey through the objects left behind. Professor Coldwell will be discussing his work and the year he spent researching in the archives of the Scott Polar Research Institute.

Paul Coldwell is a Professor of Fine Art at the University of the Arts London, based at Chelsea College of Art & Design.

Museums at Night: A Father for My Son

6pm – 8.30pm Thursday 16th May 2013

Ever wanted to explore a museum after dark?

Join us at the Polar Museum, for one night only to explore the galleries with a glass of wine in tow!
And for your evening's entertainment, travel back in time with Kathleen Scott, wife of the legendary polar
explorer Captain Robert Falcon Scott for a female perspective on love and life at the turn of the 20th century in a play written and performed by Jenny Coverack.

The play will commence at 6.30pm lasting 90 minutes with an interval.
Booking recommended - £9.50/ £7.50 concessions and Friends of SPRI.

Cool Club

Tuesday 28th May 10am- midday

Surviving Antarctica

How do marine creatures survive in the icy seas of the Antarctic?
Discover more with Dr Simon Morley from the British Antarctic Survey.

Suitable for ages 7 - 12

Cost: £6 per child, booking is essential as places are limited

Venue: Scott Polar Research Institute

Please contact schools@spri.cam.ac.uk to book a place for your child

'Thin Ice: The Inside Story of Climate Science' A Film Screening for Earth Day

Monday 22 April 2013 6pm - 7.30pm

This event is now fully booked.

To celebrate Earth Day this year, the Polar Museum will be hosting a free screening of the new film 'Thin Ice: The Inside Story of Climate Science'.This event coincides with the global launch of this film with screenings around the world.

Thin Ice is a joint initiative between Oxford University, United Kingdom, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand (VUW), and London-based DOX Productions. Both Universities have active programmes with world-wide networks of collaborators in climate change and related research.

The aim of the film from the outset was to give people from all walks of the life the chance to see the astonishing range of human activity as well as scientific endeavour that is required to help us understand our changing climate.

This is a free event.

'Frozen Worlds': Family Activity Drop in Day

Saturday 13 April 10.30am - 3.30pm

Experience the extreme environments of the Polar Regions and vastness of Space at our activity day! There will be range of drop in activities including dressing up like an astronaut, doing our meteorite trail and art and drawing activities. You can also meet a British Antarctic Survey Scientist to find out what it is like to survive in extreme conditions!

This is a free event. No booking required.

'A Portal to Space' : Frozen Worlds, A Panel Discussion

Tuesday 12 March 6pm - 7.30pm

The Polar Regions offer unique opportunities to study Space, as a planetary analogue as well as for exploring human endurance in difficult and isolated conditions. The Polar Museum presents a panel discussion by leading experts on research currently being conducted in Antarctica.

Expedition to Mars

Saturday 16 March 7:30pm - 10.15pm

Prepare yourself for Space exploration at the Poles! During one evening you will 'train' for your space expedition at the Poles and go on to conquer space! Film screening of the 1950s classic space adventure 'Conquest of Space', hands on activities and an introductory talk.

Arctic Film Festival: Voices from the North

17 - 24 March 2013 at The Cambridge Arts Picturehouse

A series of film screenings and discussions co-presented by the Canadian High Commission and National Film Board of Canada in partnership with Arts Picturehouse and the Polar Museum.

The Arctic makes up over 40% of Canada's landmass and is home to some 100,000 Canadians, many of whom are Inuit and Métis. This series of films by and about the Inuit presents a unique account of life in the north and the challenges faced there today.

Also in the film festival:

Arctic Film Festival: Launch & Drinks Reception

Monday 18, 6.30pm - 8pm at The Polar Museum

Join us at the Polar Museum for the official launch of the 'Arctic Film Festival: Voices from the North' with special guests including; Inuit musician and filmmaker Elisapie Isaac, Inuit rights advocate Aaju Peter and filmmakers Stephen A. Smith and Julia Szucs.

Inuit Life on Film: A Panel Discussion

Friday 22, 6pm - 7.30pm at The Polar Museum

As part of the Arctic Film Festival, the Polar Museum are hosting a panel discussion, presenting a series of personal viewpoints on Inuit life today. Panellists include Inuit filmmaker and musician Elisapie Isaac; Inuit rights advocate Aaju Peter; documentary filmmakers Julia Szucs and Stephen A. Smith; and Commissioner of the National Film Board of Canada Tom Perlmutter.

Cambridge Celebrates International Women's Day

'Inuit women artists: voices from the far north' - A gallery talk

Friday 8 March 2:30pm - 3:00pm

Jessie Oonark - Two rooms inside the iglu To celebrate International Women's Day, SPRI's Keeper of Collections, Heather Lane, will introduce visitors to a number of key pieces of sculpture and print-making by Inuit women artists from the UK's largest public collection of art from northern Canada and Greenland, held at the Polar Museum, which was recently augmented with support from a Heritage Lottery Fund Collecting Cultures award.

Part of WOMEN ON ART, WOMEN IN ART - a programme of in-gallery talks to explore the portrayal of women in antiquity, and how women have inspired, influenced and led artistic creativity.

Other events in this programme are taking place at the Fitzwilliam Museum (Imaging women in ancient Greece) and at the University Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology (Roman Arbury and Sylvia Plath).

Erebus at the Polar Museum

Thursday 28th February 6:30pm - 8:00pm

Erebus NOW FULLY BOOKED

Thresholds poet Jo Shapcott and producer Tim Dee present Erebus at The Polar Museum.
A rare opportunity to hear 'Erebus', a poetic drama for radio by Jo Shapcott about Sir John Franklin's search for the North-West Passage. The 1845 expedition led by Franklin was lost in the ice and never returned. The mysteries remain. In the intervening time rescue and, subsequently, archaeological expeditions have gone in search of clues as to what went wrong. Fragments of evidence have been found in the ice and latterly frozen bodies too. Why did the mission fail, did the sailors resort to eating their colleagues, what did the Inuit make of them? The play, a Radio 4 'Pick of the Week", was first broadcast in January 2012, produced by Tim Dee with an innovative soundscape by composer Jon Nicholls.

This is a free event. To be put on the waiting list, please email ra395@cam.ac.uk

Twilight

Wednesday 13^th February 4.30pm - 7.30pm

Suitable for all ages.

Drop-in activites. Have you ever wondered what happens in a museum after dark? Find out and explore in the eerie glow of the Northern Lights!

Thank you to everyone who took part and to all our volunteers - we had more than 500 visitors (with torches and glowsticks) in 3 hours!

Cool Club

Tuesday 12^th February 10am- 11.30am

Furs, Fleece & Frostbite

Discover the best ways to keep warm by taking part in some chilly experiments with our conservator

Suitable for ages 7 - 12

Cost: £6 per child, booking is essential as places are limited

Venue: Scott Polar Research Institute

Please contact schools@spri.cam.ac.uk to book a place for your child FULLY BOOKED

The Search for Franklin's Lost Ships: A talk by marine archaeologist Ryan Harris

Wednesday 16 January 6.30pm – 8pm

FULLY BOOKED

Please email ra395@cam.ac.uk if you would like to be put on our events mailing list to find out about future events at the Polar Museum.

After battling ice, lead poisoning and Arctic weather conditions, the explorer Sir John Franklin and his entire crew of 129 perished on a search for Canada's Northwest Passage in 1845. Their ships, HMS Erebus and HMS Terror, were lost and haven't been found to this day. This tragic expedition captivated the Victorian public and became the stuff of legend.

Ryan Harris, an underwater archaeologist with the Canadian Government, has been involved in four campaigns to track down the Franklin vessels. This is a unique experience to hear from one of the investigators trying to piece together their story.

The Legacy of Captain Scott

A cultural programme to accompany the exhibition Robert Falcon Scott: A Century On

To commemorate the end of Scott's centenary year, the Polar Museum is hosting a series ofevents alongside its latest exhibition which explores the impact of Captain Scott's achievements - Antarctic science and exploration, a century of art and literature and the wider cultural legacy of his expeditions.

Tickets for each event are £5/ £3.50 (concessions). If you book for all four events, there is a discounted price of £18 / £12 (conc). All tickets include a glass of wine or juice. To book, please e-mail museum@spri.cam.ac.uk.

Cool Club

Tuesday 30 October, 10am-12 noon

Ice in the Sky

Strange things happen when there's ice in the sky. Come along and try out some mind bending light experiments at Cool Club

Suitable for ages 7 - 12

Cost: £6 per child, booking is essential as places are limited.
Venue: Scott Polar Research Institute

Please contact schools@spri.cam.ac.uk to book a place for your child.

Festival of Ideas 2012

Tuesday 24 October - Saturday 4 November
10:00AM - 4:00PM

Throughout the Festival, explore our trail of polar dreams and nightmares. Find untold secrets hidden in drawers and strange objects that have crept into the cases.

Drop in, no need to book

Wednesday 31 October
10:30am - 4:00pm

Ghostly chills and spooky thrills

Extraordinary drop-in activities and events for families include close encounters with dreaming explorers, ghostly presences, unearthly crackles, trails and creative activities based on the history of exploring, living and imagining the polar regions. Includes The Big Draw on Tour.

Follow the trail left by a dreaming explorer. Make your own terrifying polar nightmare monster. Add your own words to a polar poem and experience the total darkness of a polar winter.

Includes:

11am - 11.30am & 1.30pm - 2pm

Polar poetry session with poet Kaddy Benyon
Get inspired by Polar images and objects, play with words and build stories...

2pm - 4pm

The Big Draw on Tour

Drop in, no need to book

Bookable events

Please call 01223 336540 or email enquiries@spri.cam.ac.uk to book the following events. Spaces are limited to 85, so please book early.

Wednesday 31 October
Polar dreams, ghosts and psychics
(Over 16s only)

SPRI Lecture Theatre
6:00PM - 7:30PM

In this illustrated talk, Shane McCorristine from SPRI introduces the paranormal and irrational aspects of polar exploration, including the intangible, the supernatural and the disembodied in relation to polar expeditions.

Thursday 1 November
Extreme sci-fi night
(Over 18s only)

SPRI Lecture Theatre
7:30PM - 10:30PM

Be prepared to be scared at a night of sci-fi thrills. At the Pole, no-one can hear you scream.

Join us for a screening of The Thing (1982), book readings and more.

Cambridge & London 2012: cool club

July/August 2012

Meet a polar researcher and try some fun science.

Tue 31 July, 10:00AM - 12:00PM
Tue 7 August, 10:00AM - 12:00PM
Tue 14 August, 10:00AM - 12:00PM
Tue 21 August, 10:00AM - 12:00PM
Tue 28 August, 10:00AM - 12:00PM

The beach at the Polar Museum

Wed 22 August
10:30AM - 3:30PM

Sand between your toes and an ice lolly, discover more about our changing world. Cool club members and researchers present their findings using some unusual and entertaining means!

Last Words

Manhauling by H.G. Ponting (P2005/5/1267)

An evening of poetry and songs inspired by Captain Scott's last expedition

27 March 2012

Kiran Millwood Hargrave will read from her new collection of poems, 'Last March', and guitarist and singer-songwriter Jake Wilson will perform songs from his forthcoming album, 'All's Well'.

7pm for 7:30 pm, SPRI Lecture Theatre, Lensfield Road

Tickets: £10 / £7.50 (concessions). Call 01223 336540 or e-mail events@spri.cam.ac.uk, or available at the door.

Conquering the Antarctic

Ralph Vaughan Williams

February - March 2012

The Scott Centenary concert tour featuring the City of London Sinfonia -
a celebration in music, words and pictures, with music by Ralph Vaughan Williams and Cecilia McDowall.

Robert Falcon Scott (SPRI P83/6/9/37)

Please continue to support this event and the joint education work of the CLS and the Polar Museum

This landmark tour retraces the steps of Captain Scott's ill-fated expedition to the South Pole in music, images and words. Excerpts from Vaughan Williams's film score Scott of the Antarctic are interwoven with moving readings from Scott's diary, along with the London premiere of Cecilia McDowall's new piece setting music to words by poet Seán Street, who uses Scott's own letters as his inspiration.

Part of Music Nation and the London 2012 Festival

ACE logo

Twilight at the Museum

15 February 2012

4.30-7.30pm Explore the Museum by torchlight (don't forget to bring your own torch!)
Arctic story tent outside.

The love letters of Con and Kathleen Scott

14 February 2012 - Performance

The Polar Museum presents an evening of reading selected letters for Valentine's Day, presented by Angela Pleasence and Oliver Cotton.

7pm for 7:30 pm, SPRI Lecture Theatre, Lensfield Road
Tickets £8.50 / £7 (concessions). Call 01223 336540 or email events@spri.cam.ac.uk

Make a flag for Pole Day

17 January 2012

Calling all children......

Could you help us to celebrate the day Captain Scott reached the south pole by making small flags for Pole Day?

A Father for My Son

6.30pm-8pm, 18th January 2012
SPRI Lecture Theatre

A play written and performed by Jenny Coverack

Travel back in time with Kathleen Scott, wife of the legendary polar explorer Captain Robert Falcon Scott, for a female perspective on love and life at the turn of the 20th century.

£7.50, £5 concessions and Friends of SPRI

Booking recommended enquiries@spri.cam.ac.uk
01223 336540

Lecture by Dr Peter Donaldson: Sir Joseph Hooker and the Ross Antarctic Expedition

Sir Joseph Hooker (image courtesy of Science Photo Library)

7pm, Tuesday 6th December 2011
Venue: SPRI Lecture Theatre, Lensfield Road

Sir Joseph Hooker, in many ways the forgotten man in the story of Evolution, was a great scientist, plant collector and explorer. He wrote the Floras of the Antarctic, New Zealand, India and Tasmania with a major introduction to the Flora of Australia. This talk will mainly focus on his participation as Assistant Surgeon and Botanist on board the Erebus, one of two ships on the Ross Antarctic Expedition.

The speaker, Dr Peter Donaldson, has for the past three years been making a major documentary on the life and travels of this great Victorian scientist. Filming has been completed in the Himalayas, the subantarctic Auckland and Campbell islands, Morocco, the UK, New Zealand and Australia. The talk will chart the gradual development of Hooker's ideas of Southern Hemisphere plants having evolved from an ancient Antarctic landmass. This was many years before the discovery of continental drift and Gondwanaland.

Peter will also show some of Hooker's original sketches and type specimens from the Herbarium of the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew and Hooker' first sketch of Mount Everest which Peter located during his research in the archives at Kew.

Doors open at 18:30 for a chance to preview the Scott Centenary exhibition 'These Rough Notes'.

Concert: 'A start on such a night is full of promise'

9 November 2011

The Polar Museum presents an evening of music and drama inspired by the first crossing of Greenland in 1888 by an expedition led by the famous Norwegian explorer, Fridtjof Nansen.

Music composed by Tom Adams
Performed by the Mountaineering Club Orchestra in association with Hills Road Sixth Form College and the Bawds Theatre Company

7:00 for 7:30 pm, SPRI Lecture Theatre
Tickets £5 / £3 (concessions). Call 01223 336540 or email events@spri.cam.ac.uk.

Nansen sledge made by Snowsled for the 1990 Trans Antarctic journey led by Will Steger

Family Activity Day: Gone to the Dogs?

26 Oct 2011

A doggie day at the Polar Museum including meeting real dogs, talking to experts, talks, films, making activities and exploring how scientists and explorers lived and worked with dogs. 10.15-15.45 in the SPRI Lecture Theatre.

Free. Booking is essential (call 01223 336540 or email events@spri.cam.ac.uk). Please note that the meet the Dogs event is now fully booked. Do join us for a host of other activities.

Outreach event: 'Amundsen and Scott: Lives Explored'

29 Oct 2011

A century after the great achievements of Amundsen and Scott, a group of international experts share the latest research and evolving ideas. The day includes a tour, talks and discussions and is an all day event in place of Michaelmas Term Lecture 2.

10.15-15.45 in the SPRI Lecture Theatre, lunch, tea and coffee provided.
Booking is essential (Call 01223 336540 or email events@spri.cam.ac.uk).
Cost £15 (£10 for Friends of SPRI).

Access all Archives

Monday October 24, 18:30-20:00

The Polar Museum, Museum of Zoology, Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences, Fitzwilliam Museum and Whipple Museum of the History of Science

Live performances and sound installations provide the background for a special late night opening of the museum galleries.

At the Polar Museum:
Experience the atmospheric, icy soundscapes of the polar regions interpreted in an exciting new piece of electronica by Joe Snape.

'Cambridge Drawing Together'

12 October

Join students at the Polar Museum as they use the museum's collection on all aspects of life in the polar regions, explorations, history and modern polar science to inspire new art work. Drawing equipment, materials and tutors supplied. No experience required. Explore your creativity, challenge your expectations, enjoy a warm and friendly welcome.

Exploration! Peril! Penguins!: a world class polar library

Friday 9 September 2011

Tours of the Scott Polar Research Institute Library for Open Cambridge

11:00am - 12:00pm
2:00pm - 3:00pm
3:00pm - 4:00pm

The Cool Club

July and August 2011

Hands on Polar Activities club for young explorers ages 7-11. Each week we meet a polar expert, find out
what they do, experiment and create cool stuff.

26 July	Rivers of Ice
2 August	Beyond the rainbow
9 August	Surviving Antarctica
16 August	Marvellous maps
23 August	What makes us who we are?

Sewing Stories

23 July - 20 August

Weekly activities for adults and families linked to the current exhibition.

Wed 27 July
Wed 10 Aug

10.30-12.00

Stitching and unpicking stories (for young people and adults) with Anne Taylor. Drop in and stitch or unpick, discovering why women in northern Canada stitch to survive and keep their traditions alive.

Sat 23 July
Wed 3 Aug
Wed 17 Aug

10.30-12.00

Storytelling & puppet making for families with Mary Jane Edgar. To complement our exhibition, storytelling in the gallery.
Some of the stories are; 'Sedna' goddess of the sea, Samik the polar bear, Arctic fox, the boy who became a caribou, Raven created the world

From 23 July - 20 Aug 2011

Daily
10.00-16.00

Drop in
Look, think and make: Sewing Our Traditions: 'Dolls of the Canadian North'

Make things at the activity table in our exhibition inspired by the objects on display and their stories

Traditions and techniques of doll making in Arctic Canada

31 May and 1 June 2011

Join us for a series of workshops and lectures on the traditions and techniques of doll making in Arctic Canada. Artists Dolores Anderson (Tr'ondëk Hwëch'in First Nation), Lizzie Ittinuar (Inuit - Kivalliq region), Theresie Tungilik (Inuit - Kivalliq region) and Lillian Wright (Teetl'it Gwich'in First Nation) will show you how to create beautiful designs using tr Doll - Lillian Wright aditional sewing and beading techniques in the Polar Museum. Come and try it for yourself!

Tuesday 31 May 2011

11:00 – 12:30 Panel discussion with Canadian doll makers

13:30 – 14:30 Gallery demonstration

15:00 – 16:00 Gallery demonstration

Wednesday 1 June 2011

11:15 – 12:30 Gallery demonstration

13:00 Lecture by exhibition curator Jennifer Allen – Sewing our Traditions

15:00 – 16:00 Gallery demonstration

Exploration Station II

May Half Term: 30 May-3 June 2011

Dressing up Free family activities – just drop in

Explore frozen Antarctica and the hostile seas of the Arctic through hands-on activities and the collections of the Polar Museum

This is your chance to explore the polar regions. How will you get kitted out? What will you shelter in? What will you find when you get there? Come and find out at the Polar Museum.

Cost: Free

Cambridge Science Festival

19-25th March 2011

Event 1: 19 March 2011
Cooking in the Danger Zone: Polar food

Join Stefan Gates for a gastronomical adventure to the poles. Discover the culture and food of Arctic peoples.

A talk suitable for all ages.

Stefan Gates is a food adventurer. He spends his life cooking, eating, talking and travelling to discover the world and its people.

Cost: Free

Time: 17:30-19:30
Booking required. Please arrive on time.
Contact number: 01223 336540
Email: enquiries@spri.cam.ac.uk

Event 1A: 22 March 2011 - additional event
'Ninety Degrees South'

Three months ago Dr Charles Swithinbank visited the new Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station. He will speak on his latest trip, recent developments in Antarctic aviation, and share his reflections on how the South Pole has changed since he first went there, more than three decades ago.

SPRI Lecture Theatre

Cost: Free

Time: 1:00pm - 2:00pm
No booking required.

Event 2: 22 March 2011
Are Truth and Fiction Polar Opposites? Science and writing

Is there room for linguistic experiment in scientific writing? Join poet Nancy Campbell for an evening of language games inspired by the ground-breaking experiments of early climate scientists in the polar regions.

A workshop for adults. akunnagaa

Nancy Campbell's poetry publications include 'Boat Trip', 'Yan Tan Tethera' and 'After Light'. During winter 2010 she was writer in residence at Upernavik Museum, Greenland. This autumn she is completing a collection of poems and an artist's book 'How to say I love you in Greenlandic'.

Cost: Free

Time: 17:30-19:30
Booking required. Please arrive on time.
Contact number: 01223 336540
Email: enquiries@spri.cam.ac.uk

Event 3: 23 March 2011
Ice and Climate Change: Science in the Polar Regions

Dr Neil Arnold speaks about some of the latest research from the Scott Polar Research Institute and the vital importance of the study of ice and climate science in the polar regions.

A talk for adults.

The Institute is a well-known and long-established centre for research into both polar regions. We have several research groups investigating a range of issues in both the environmental sciences and social sciences of relevance to the Arctic and Antarctica. Neil Arnold is a University Lecturer in physical geography, with interests in environmental modelling, particularly the interactions between ice masses, climate and glacier hydrology.

Cost: Free

Time: 17:30-19:30
Booking required. Please arrive on time.
Contact number: 01223 336540
Email: enquiries@spri.cam.ac.uk

Event 4: 24 March 2011
The British Graham Land Expedition (BGLE, 1934-37)

The Polar Museum's Bryan Lintott explains how the BGLE established the foundation of Britain's ongoing scientific endeavours in Antarctica. This event will include a talk, film and the opportunity to view and discuss the BGLE exhibition.

A talk and film for adults (16+)

The British Graham Land Expedition was undertaken by sixteen keen, predominantly young,explorers, scientists and military officers. Despite modest financial resources, treacherous sea-ice and difficult terrain, the BGLE was a great success, reasserting the United Kingdom's sovereignty in the British Antarctic Territory, solving a geographical mystery, and collecting significant scientific material and data.

Bryan Lintott is Exhibitions Officer at the Scott Polar Research Institute. A Winston Churchill Fellow (NZ), former historic site curator and museum director, he is now an expert member of the International Polar Heritage Committee (IPHC) of ICOMOS. Bryan is a member of the team that redeveloped the Polar Museum, and curator of the current exhibition on the British Graham Land Expedition.

Cost: Free

Time: 17:30-19:30
Booking required. Please arrive on time.
Contact number: 01223 336540
Email: enquiries@spri.cam.ac.uk

Event 5: 25 March 2011
Scott Polar Research Institute Open Day

Fieldwork in Antarctica / Adrian McCallum

Come and see what our scientists and researchers are up to in Cambridge and in the field. Learn about some of the latest research from the Scott Polar Research Institute and see what it takes to conserve Polar Museum objects.

All ages. Drop in or book a school visit.

As well as posters and hands on activities throughout the day, visit at 11 a.m. or 2p.m. to see Dr John Ash's talk on Space and Antarctica, drop in at 3:30 p.m. for Dr Neil Arnold's Family friendly ice science demonstrations.

Cost: Free

Time: 10:00-16:00.
No booking required.

Love Your Museum

Saturday 30th April

Join us for a host of family friendly activities:

Join the penguin huddle – decorate your own penguin and add it to a polar landscape
Create your own unique snowflake and discover some fascinating snowflake facts
Expeditions often wrote their own newspapers - join in the fun by writing a polar adventure headline for our newsboard
Tell us why you love the Polar Museum – make a penguin tag
Exploration station – a chance to try on polar clothing

Take a closer look at the handling collection of Inuit art with Keeper, Heather Lane at 11 am, 12 noon and 2.30 pm.

Presented in association with

Twilight at the Museums

23 February 2011

If you have ever wondered what happens in a museum after dark, find out on Wednesday 23rd February 2011 between 4:30 and 7.30pm, when you can enjoy a special evening of torchlight trails and family activities at a host of Cambridge's best museums.

Free

Arctic stories at the Polar Museum

SPRI Y: 2010/10/92 Woman watching fish by Agnes Nanogak (1925-2001)

15 and 16 December 2010

Come gather in a warm place to hear wintry tales from the Arctic. Storyteller Paul Jackson performs traditional Inuit tales in these evening sessions at the Polar Museum.
Venue: SPRI Lecture Theatre
Time: Two sessions each evening, beginning at 17:30 and 18:45

This is a free family event - just drop in (but please be aware that seating is limited).

24 and 26 September 2010

Bryan and the penguin

Alumni Weekend tours

Cambridge alumni are invited to join the curatorial staff for a tour of the new galleries at the Polar Museum at the Scott Polar Research Institute. Find out about the new displays, the work that went into them and the stories that had to be left out.

Open Cambridge tours

10 September 2010

A tour of the new galleries at the Polar Museum. Find out about how the displays were developed, the work behind the scenes and the stories that had to be left out.

Bridge the Gap charity walk

12 September 2010

The Polar Museum will be open from 10.00-16.00 and will be acting as a checkpoint for the Cambridge-wide charity walk.

Cambridge Drawing Together - with Rowan Humberstone Studios

6 October 2010, 10.30–14.30

Come along to The Polar Museum, be inspired by the collections, join Rowan, artists and students in making some art and challenge your expectations. No experience required.

No need to book, just drop in.

Exploration Station

26–30 October 2010

Part of the Festival of Ideas, an all day free family event.

Plan your expedition to frozen Antarctica or the hostile seas of the Arctic. Get kitted out, make a spooky scare assessment and find out how far you might get.

No need to book, just drop in.

Free evening lecture: Paul Rose - The Logistics of Polar Exploration

26 October 2010, 17.30–19.30

When you're facing some of the harshest conditions on Earth, planning ahead can be a matter of life and death. Part of a series of evening lectures.

Bookings: call 01223 336540.

Arctic Art - free family event

Saturday July 24 2010

Admission free. Everyone welcome.

As part of the Cultural Olympiad's Open Weekend discover Inuit art - amazing sculptures and prints from Northern Canada.

Come hear the myths and legends that inspired this art and make a Polar Museum print of your own.

No need to book, just drop in.

Twilight at the Scott Polar Museum

Wednesday February 18th 2009 16:30-19:00

Admission free. Everyone welcome.

Visit the Scott Polar Research Institute after sunset, and explore the depths of the Polar Night. Using starlight to find your way, follow the trail around the museum for the chance to win a polar prize.

Children must be accompanied by an adult at all events.

Above the Poles Schools Event - in association with International Polar Year

Thursday December 4th 2008

On December 4th, 2008, the International Polar Year (IPY) 2007-8 celebrated its seventh polar day, focusing on research "Above the Poles" - including topics such as weather, climate, the atmosphere above the poles and astronomy in polar regions.

The Scott Polar Research Institute and IPY worked together to host a special "Above the Poles" event, connecting pupils of all ages with polar experts around the world, including a live connection to Antarctica. At SPRI, pupils were at the heart of this event, meeting and talking to local polar scientists face to face, asking questions, and exploring polar equipment in the museum. SPRI was open to students of all ages from 9am to midday on December 4th, with the live global event and connection to Antarctica starting at 10am.

The Big Draw - Drama in Antarctica

Saturday October 25th 2008 10:00-16:00

Admission free. Everyone welcome.

Wilson sketch sledging It's the Antarctic winter, it's -40°c and your tent has just blown away... Discover adventure and danger on 'The Worst Journey in the World' - the expedition taken by Edward Wilson, Henry 'Birdie' Bowers and Apsley Cherry-Garrard to Cape Crozier in Antarctica to collect Emperor Penguin eggs during the winter of 1911.

Artists Chris and Vikky Furse will be on hand throughout the day, with ideas, techniques and inspriation. Help us draw the dram

a of 'The Worst Journey in the World' on a giant Freezing Frieze. Add to a colony of penguins, make a snowflake and build and Antarctic pyramid tent to create a snowy landscape in the museum.

No booking required, just turn up and join in the fun.

Children must be accompanied by an adult at all events.

Polar Bear Family Fun Day

Saturday June 28th 2008. 10:00-16:00

Explore the Arctic world of the mighty Polar Bears. Build an Arctic food web, join in our Polar Bear portrait competition and discover the threats facing the animals that live at the top of the world.

At 11 o'clock, you are invited to hear of the encounters with Polar Bears of Dr Martina Tyrell, a researcher at the Scott Polar Research Institute. Sit back and listen to tales of life in the Arctic, with an opportunity to ask questions at the end.

Admission free. No booking required. Everyone welcome.

Children must be accompanied by an adult at all events.

To the ends of the Earth - Cambridge Science Festival at the Scott Polar Research Institute Museum

Saturday March 15th 2008. 10:00-16:00

Journey to the ends of the Earth and explore the science of polar regions. With special hands-on displays and museum trails, plan your own expedition and see some of the equipment used by scientists in Antarctica. Make your own sun compass, and try on clothing worn in polar regions today. Films of past expeditions shown throughout the day give a taste of life in the coldest places on Earth.

Admission free. Everyone welcome.

Children must be accompanied by an adult at all events.

Twilight at the Scott Polar Research Institute Museum

Wednesday February 13th 2008. 16:30-19:00

With the lights down low, bring a torch to explore the Scott Polar Research Institute Museum after hours. Discover the history of polar exploration, and go on a quest to find the hidden polar bears and penguins in the museum for the chance to win a polar prize.

Admission Free. No booking required. Everyone welcome.

Children must be accompanied by an adult at all events.

Arctic Winter, Snowflakes and Polar Bears

Saturdays December 1st and 8th 2007. 10:00-16:00

Family fun and craft activities at the Scott Polar Research Institute Museum.

Explore the Arctic to discover the Northern Lights, learn about the mighty Polar Bears and find the compasses used by Polar Explorers in the past. Make your own Polar Christmas Cards, and discover life in the Arctic with museum displays, trails and storytelling throughout the day.

Admission Free. No booking required. Everyone welcome.

Children must be accompanied by an adult at all events.

The Big Draw at the Scott Polar Research Institute Museum

Polar Huddle

Saturday October 27th, 2007, 11am-4pm

Admission Free, All Welcome

Add your penguin to the Polar Huddle! With an artist here all day, and the museum to inspire you, help us create a Polar landscape in the Scott Polar Research Institute Museum.

Polar pArtworks

Saturday October 6th, 2007, 11am-4pm

Admission Free, All Welcome

With drop in artist-led workshops running throughout the day, let your imagination roam the coldest places on Earth...

Design your own sledging flag, and discover how to get around on snow and ice.

Take part in 'pArtworks', creating weird and wonderful creatures by mixing up bits of different things in a huge game of consequences around the museums and collections of the University of Cambridge!

Arctic Family Fun Day

Saturday 19th May 2007, 10am-4pm

Discover the history of the British exploration of the Arctic with our new exhibition and museum trail.
Explore the mystery of the Northern Lights.
Hear magical tales from the Arctic with readings of Inuit folk tales throughout the day.
Make a snowy owl or polar bear to take home with you.

Little Explorers

Tuesday 14 January 2020, 10am - 10.45am & 11am - 11.45am

A different Polar story each session with renowned storyteller Marion Leeper. This month we will explore the Arctic story of Immi.

For under 5s only. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

£1.50 per child to be paid on arrival. Under 1s free.

Book 10am session

Book 11am session

Previous Museum events

Previous Museum events

Meet and Make at the Museum

Egg-cellent Penguins: Museum Trail

Meet and Make at the Museum

Polar Textiles: the hidden stories of polar women

Snow Widows: A talk by Katherine MacInnes

Meet and Make at the Museum

Polar Museum Disability Friendly Opening

Polar Pop-up: Twilight at the Museum

Meet and Make at the Museum

Objectively Speaking: Museum Late at the Polar Museum

Special Sunday opening and book signing

Indigenous Film: Native Spirit Film Festival screenings at the Polar Museum

ReCover: Meet the Artist

Reindeer Escape: Museum Trail

Behind the Scenes of The Worst Journey in the World

Meet and Make at the Museum

Ice from above: Remotely sensing the Arctic

Meet and Make at the Museum

Open Cambridge: The Science of Quest

Open Cambridge: Self-guided tours of the Polar Library

Polar Pop-ups: Summer Saturdays at the Polar Museum

Tours for Blind and Partially Sighted Adults at the University of Cambridge of Museums

Ice from Above: Our Place in Space

Polar Stay and Plays - Museum Openings for under 5s

ReCover: Meet the Artist

Polar Pop-ups: Summer Saturdays at the Polar Museum

Free talk: Antarctic Art, Creative Journeys

Meet and Make at the Museum

'The Art of Science' workshop series

Postcards to the Planet

Polar pop-up family day: Life on the ice

Tours for Blind & Partially Sighted Adults at the University of Cambridge of Museums

Family Friendly Opening: Lights and Ice

Native Spirit Film Festival

Native Spirit Film Festival

Crossing Antarctica

Family Friendly Opening

Love Stories for the Earth

'The Art of Science' workshop series

Family Friendly Openings at the Polar Museum

Half -Term Family Friendly Openings

The Big Freeze

An Introduction to the Arctic

Alumni Centenary Dinner

Little Explorers

Little Explorers

Past and Present Science Day

Little Explorers - Auroras

Exhibition tea and talk: Walking on Thin Ice

Twilight at the Museums

Little Explorers

Teaching a Polar Project?

Wednesday 23 October 2019

Talk: Arctic Cultures

Tuesday 22 October 2019, 18:00-19:30

Arctic family day

Saturday 19 October 2019, 10:30-15:30

Tea and Talk with Inupiaq artist, Willy Topkok

Friday 18 October 2019, 3pm – 3.30pm

Little Explorers: Charlie and the Blanket Toss

Friday 18 October 2019, 10am-11am & 11.15am-12:15pm

Small Library - Big State: A self-guided tour of the Alaskan collections in the library and archive

Friday 13 September 2019, 10:00-16:00

Museum Adventures with the 'Hidden Tales' at Heffers!

Little Explorers

Monday 12 August 2019, 10:00-10:45 and 11:00-11:45

Hidden Tales with Mark Wells

Sunday 4 August 10:30-15:30

Polar Play: Under 5s

Mon 29 July 2019, 10am - 12pm

Bridging Binaries: LGBTQ+ tours

Saturday 13 July, 3pm

Fun Lab on Parker's Piece

Part of Big Weekend 2019

Saturday 6 July, 12pm - 5pm

Little Explorers

Monday 1 July 2019, 10:00-10:45 and 11:00-11:45

Friends of SPRI free lecture

Friday 18 October 2019, 10am-11am
& 11.15am-12:15pm

Small Library - Big State:
A self-guided tour of the Alaskan collections in the library and archive

Wednesday 20 February 2019
11am-1pm

Wednesday 24th October 2018
11am-1pm

Saturday 22 September 2018
11am-1pm

Open Cambridge 2018:
If the Shoe fits: Conservation Conversations

Wednesday 11 July 2018
Doors open 18:15