Family fun with film

At the Family Fun Day there will be the opportunity to create shadow shows, and to make flick books and optical toys like Zoetropes, where your drawings can be turned into moving images. There will also be the chance to make projected slides and to make your own computer animations with the help of an expert. The galleries will also be open providing the opportunity to explore the museum’s displays, taking in over three centuries of moving image history and including gems such as one of the very first cameras to make films in the 1890s. In addition, there is a dazzling array of memorabilia on cinema, from Charlie Chaplin to Disney to the latest blockbusters. A special quiz has been devised for the event to add to the fun and help visitors to make discoveries about the collection. 
 
Phil Wickham, the Curator of The Bill Douglas Centre said ‘We are very excited about the family fun day and are looking forward to a big crowd enjoying activities. It is a great opportunity for more families and children in Exeter and elsewhere in Devon to discover what an amazing resource they have on their doorsteps.’

He added, ‘There is nowhere else with this depth and breadth of material on the moving image in this country and members of the public that do visit often say that it is one of the best kept secrets in the South West. We are determined not to keep it a secret any longer. The Centre is a research facility inspiring ground-breaking work and it is also there as a resource for the public, free and open through the summer.’

The Fun Day is free-of-charge and will run from 12 noon to 4pm at the Bill Douglas Centre, University of Exeter.