Family fun with film

The museum holds one of the largest collections of material relating to film and the development of the moving image and we will be offering a range of organised activities that reflect our collection and will appeal to all the family.

At the Family Fun Day there will be the opportunity to create shadow shows, and to make flick books, slide pictures, and optical toys like Zoetropes, where your drawings can be turned into moving images. There will also be the chance to make your own computer animations with the help of artist and animator Kate Green. 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.

Phil Wickham, the Curator of The Bill Douglas Centre said ‘We are delighted to offer a second family fun day where children and families can experience the wonder of cinema and its precursors and take part in fun activities based on the ideas in our collection. This is a great opportunity to give the kids a half-term treat and discover what an amazing resource they have on their doorstep.’

He added, ‘There is nowhere else with this depth and breadth of material on the moving image in this country and we hope that events like this give more people the opportunity  to experience the museum. 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; one of the many ways that the university engages with the community in Devon.’

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