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By National Science and Media Museum on

Don’t be a stranger: Keeping in touch during our temporary closure

The museum may be temporarily closed until summer 2024 while we undergo a once-in-a-generation transformation, but our collections and stories are always open for all.

Here are just some of the ways you can keep in touch with the museum until we see you again next year.

On the big screen

While the museum is closed, Pictureville Cinema and Bar will continue to operate, open seven days a week with an enhanced programme. Check out the Pictureville Twitter and Facebook pages and website for the latest cinema programme. We’ll be screening the latest big releases, as well as unique cinema seasons, double bills, Kids’ Club and more.

A group of children and adults watching a film, their happy faces illuminated by the screen

The virtual museum

Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram where we’ll be sharing collection highlights, curator recommendations and more.

You can also sign up to our newsletter to keep up to date with the latest museum news.

Keep an eye on our website for the latest object stories and virtual exhibitions.

In the community

During the closure, our learning team will be delivering outreach activities in schools and with community groups around Bradford district. If you’d like to learn more, join our schools consultation group and follow us on Facebook and Twitter for more updates.

Children wearing white boiler suits participate in a science activity

In the summer holidays, we will be taking Bradford Science Festival on the road, popping up in community venues across the city. You can join us on these dates in August for more surprising science:

  • Monday 14 August at Womenzone
  • Thursday 17 August at SHINE West Bowling
  • Saturday 19 August at MAPA Cultural Arts Centre
  • Tuesday 22 August at Laisterdyke Youth and Community Centre

Festival season

We still have an exciting festival programme coming up, including Widescreen Weekend which returns from 28 September – 2 October. Enjoy a long weekend of big, bold and wide cinema experiences as we showcase the museum’s fantastic projection facilities. Glorious 70mm screenings, new Cinerama restorations and great guests will remind you why going to the movies is so magical.

A man adjusts a film projector inside a projection box

Researching the collection

During the temporary closure, we will unfortunately be unable to provide physical access to Insight, our Collections and Research Centre. However, our teams look forward to supporting researchers to access our collections remotely, for example through our virtual reading room service. Our collection⁠—and the inspirational stories it contains⁠—is also open to you online. Explore our collection online, the archive catalogue, and the Science Museum library catalogue.

Adults looking at a table covered with black and white photographs

Follow our transformation

We are undergoing a ‘once-in-a-generation’ transformation ready for Bradford to become City of Culture in 2025, with huge changes through the £6 million Sound and Vision Project including two new galleries, a new passenger lift and improvements to the main entrance. To facilitate these works, the museum has announced a temporary closure from June 2023 until summer 2024.

Thanks to National Lottery players, we have secured two grants totalling £3.4m from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to deliver our new Sound and Vision galleries. In addition to funding received from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, the project also has support from the DCMS/Wolfson Museums and Galleries Improvement Fund 2022–24, Bradford Metropolitan District Council, and the Science Museum Group, which the National Science and Media Museum is a part of.

Read our latest FAQs and keep up to date with the latest Sound and Vision news.

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