European premiere launches in London on July 20th. ECO readers can get 20% off with discount code: ECOMAG20
SEA CREATURES opens at the Royal Horticultural Halls, Lawrence Hall in London between July 20 and August 30, before touring the UK. The exhibition will have on display fifty ethically sourced, real-life specimens of creatures – including a Baleen Whale, Whale Shark, Great White Shark, Dolphin, Seal, Octopus, Penguin and Sting Ray – allowing visitors to glimpse inside the animals, learn about the complex life systems within, and why we need to protect precious ocean life.
The painstakingly preserved displays use the same plastination process developed by Dr. Gunther von Hagens and made famous by artist Damien Hirst, replacing fluids and soluble fats with resins and allowing us to view incredibly accurate ‘cross-sections’ of the creatures.
Alongside the many full-body exhibits will be a host of smaller displays, including the lung and eyeball of a Mink Whale, a whale’s kidney, the egg of a King Penguin, a Sea Lion’s heart and shark’s teeth. In total, over 200 exhibits will be on show.
The educational exhibition will also feature digital interactive experiences, allowing children to immerse themselves in an underwater world.
Sea Creatures visitors will be able to explore the exhibition using a special augmented reality app, which provides fascinating facts, figures and videos when they point their smartphones at the exhibits.
There will also be giant, interactive mirrors that transport visitors beneath the ocean and take photos of their aquatic adventures, which can then be uploaded to social media.
For younger guests, a ball pit game teaches them about the perils of plastic in our oceans. A digital screen around the pit shows colorful sharks and fish. But when a plastic bottle pops up on the screen, little ones are encouraged to throw the balls at it to save our marine life.
Sea creatures will be brought to life by a range of virtual reality experiences and will allow visitors to explore the deepest regions of Planet earth’s oceans.
Guests can also relax on bean bags in the education cinema, while they watch Sir David Attenborough’s hit documentary series, Planet Earth, to learn about the largest of all habitats – the ocean – and how we can preserve it.
Naz Kabir of Culture Event Creative, who are bringing the exhibition to the UK in partnership with the Scottish Association for Maritime Science (SAMS), says “Our fascination with the oceans is unwavering, and the chance to get up-close and hands-on with these majestic creatures is an incredible experience for children and adults.
“Sea Creatures gives visitors the chance to learn about the animals who inhabit the same planet as us, but very rarely – if ever – cross our paths, and our interactive and tactile displays create an incredible opportunity to find out more about the creatures themselves, but also the many ways we can become involved in marine conservation and help to preserve the beautiful ocean life that is so important to us all.”
Tour Dates:
LONDON
20th July 2018 – 30th August 2018
RHS Lawrence Hall, Greycoat Street, London SW1P 2QD
SCOTLAND
21st September 2018 – 18th October 2018
Royal Highland Centre, Ingliston, Edinburgh EH28 8NB
YORKSHIRE
30th October 2018 – 28th November 2018
Harrogate Convention Centre, King’s Road, Harrogate HG1 5LA
NORTHERN IRELAND
8th December 2018 – 2nd January 2019
Titanic Exhibition Centre, 17 Queens Road, Belfast BT3 9DU
To buy tickets, click here and remember to use your exclusive ECO discount code to get 20% off: ECOMAG20