New family-friendly exhibition explores seasonal sensations

A colourful combination of animals, games, music and history will take families in Leeds on a unique interactive journey through the changing seasons.

Leeds City Museum’s new For All Seasons exhibition opens this Friday, February 10, and features a series of imaginative centrepieces including a giant sandcastle, indoor tree, traditional sledge and hook-a-duck pond.

The fun seasonal displays will be surrounded by exhibits illustrating the different ways spring, summer, autumn and winter shape and influence the world around us.

Among them will be a spectacular variety of wildlife, some 100 year-old decorative Easter eggs, delicate ceramics, paintings and historic seasonal fashions.

Ruth Martin, Leeds City Museum’s curator of exhibitions, who has been putting the exhibition together, said:

“The changing seasons have a profound, transformative effect on almost every aspect of the world around us, creating annual patterns in the weather, the natural world and the wildlife we see in our parks and gardens.

“They also have a huge influence on the way we live our lives, providing the inspiration for art, culture, where we go, the clothes we wear and the things we do for fun.

“For this exhibition, what we hope to do is to give visitors of all ages the chance to experience spring, summer, autumn and winter together in one place while getting involved in some hands-on, interactive activities.”

As part of the exhibition, the museum will be the temporary home to a selection of stunning paintings by world-famous Leeds artist John Atkinson Grimshaw, who created beautiful images of his home city.

His work will be on loan from Leeds Art Gallery, ensuring the paintings remain accessible to the public while the gallery is closed for refurbishment.

The free exhibition will also be accompanied by specially-recorded classical piano sheet music from the museum’s collection including Summer Blossoms by Ezra Read and Autumn from The Four Seasons by Frederic Mullen.

Councillor Brian Selby, Leeds City Council’s lead member for museums and galleries, said: “The power which the changing seasons have to influence every facet of our lives is perfectly illustrated by the sheer scope and variety of objects on display in this exhibition.

“The seasons, and the profound effect they have on the world, have been an inspiration to some of history’s most celebrated artists, sculptors, composers and musicians and it’s wonderful that the museum will be celebrating this in such an interactive and accessible way.

“I’m sure visitors and families will have a lot of fun exploring the many features that make spring, summer, autumn and winter so unique and learning how they come together to shape our year.”

For All Seasons, which runs until August 28, will also feature a programme of talks and activities including a special theatre experience on February 14 and survival skills workshops over the February half term.

For more details about the exhibition and the programme of activities, please visit: http://www.leeds.gov.uk/museumsandgalleries/Pages/Seasons.aspx

ENDS

For media enquiries, please contact:

Stuart Robinson

Communications Officer

Leeds City Council

Tel: 0113 378 9182 (please note my new number)

Email: stuart.robinson@leeds.gov.uk

www.leeds.gov.uk

Notes to Editors:

• Leeds is bidding for the title of European Capital of Culture 2023. The competition can only be hosted by UK five times per century and was last hosted in 2008 when Liverpool won the title. Prior to this Glasgow is the only other city to have the competition in 1990.
• Liverpool’s year as European Capital of Culture 2008 is estimated to have resulted in an economic impact of £750 million and opinion surveys showing an 85% increase in satisfaction from the local residents when asked if they liked living in the city.
• The Leeds bid is being led by and Independent Steering Group which has cross party support from Leeds City Council. Leeds City Council is already a minority funder of the bid with commercial partners and sponsorship contributing to the cost of bidding.
• The bid process takes four years with Leeds starting conversations about bidding in 2014 and expecting a decision in 2018.
• The competition is delivered by the European Commission but not specifically for EU Countries. Norway, Iceland and Switzerland are all outside of the EU and have all hosted successful European Capitals of Culture. The competition is administered in the UK by the Department for Culture Media & Sport (DCMS)
• Two cities host the competition each year. In 2023 one UK city and one Hungarian city will host the title. Current European Capitals of Culture are Aarhus in Denmark and Pafos in Cyprus.
• For more information visit: www.leeds2023.co.uk