Magic Worlds: Fantasy, Illusion and Enchantment
4th May - 29th September 2013
New Walk Museum & Art Gallery
Magic Worlds is a family-friendly exhibition which delves into the spell-binding world of magic and illusion. Created by the V&A Museum of Childhood, Magic Worlds invites visitors to explore the fantastical realms of witches, wizards and fairies and celebrate the conjuring feats of the finest stage magicians.
Designed around the themes of fantasy, illusion and enchantment, the exhibition will feature a huge range of costumes, tricks, vintage toys, paintings, ceramics, illustrations, posters, puppets and games. Visitors will find displays based on their favourite fantasy tales, including Snow White, Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan and The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe.
Objects on show will include film replicas of Harry Potter’s broomstick and the One Ring from The Lord of the Rings, as well as vintage Cinderella and Prince Charming mechanical dancing dolls and puppets of characters from A Midsummer Night’s Dream, dating from the 1940s.
A touring exhibition from V&A Museum of Childhood.
Ray Harryhausen
The exhibition also includes a case of objects made by the legendary visual effects artist Ray Harryhausen (1920 - 2013) on a special loan to the museum. He was inspired by the collection of stories in Arabian Nights to use stop-motion model animation to bring the magical world of Sinbad the Sailor to life in the big screen.
The display includes Ray Harryhausen's own copy of Arabian Nights and objects from all three Ray Harryhausen's Sinbad films. Objects loaned to the museum by kind permission of the Ray and Diana Harryhausen Foundation: www.rayharryhausen.com
View the Magic Worlds image gallery to see objects from the exhibition.
Free admission
Opening Times:
Monday - Saturday: 10.00am - 5.00pm
Sunday: 11.00am - 5.00pm
Magic Worlds Events
A programme of events will take place at the museum to complement the themes of the Magic Worlds exhibition. Please keep visiting the page for updates on the events programme.
Magic Worlds Opening Weekend: Alice in Wonderland
Saturday 4th, Sunday 5th & Monday 6th May
11.00am – 1.00pm & 2.00pm – 4.00pm
New Walk Museum & Art Gallery
On the opening weekend of the Magic Worlds exhibition the museum enters the world of Alice in Wonderland. Themed on the Fantasy section of the Magic Worlds exhibition, the theme is classic fantasy literature with bunny ears, top hats and the Queen of Hearts.
There will be 'Mad Hatters tea party' from 11.00am where children can sit and eat a little 'Eat me cake' at the Mad Hatters table. A ballet dancer will be dancing the 'Sugar Plum Fairy' and taking a ballet workshop for children on the gallery.
For more information call 0116 225 4900. Free entry to the exhibition, £2.50 for activities.
Magic Worlds: Half-Term Events
Monday 27th May – Friday 31st May
11.00am – 1.00pm & 2.00pm – 4.00pm
New Walk Museum & Art Gallery
Half-Term events inspired by the fantasy section of the Magic Worlds exhibition (wizards of Harry Potter) and the classic fantasy literature. Activities include making wands and spell making parchment with invisible writing pens. For more information call 0116 225 4900. Free entry to the exhibition, £2.50 for activities.
Magic Worlds
Monday 15th July - Friday 19th July
11.00am - 1.00pm & 2.00pm - 4.00pm
New Walk Museum & Art Gallery
Summer Holiday activities inspired by the Enchantment section of the Magic Worlds exhibition. This weeks theme is myth and magicians with a chance to make shields, protective pendants and magic wands. Activities £2.50 per person. T: 0116 225 4900.
Magic Worlds
Monday 22nd July - Friday 26th July
11.00am - 1.00pm & 2.00pm - 4.00pm
New Walk Museum & Art Gallery
Summer Holiday activities inspired by the illusion section of the Magic Worlds exhibition. This weeks theme is optical toys with a chance to make a Zoetrope and optical illusions. Activities £2.50 per person. T: 0116 225 4900.
Magic Worlds
Monday 29th July – Friday 2nd August
11.00am - 1.00pm & 2.00pm - 4.00pm
New Walk Museum & Art Gallery
Summer Holiday activities inspired by the Enchantment section of the Magic Worlds exhibition. This weeks theme is Fairies with stencil painting of fairies, elves and magical creatures. Activities £2.50 per person. T: 0116 225 4900.
Magic Worlds
Monday 5th – Friday 9th August
11.00am - 1.00pm & 2.00pm - 4.00pm
New Walk Museum & Art Gallery
Summer Holiday activities inspired by the fantasy section (Lord of the Rings) of the Magic Worlds exhibition and Egyptian Magic Amulets. Protect yourself from the fates with your own personalised clay amulets. Activities £2.50 per person. T: 0116 225 4900.
Magic Worlds
Monday 12th – Friday 16th August
11.00am - 1.00pm & 2.00pm - 4.00pm
New Walk Museum & Art Gallery
Summer Holiday activities inspired by Magic Worlds exhibition. Clay Dragons - make your own mythical monster to guard your hoard. Activities £2.50 per person.
T: 0116 225 4900.
Magic Worlds
Monday 19th – Friday 23rd August
11.00am - 1.00pm & 2.00pm - 4.00pm
New Walk Museum & Art Gallery
Summer Holiday activities inspired by Magic Worlds exhibition. Create a fairy-tale diorama showing scenes from your favourite stories. Activities £2.50 per person.
T: 0116 225 4900.
Magic Worlds
Monday 26th – Friday 30th August
11.00am - 1.00pm & 2.00pm - 4.00pm
New Walk Museum & Art Gallery
Summer Holiday activities inspired by Magic Worlds exhibition. Create your own scene from the myths of the Lord Of The Rings. Activities £2.50 per person.
T: 0116 225 4900.
New Walk Museum & Art Gallery
53 New Walk
Leicester LE1 7EA
#MagicWorlds
T: 0116 225 4900
E: museums@leicester.gov.uk
W: www.leicester.gov.uk/magicworlds
