Leeds is a beautiful city with many historical locations. Thousands of tourists visit Leeds every year to learn more about it. There are many sights to see in the city, including interesting institutions and museums. In this article, we will tell you about Leeds Discovery Centre. This is a purpose-built storage for the Leeds Museums & Galleries collections. Cultural events and exhibitions held there will be interesting for both adults and children. Learn more about Leeds Discovery Centre at leeds-future.com.
History of creation
The history of Leeds Discovery Centre began in 2007. It was built as a storage for the collections of Leeds Museums & Galleries. By the way, the construction was financed by Leeds City Council and the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
It is worth noting that Leeds Discovery Centre stores more than 1,000,000 museum exhibits, which are kept in rooms with controlled climate conditions. It houses natural science samples, social history collections, textile exhibits, samples of world cultures, archaeological artefacts, etc.
Interesting cultural events at Leeds Discovery Centre
Leeds Discovery Centre also organises various events and workshops, including
- Christmas linocut. This is a very interesting workshop, during which participants create Christmas cards with their own hands using the linocut technique. Linocut is a technique of engraving on linoleum, which allows you to create original prints. During the workshop, you can develop your own design and create an original card. The organisers claim that participants will have an opportunity to master a new technique and make beautiful Christmas decor with their own hands.
- The Bug Brigade. This is a free family workshop held at Leeds Discovery Centre offering visitors to explore the insect collection of Leeds Museums & Galleries. The Bug Brigade is usually held on 17th February, so many children can attend it. The fun atmosphere and interesting educational information make the workshop popular among Leeds residents.
Leeds Discovery Centre also runs Christmas crochet, mitten knitting, bookbinding, patchwork bowl making and home learning workshops. In addition, it holds storage tours and allows visitors to see collections in a dedicated research room.
About Leeds Museums & Galleries
As already mentioned above, Leeds Discovery Centre houses the exhibits of Leeds Museums & Galleries. That is why we have decided to tell you about this institution in more detail.
The history of Leeds Museums & Galleries began in 1821. It was a museum of the newly-opened Leeds Philosophical and Literary Society. A hundred years later (in 1921), the collection was acquired by the Leeds City Corporation. This was how Leeds City Museum was born.
In 1928, the Leeds Corporation acquired Abbey House Museum. In 1941, during World War II, the museum was damaged by bombing and part of the collections were destroyed. The Leeds Industrial Museum was opened 41 years later. The Thwaite Mills Museum was opened in 1990 and, by the way, was closed in 2024.
Leeds art institutions also developed in parallel with the museums. Leeds Art Gallery was founded in 1888. In 1921, the city established an additional art venue, Temple Newsam House. In 1969, Lotherton Hall was donated to the city.
All the museums and art institutions decided to unite and form Leeds Museums & Galleries in 1996. Today, it is the largest museum service in England and Wales.
It is worth noting that the collections of Leeds Museums & Galleries number around 1.3 million objects, divided into
- Natural Collection: over 800,000 specimens collected from all over the world, including taxidermy and herbaria as well as samples from the fields of conchology, geology, entomology, etc.
- World Collection: historical and prehistoric materials, including large numismatic collections.
- Clothing and Textiles: this collection is dedicated to the manufacture of clothing in Leeds.
- Fine Arts: the collection consists of 18th and early 19th-century English watercolours, 20th-century British art and modern sculpture.
- Industrial Collection: it consists of machinery, industrial products, records and photographs.
- World Collection: over 12,000 exhibits demonstrate the city’s historical links with other parts of the world.
- Decorative Arts: it contains historic furniture, ceramics, wallpaper and modern crafts.
Leeds Discovery Centre is closely linked to Leeds Museums & Galleries, as the centre houses a large number of its historical exhibits.
We hope that our article was interesting and you learned more about the history of Leeds and its cultural sphere.
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