New exhibition opening soon to flush away the taboo around poo

Take a sneak peek inside a new exhibition opening soon at the Science and Industry Museum to flush away the taboo around poo.

New images have been released today, giving a glimpse of what’s inside a world-first exhibition opening in Manchester this summer to flush away the taboo around poo.

Operation Ouch! Food, Poo and You will open at the Science and Industry Museum on Friday 21 July. This outrageous adventure will send visitors on a rib-tickling, taboo-busting voyage through the digestive system, lifting the lid on the fascinating science inside our bodies along the way.

Driven by curiosity and guided by Dr Chris, Dr Xand and Dr Ronx, presenters of the hit CBBC show, Operation Ouch!, the exhibition will investigate some of the body’s funniest functions to discover the job of each digestive organ and understand how the entire system keeps our bodies healthy, provides energy and expels waste.

New artist impressions, released today, offer a first glimpse inside the exhibition and unveil further details, including an experience that’s set to be one of the most unusual and unforgettable of the summer.

After being squeezed through the intestines, visitors can embrace the silliness and shake off any remaining inhibitions by putting on a ‘poo hat’ as they get flushed down a giant toilet. Passing through the pan, they will end their journey inside the Doctors’ interactive lab, where they can continue to get hands on with a host of games and activities.

A second visual shows where the voyage begins. After entering through the Doctors’ elusive ‘cupboard of everything’ they will be greeted by a mouth and a set of super-sized set of teeth. Interactive activities will uncover the different roles of our teeth and tongue as they chew, mash and pulp food ready for our bodies to digest, ahead of visitors being swallowed down the oesophagus into a section dedicated to the stomach.

This epic adventure will include plenty of opportunity for physical play and fact-finding, as well as the chance to explore unusual objects from the Science Museum Group’s medical collections and hear from young people living with different digestive health conditions. A specially created soundscape will also follow visitors through the experience, heightening the feeling of being inside the human body. All of this is underpinned by solid science that aims to empower visitors to understand more about the inner workings of their own bodies and the role of science in supporting digestive health.

Steven Leech, Curator of Exhibitions at the Science and Industry Museum, said: “We’re smashing taboos with this exhibition, proving that it’s not only fun to talk about everything from burps to belly rumbles and projectile vomit to poo, it’s essential in understanding and maintaining a healthy relationship with our bodies.

“We’re so excited to welcome people inside the exhibition. It’s going to be a truly spectacular show of super-sized science and one that we hope will leave people feeling entertained, empowered, and more accepting of our grossness!”

Director of BBC Children’s & Education, Patricia Hidalgo, says: “We know that there is nothing more engaging than a real-life experience, that’s why we want to bring our BBC Children’s much-loved TV brands into the real world, to deliver unforgettable experiences that educate and entertain young brilliant minds.”

The exhibition is supported by Principal Sponsor, Andrex. Matt Stone, UK and Ireland marketing director of parent company Kimberly-Clark, said: “We’re really proud to be sponsoring the Operation Ouch! exhibition. It’s a fantastic, hands-on and fun way for families to really understand what’s happening inside their bodies and what comes out. The more knowledge kids have and the more comfortable they are with the topic, the better the choices they can make when it comes to their health and hygiene.”

Operation Ouch! Food, Poo and You will bring the hit BBC Children’s TV series, Operation Ouch!, to life for the first time as an exhibition experience. It has been developed by the Science and Industry Museum and produced in collaboration with BBC and 141 Productions, part of All3Media’s Objective Media Group.

The exhibition will also inspire a summer-long programme of family fun. From 22 July – 3 September.

Visitors can discover more about our brilliant bodies by bringing a fluffy friend to the museum’s Teddy Hospital.

The new ‘departments’ of Heads, Hearts, Bones and Bottoms will be set up around the museum, demonstrating more ways to keep whole bodies healthy. The museum’s expert Explainers will also premiere a new interactive science show packed full of fun facts and wow moments about how our bodies work.

Tickets for Operation Ouch! Foot, Poo and You are available to book on http://www.scienceandindustrymuseum.org.uk/operation-ouch, priced at £10 for adults, £9 children, senior and concessions, with children aged three and under going free.

The exhibition will open at an exciting time in the development of the Science and Industry Museum, as it continues to undergo a multi-million-pound regeneration project that will see brand new spaces opened and significant improvements made to some of its best-loved galleries.

Although this means some areas will remain temporarily closed, there is still plenty to do, see and enjoy as visitors explore 250 years of innovations and ideas that change the world.