• Immerse yourself in a cosmic opera film which explores the border between fact and imagination

• Encounter female scientists on stilts as part of Women and Girls in STEM day

• Be inspired by live performance poetry at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery.  

Birmingham Museums has unveiled its new seasonal programme of events to inspire and unlock creativity across its sites in the New Year.  

The programme opens with a celebration of Queen’s creative genius in Queen Heaven, an immersive fulldome show that brings to life the music of one of the greatest rock bands of all time, from the foot-stomping energy of We Will Rock You to the epic sweep of Bohemian Rhapsody, as part of the planetarium lates series at Thinktank, Birmingham Science Museum starting Friday 9 January.  

Another highlight is the first public film screening of an immersive cosmic opera which follows the thoughts of a real-life astrophysicist exploring the border between fact and imagination at Thinktank on Friday 16 January.  

The Flowering Desert is inspired by the work of Professor Amaury Triaud, the discoverer of over one hundred exoplanets (planets which orbit stars other than the Sun). The film was produced by Infinite Opera and includes visuals by Leon Trimble, VJ and audio-visual artist based in Birmingham, who has previously collaborated with astrophysicist Dr Andrew Spencer on an immersive event about gravitational waves for swimmers at Moseley Baths.  

Thinktank will be celebrating Women and Girls in STEM day on Saturday 7 February with a host of creative activities to highlight the impact of women on science, technology, engineering and maths, including kitchen science, STEM story-telling, planetarium shows and female scientists who are also stilt walkers who will be doing ‘science on stilts’.

For spoken word fans, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery is launching a brand new poetry night, Piece of Work, in its historic tearoom on Thursday 29 January. Hosted by award-winning poet local poet Bradley Taylor, it features two headline performers and there will also be an opportunity for emerging poets to sign up for an open mic slot on the night.  

Meanwhile, energetic visitors can get their creative juices flowing with pilates classes with a difference in the Pre-Raphaelite galleries at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery. Starting on Sunday 25 January, these expert-led sessions by Graft Pilates offer exclusive early-morning access to the museum before public opening hours. Participants can unwind in the tearoom afterwards with a hot or cold drink (included in the ticket price).

On St Valentine’s Day (14 February), artist and writer Leah Hickey will be leading Victorian Valentines, a creative workshop inspired by the aesthetic beauty and intimate storytelling of the Pre-Raphaelites.  

Blending Victorian courtship rituals with contemporary self-expression, participants in this three-hour session will hand-craft a keepsake, taking inspiration from Birmingham Museums’ collection of Victorian era Valentines, using Romantic prose and poetry, die-cut scraps and collage techniques. All materials will be provided and advance booking is essential as places are limited.  

At the Museum of the Jewellery Quarter, younger visitors aged eight and above can get creative by taking part in a special children’s jewellery workshop activity on selected dates between 24 January and 21 March.  

With the help of the museum’s friendly learning team, participants can have a go at designing a bracelet or a pendant, learn and use real jewellers’ techniques like texturing metal, hammering, stamping and enamelling and make something unique and personal to take home.

Sara Wajid and Zak Mensah, co-chief executives of Birmingham Museums Trust, said:  

“We are delighted to launch our new programme on the theme of creativity. Museums are powerful places for creative inspiration – spaces where curiosity is encouraged and which remind us that creativity belongs to everyone.  

“This seasonal programme invites visitors to start the New Year by exploring ideas that spark imagination, play, experiment and leave feeling creatively energised.”