Look200 After Hours – tonight

06 Nov 2014

Artists and scientists celebrate 200 years of life-changing research into vision

An evening of art and music will celebrate and illustrate 200 years of life-changing research into vision, undertaken right here in Manchester.

Look200, a project by artist Lucy Burscough, is being held at Manchester Museum on Thursday 6 November, 6.30-9pm. It is a free, drop in event for adults.

It links with the opening of Burscough’s exhibition of paintings at the Manchester Royal Eye Hospital, exploring the subject and created in partnership with Manchester Museum.

Activities

Throughout the evening you can participate in fascinating activities exploring vision from interesting angles: experience augmented reality as you investigate what it is like to see as if you were colour blind; explore your sense of touch with the Museum’s haptic object handling machine and learn everything there is to know about the history of spectacles with Manchester Royal Eye Hospital’s resident expert, Stephen Golding.

Henshaws Society for Blind People will be able to share their expertise regarding some of the diseases and disorders that can cause sight problems and demonstrate the low vision aids that are available to help people with limited sight.

A group of biomedical scientists will showcase some of the cutting edge clinical research that takes place behind the scenes at Manchester Royal Eye Hospital and may impact on the future of global eye care.

And fun and games will be available to test your colour vision acuity and explore just how animals see.

Presentations

At 7pm by James Sumner, a historian of science, who will talk about the extraordinary life and work of John Dalton as a researcher and teacher in Manchester, including his remarkable diagnosis of his own colour-blindness.

At 7.30pm Dr Annette Allan, a research associate and public engagement specialist who works with neurobiologist Professor Rob Lucas at Manchester University’s Faculty of Life Sciences, will discuss Intrinsically Photosensitive Retinal Ganglion Cells (ipRGCs), only discovered at the turn of this century. Some of what has been discovered about the cells has been interpreted in paint and makes up part of the Look200 exhibition at Manchester Royal Eye Hospital.

At 8pm Professor Paulo Stanga, Vitreo Retinal Specialist and Director of Manchester Vision Regeneration (MVR) Lab, will discuss the innovative technology and novel approaches to treatment that his lab trials and develops. Professor Stanga is one of the few surgeons in the world currently implanting and trialling the ‘bionic eye’ in patients with sight loss at Manchester Royal Eye Hospital. Amazing work- this presentation is not to be missed!

To Round off The Evening

At 8.30pm there will be the première of a specially commissioned audio visual artwork created by Albino Mosquito in collaboration with musician Dan Steele. Beautiful vision-themed imagery manipulated in real time in response to the music, a sublime end to the evening.

You will be welcomed with a glass of wine and throughout the evening Cafe Muse will open serving food and drinks.