Our food, our health and our planet: The Crunch Comes to Thinktank

Thinktank, Birmingham Science Museum, is fast becoming the Midlands hub of a national initiative aimed at helping people explore the links between food, how it is produced, and the impact that it has on ourselves and the planet. 

The Crunch will see Thinktank’s team of expert educators head out into the community, to festivals and events around Birmingham. The Crunch team will be sharing workshops, discussions and activities, which will help families better understand the origins of their food and drink.  Visitors can continue their involvement at home, with a new game from the team behind Wallace and Gromit, Aardman, called Hungry City which you can find at www.bit.ly/hungrycity.

“This is a fantastic project created by the Wellcome Trust on a subject that affects everyone one of us several times per day.  Understanding where our food comes from and how to make healthier choices for both ourselves and the environment will have a huge impact on the next generation, and we’ve got some fantastic plans to help them appreciate this in a fun and engaging way,” explains Learning Officer for Birmingham Museums, Edward Shelley.  “You’ll find us at fêtes and festivals around the region, from the Luna Festival in Tamworth from 3 to 5 June, to the Cannon Hill Park Allotment Festival in August.”

As part of Thinktank’s involvement, sites in the Birmingham Museums group – including Aston Hall, Blakesley Hall, Museum of the Jewellery Quarter, Weoley Castle Ruins, Sarehole Mill and Soho House – will host their own days on The Crunch during August, where visitors can find out more about how our food, our health and our planet are linked.

“Whilst we are hoping that our outreach teams can meet as many families around the region as possible, there’s lots more going on. Schools will also be receiving resource kits, and you can explore more activities on The Crunch website – from a film showing how much water is embedded in the food that we eat, to the Hungry City game,” adds Edward. 

Thinktank, Birmingham Science Museum is located at Birmingham’s Millennium Point.  Open seven days a week from 10.00am to 5.00pm, admission prices are £13 for adults, £9.50 for concessions and children, under 3s go free.  For more information, please visit www.birminghammuseums.org.uk/thinktank

ENDS

The Crunch Community Days:

Fri 3 – Sun 5 June, Luna Festival, Tamworth

Sat 2 July, CoCoMAD Festival, Cotteridge Park

Sun 3 July, Picnic in the Park, Warley Woods

Sat 9 July, Erdington Village Fete, Erdington High Street

Sat 16 – Sun 17 July, Birmingham Mela, Victoria Park

Sat 23 – Sun 24 July, Shard Fest, Norman Chamberlain Playing Fields, Birmingham

Tue 26 July, Library of Birmingham

Wed 27 July, Moor Pool Hall, Harborne

Fri 29 – Sun 31 July, Chris Evans’ Carfest North, Bolesworth, Cheshire

Tue 2 Aug, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery

Wed 3 Aug, Science Garden, Thinktank, Birmingham Science Museum

Thu 4 Aug, Northfield Beach, Northfield

Fri 5 Aug, Blakesley Hall, Yardley

Sat 6 Aug, Northfield Beach, Northfield

Tue 9 Aug, Erdington Town Centre

Wed 10 Aug, Aston Hall, Aston
Fri 12 Aug, Weoley Castle Ruins, Weoley Castle

Tue 16 Aug, Library of Birmingham

Thu 18 Aug, Sarehole Mill, Hall Green
Fri 19 Aug, Soho House, Handsworth
Tue 23 Aug, Museum of the Jewellery Quarter, Hockley

Wed 24 Aug, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery
Sat 27 – Mon 29 Aug, Allotment Festival, Cannon Hill Park
Fri 2 – Sun 4 Sep, Moseley Folk Festival, Moseley Park

Notes to editors:

About The Crunch

The Crunch is brought to you by the Wellcome Trust, an independent charitable foundation dedicated to improving health around the world.  The Crunch aims to inspire everyone to consider the connections between our food, our health and our planet, so that we can all help create the recipe for a happier, healthier future.

Birmingham Museums Trust

Birmingham Museums Trust is an independent charity that manages the city’s museum collection and venues on behalf of Birmingham City Council.  It uses the collection of around 800,000 objects to provide a wide range of arts, cultural and historical experiences, events and activities that deliver accessible learning, creativity and enjoyment for citizens and visitors to the city.  Most areas of the collection are designated as being of national importance, including the finest collection of Pre-Raphaelite art in the world.  Attracting over one million visits a year, the Trust’s venues include Aston Hall, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, Blakesley Hall, Museum Collections Centre, Museum of the Jewellery Quarter, Sarehole Mill, Soho House, Thinktank and Weoley Castle.  www.birminghammuseums.org.uk

For further media information or photographs, please contact:

Jay Commins

Pyper York Limited

Tel:         01904 500698

Email:    jay@pyperyork.co.uk