Museums are finding new ways to inspire and educate

When Charles Darwin set sail on HMS Beagle from Plymouth at the end of 1831, he began a five-year journey that would change the way humanity thinks about itself and its relationship with the living world.

He was a young man, just 22, fuelled by a passion for his work any scientist will recognise. This is the Darwin you will encounter in the play The Wider Earth, which is being staged at the Natural History Museum. Using magical puppetry from the same stable as War Horse, the production introduces audiences to the fascinating natural history Darwin observed on the Beagle expedition.

Being transported to the far side of the world with the young Darwin makes for a radically different kind of museum experience. Once visitors have seen the show they can take just a few steps to see original specimens collected by Darwin on that same voyage. These natural history treasures, part of our collection of more than 80 million specimens, are at the heart of everything we do.

We are not alone in pushing the boundaries. With the capital now awash with experiential and immersive events, our great arts and heritage institutions are finding new ways to entertain as well as educate. Our neighbours in South Kensington are no exceptions. The Videogames exhibition at the V&A uses large-scale immersive installations and interactives to bring to life this fascinating art form. Over at the Science Museum’s Imax cinema you can take a space walk with astronauts.

Here at the NHM you can venture into the shadows in our special Life in the Dark exhibition to meet more than 100 creatures, some brand new to science, that have adapted to life without sunlight. It’s our most immersive exhibition yet, with stunning light installations recreating habitats hidden from view — from a bat cave to the depths of the ocean,

Or, at our silent discos, you can make waves on the dancefloor under our plunging blue whale, Hope. Hope also presides over more Zen-like experiences — one of our most popular offerings is early-morning yoga, complete with gong baths.

Not everything has to be interactive. This month we’ll be showcasing the latest winners in our perennially popular Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition. Just witnessing these astonishing images up close draws us into the drama, the beauty and even the humour of the natural world.

This is what the Natural History Museum has always been here to do and will continue to do — to inspire Londoners and visitors from further afield to connect to the natural world. It’s never been more vital for us to do this, and finding dynamic new ways to enthral will be key.

• Clare Matterson is director of engagement at the Natural History Museum. To book tickets for The Wider Earth, visit nhm.ac.uk.