Editorial: Wellcome Collection is one year old

20 June 2008

When we opened Wellcome collection in June 2007, we hoped that the mix of exhibitions and events dedicated to ‘medicine, life and art’ would attract 100 000 visitors in its first 12 months. To our delight, the venue has exceeded our expectations: more than 300 000 people have come through our doors over the past year.

Why has Wellcome Collection been so successful? In part, it is because the UK public is increasingly interested in science and medicine. But Wellcome Collection also offers something new and, I think, unique: the chance to explore different cultural fields inspired by science, and the opportunity to debate and discuss the issues that science raises for society.

The exhibition series has included: 'The Heart', which followed the development of our anatomical knowledge of the heart and considered its far-reaching cultural and symbolic significance; 'Sleeping & Dreaming', which brought together works from artists, scientists, film-makers and historians; and 'Life Before Death', a series of 24 sets of photographs taken of terminally ill people before and after their deaths. The latter was reviewed in the 'Guardian' newspaper’s 'G2' magazine and led to the greatest ever number of hits on their website in 24 hours. The current exhibition, 'From Atoms to Patterns, displays designs from the 1951 Festival of Britain' that were inspired by the structures from X-ray crystallography and runs until 10 August 2008.

In addition, lively and well-attended public events have included the UK’s first interactive broadcasts of live open-heart surgery, debates on topics such as organ donation and medical blogs, walks examining the medical history of London, and a ‘science, ethics and faith’ debate about the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill, broadcast on Radio 4. Online versions of the exhibitions, and videos from a selection of events, can be found on the Wellcome Collection website.

Of course, Wellcome Collection is just one way in which we hope to inspire people to engage with science. The projects we fund range from major exhibitions - such as Inside DNA, produced by the At-Bristol science centre, which explores human molecular genetics and genomics research - to smaller initiatives such as Junior Café Scientifique, which is developing a debate network for schools.

Next year will see exciting activities inspired by the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin’s birth and the 150th anniversary of the publication of 'On The Origin of Species'. We are funding several films and an animation, and a series of Darwin-inspired experiments that will be made available to every UK schoolchild. We hope that these will raise awareness of Charles Darwin’s work, and by example inspire future generations to observe and think about their environment.

Mark Walport

Director of the Wellcome Trust