Bletchley Park comes to life through art, games and workshops

As part of the UK-wide Museums at Night festival, tickets are now on sale for ‘Blackout Bletchley’, running Friday 26 and Saturday 27 October. This unique, atmospheric night time experience gives visitors the chance to explore the home of the Codebreakers after-hours, enjoying immersive performances from actors that will bring the wartime site to life.

Families can also explore their creativity through special drop-in ‘Mission Possible’ workshops running 23 – 25 October as part of The Big Draw, an international festival of drawing. Inspired Bletchley Park’s archive of almost 500,000 papers from World War Two and influenced by the vital Japanese codebreaking work that took place on site over seventy years ago, visitors can participate in free and fun problem solving games and origami-style activities, and help build a ‘secret installation’.

Bletchley Park’s archives have also inspired artist Sally Annett whose current on-site exhibition ‘Systems of Philosophy – Wall(paper)s of Mind’, explores and re-interprets, the history of science, technology and the power of paper.

Open until 28 October, the exhibition features 2D and 3D artworks, including origami and pieces created using an innovative ‘rose petal transfer engraving’ technique developed by Annett. A free drop-in origami workshop on Sunday 20 October gives visitors the chance to create their own 3D shapes and objects inspired by the exquisite artworks on show.

For those looking to stretch their maths skills and learn more about the ancient history and modern use of code and cyphers, tickets are still available for a special one-day workshop ‘Past, Present and Future: Codes and Ciphers’, taking place on Monday 22 October.