However, as yummy as the food was, we were also there to visit the museum itself. We were given tours around two of the exhibitions; Bollywood Icons and Tom Wood. It was a great opportunity to learn about two aspects of culture which I frankly know nothing about.Firstly, the Bollywood Icons exhibition runs until the 16th June and documents 100 years of Indian Cinema. It was fascinating to learn about the dynasties of families involved in Indian cinema and iconic women within Bollywood and I wouldn’t have got as much out of the exhibition if it wasn’t for the curator Irna’s commentary. I went away with a list of Bollywood films to try and I look forward to watching something a bit more cultured!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We then went to the Tom Wood exhibition for some photography, which also runs until the 16th June. I don’t know much about photography but I am fascinated by it, so I loved the opportunity to see the work of a little known, but still extremely talented, photographer. I liked that Emily explained a little about Tom’s work then let us loose to explore the pictures for ourselves. I particularly enjoyed some of Tom’s bus shelter photos- the shots were taken through a variety of windows and reflective surfaces and created really interesting and complex images. I also enjoyed the ‘imperfect’ nature of SLR photography and the process of printing such images. It contrasts with today’s hyper-digital age – I love the idea of taking hundreds of photos, developing them and seeing what appears. Sometimes I feel that the delete button on my DSLR is more of a hindrance to my photography than a help, as I delete the ‘imperfect’ shots which can actually prove to be just as interesting as the ‘perfect’ ones.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Overall I had a brilliant time at the museum and I can’t wait to go back and explore the other parts of the museum. Many thanks to the Media Museum, especially Emily, Irna, Phil and Kieron, for hosting such a lovely evening, I will certainly be returning soon.
If you want to visit the museum, check out their website. It is free and has a variety of exhibitions, including the changing exhibitions that I got to see, the Kodak gallery, tracking the development of photography, and Games Lounge full of arcade games – so you are bound to find something that suits you. If not, you can always try their yummy cafe which is open until 10pm or go to one of their cinemas, including the huge IMAX.