Life Science Centre unveils new £1.5 million exhibition to celebrate 25 years

Life communications

Author 23 May 2025 5 min read

Life Science Centre in Newcastle is marking its 25th birthday this month with a major £1.5 million investment in an innovative new exhibition exploring light, colour and sound.

And as a special thank you to people across the North East, entry prices to the science centre will be reduced by 25% for all of the May half term holiday.

Lightbox, which will be unveiled on 24 May, is the culmination of two years development and features 14 hands-on interactive exhibits created by internationally recognised artists and specialists.

At the heart of the exhibition is a striking 8-metre-high moving string sculpture ‘String Wave’ created by kinetic artist Paul Friedlander, whose work has been displayed in more than 20 countries and on four continents.

Artist Paul Friedlander pictured in front of String of Waves exhibit in Lightbox

Paul, who trained as a physicist, discovered the chaotic properties of spinning string and is credited with inventing the technique of chromastrobic light (light that changes colour faster than the human eye can see). This has influenced many of his works since, including String Wave, his largest permanent installation.

Other Lightbox exhibits include a large multi-user projection developed by BAFTA-winning immersive games studio Preloaded, where visitors can play with simulated water, waves and ducks; and a 10m high tornado tower, the largest in Europe, created by German based exhibition designers Huttinger.

Lightbox marks the 25th birthday of Life, which was officially opened by the late Queen Elizabeth II in 2000 to mark the new millennium. Since opening, an average of 250,000 people each year have visited the science centre, enjoying a range of family friendly hands-on exhibits, live science shows and the region’s most advanced planetarium – as well as curriculum linked schools’ workshops and special events for pre-schoolers and adults.

“It’s fantastic to be celebrating 25 years of Life and to do so in style with the opening of Lightbox.

“The people of the North East have shown us great support over the years. I hope they enjoy this new exhibition, which is a wonderful combination of creative interactive experiences based on light, sound and colour.”

Linda Conlon, Chief Executive of the International Centre for Life

As it enters its next chapter, Life aims to build on its international reputation as one of the most accessible and inclusive visitor attractions in the world. This has attracted global acclaim and many accolades including the international Mariano Gago Award (the ‘Oscar’ of the science engagement world) for work with autistic communities.