Free entry for teachers to Te Papa’s Wonderland exhibition

Issue: Volume 98, Number 20

Posted: 21 November 2019
Reference #: 1HA2wZ

Teachers can venture down the rabbit hole for free at this summer’s immersive exhibition Wonderland at Te Papa in Wellington. The exhibition opens on 7 December 2019 and runs until 8 March 2020.

Wonderland celebrates the screen history of English author Lewis Carroll’s timeless stories —Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1865), and Through the Looking Glass, and What Alice Found There (1871) — in an experiential exhibition. 

Te Papa’s Head of Learning Pamela Streeter says the exhibition is full of wonder and imagination to inspire creativity in students to tell their own stories.

“Te Papa values New Zealand’s teachers and by enabling them to have free access to the exhibition, we are recognising their contribution to learning in Aotearoa. The museum is also giving them the opportunity to share this learning with their students,” she says.  

The exhibition begins in Lewis Carroll’s drawing room, where visitors are handed their own Lost Map of Wonderlanda physical and digital device unlocking surprising experiences during their exhibition journey and beyond.

Experiences include Down the Rabbit Hole which transports visitors from the real world, into Wonderland. The Hallway of Doors introduces Lewis Carroll, Alice Liddell and the key Wonderland characters, objects and places. Pre- cinematic optical toys and early theatrical versions feature in the Pool of Tears, and Looking Glass House shows a collection of live action objects and effects.

Visitors are invited to take a seat at the digital and interactive experience Mad Hatter’s Tea Party, and can use their Lost Map of Wonderland to create a character of themselves and scan it into a large scale projection in the Queens Croquet Ground. A multiple screen audio visual room showcases Alice from different times, cultures and media.

Pamela explains that Wonderland celebrates many styles of storytelling and over a century of technical innovations in the film industry.

“Communication, innovation and creativity are some of the most prized skills expected of students and this exhibition showcases them in spades,” she says.

The exhibition features more than 300 unique objects including spectacular costumes, puppets, magic lantern projectors, props, concept drawings, first edition publications and illustrations, and animation cels.

Pamela says Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is a timeless classic of childhood imagination and fantasy which celebrates the wonder and creativity of children.

“Stories of Alice have been a fruitful source of film and media for over 100 years. Wonderland is a truly exciting and immersive experience, where students and young people can learn about how film making has evolved in the last 100 years. It will be especially inspiring for any aspiring young film-makers or storytellers,” she says.

Carroll’s tales have been the subject of more than 40 films and over 30 television programs. The exhibition is an interactive experience which also charts the evolution of special effects from pre-cinema and silent films, to animation, puppetry, live action and CGI.

Wonderland was conceived and created by curators Jessica Bram and Sarah Tutton at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) in Melbourne, and was designed by exhibition and theatrical designer Anna Tregloan.

Free access for teachers

Entry to Wonderland is every half hour and there are limited numbers of free spaces available per session. To secure your free entry– we advise arriving in advance of your preferred session time, and week day afternoons from 2.30pm are generally quieter in our summer blockbuster exhibitions.

Teachers cannot book free tickets online. Free access is available only at Te Papa Level 4 Exhibition ticket desk with a valid Teachers Registration card, and is subject to availability. Free tickets are for teachers only and cannot be offered to friends and family of teachers.

Discounted tickets for classes

An exclusive school group price of $35 per five students, plus one teacher or adult helper. Additional students cost $7 per student, and additional adults pay the full cost of $22.95.

Find out more here(external link)

Standard ticket prices

Adults: $22.95
Children 3 – 15 years: $11.95
Children under 3: free
Family (2 adults, 2 children): $59.95

Student and concession tickets also available.

For more information visit tepapa.nz/wonderland(external link).

BY Education Gazette editors
Education Gazette | Tukutuku Kōrero, reporter@edgazette.govt.nz

Posted: 2:04 pm, 21 November 2019

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