Board Games Night

Get ready for a showcase of the most hilariously bad album art ever created! The Worst Record Covers in the World exhibition features collector Steve Goldman’s unique selection of over 500 unintentionally awful record sleeves. From bizarre design choices to laugh-out-loud concepts gone wrong, this exhibition celebrates creative risk and the joy of failure in art. Visitors can even listen to tracks from these records and vote for their favourite “worst” cover. Admission is free — come for the cringe, stay for the comedy!

Explore the history of gladiatorial fights in Britain.   The events of the amphitheatre – its wild beasts and enslaved fighters – are one of the most enduring aspects of Roman culture that still capture the public imagination today. This touring exhibition brings together some of the country's most important objects to tell the story of Britain's entertainment venues and the people who died to the roar of the crowd. It will reveal the violence of the arena, and the importance of spectacle within Roman culture. Highlights include the Colchester Vase loaned by Colchester Museums, which records an actual battle between two real gladiators, and the Hawkedon Helmet, the only confirmed piece of gladiatorial armour from Roman Britain. These iconic loans will be supported by a selection of other items that reveal the popularity of gladiators throughout Roman society. This tour is in partnership with Colchester and Ipswich Museums and is inspired by the recent exhibition at Colchester Castle, Gladiators: A Day at the Roman Games which featured British Museum loans. It will explore Roman spectacle in the local region, following in the footsteps of the gladiators who fought in the amphitheatres of Britain.

Get ready for a showcase of the most hilariously bad album art ever created! The Worst Record Covers in the World exhibition features collector Steve Goldman’s unique selection of over 500 unintentionally awful record sleeves. From bizarre design choices to laugh-out-loud concepts gone wrong, this exhibition celebrates creative risk and the joy of failure in art. Visitors can even listen to tracks from these records and vote for their favourite “worst” cover. Admission is free — come for the cringe, stay for the comedy!

Explore the history of gladiatorial fights in Britain.   The events of the amphitheatre – its wild beasts and enslaved fighters – are one of the most enduring aspects of Roman culture that still capture the public imagination today. This touring exhibition brings together some of the country's most important objects to tell the story of Britain's entertainment venues and the people who died to the roar of the crowd. It will reveal the violence of the arena, and the importance of spectacle within Roman culture. Highlights include the Colchester Vase loaned by Colchester Museums, which records an actual battle between two real gladiators, and the Hawkedon Helmet, the only confirmed piece of gladiatorial armour from Roman Britain. These iconic loans will be supported by a selection of other items that reveal the popularity of gladiators throughout Roman society. This tour is in partnership with Colchester and Ipswich Museums and is inspired by the recent exhibition at Colchester Castle, Gladiators: A Day at the Roman Games which featured British Museum loans. It will explore Roman spectacle in the local region, following in the footsteps of the gladiators who fought in the amphitheatres of Britain.