Poles apart no longer as Arctic Voices opens at Canterbury Museum

Canterbury Museum will host exhibitions that are polar opposites with the opening of the interactive Arctic Voices.

Produced by two of Canada’s leading science institutions, Arctic Voices is a hands-on exhibition that uses interactive experiences, photos, videos and animal and plant specimens to take visitors on a scientific and cultural journey to the ice mass around the North Pole.

While Canterbury Museum holds an internationally recognised Antarctic collection, this new touring exhibition helps visitors explore the northern hemisphere’s frozen land.

Arctic Voices showcases the people and diverse wildlife amid a time of rapid change.

Visitors can come face-to-face with Arctic animals in interactive exhibits or check out the movie theatre or try the traditional art of throat singing.

Canterbury Museum Acting Director Jennifer Storer expects Arctic Voices to particularly attract school-age children to the museum.

“That’s the age group this exhibition is really aimed at, but there’s lots of interesting content for adults too,” she says. “Cantabrians have a well-documented connection to Antarctica but, as this exhibition illustrates, we’re also affected by what happens up at the other pole.

“We thought Arctic Voices would be a nice complement to our Antarctic Gallery.

“You can see penguins and polar bears in the same building.”

Arctic Voices, which is co-produced by Science North and the Canadian Museum of Nature, runs until 3 November.