Light Up Lancaster’s much-loved Explore Week returns from 26 to 30 October, bringing five days of free, family-friendly activities to The Storey during half term. Designed to spark curiosity and creativity, Explore Week offers hands-on workshops, interactive experiences and exciting opportunities to discover the worlds of art, light and science.

Delivered in partnership with Lancaster University’s Engagement Team, the programme is a fun and accessible way for children and families to get involved, learn something new and enjoy a week of creative exploration ahead of the main Light Up Lancaster festival.

View the programme below, plus don’t miss:

Monday 26 October 2026
LOCATION	ACTIVITY	ARTIST / ORGANISATION	DESCRIPTION
Auditorium	Imaginary Light Landscapes	Alan Morris	Using a projected live camera feed, create your own imaginary worlds.
Reading Room	Drawing with Shadows	Rachel Shore	Build a collaborative artwork with found objects, light and shadow.
Music Room	Hot Air Balloon Lanterns	Creative Ewe	Decoupage your hot air balloon paper lantern, then light it up. Plus Design a Lighthouse for younger children – supported by Our Future Coast.
Gallery	Solar-Powered Lego Cars	Campus in the City: Physics Department	Build and drive a mini solar-powered Lego car.
Gallery	Face Painting	Lancaster and Morecambe College: Specialist Makeup	Have your face painted by the Specialist Makeup students from  Lancaster and Morecambe College.
Extra			DIY Activity Tables
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Tuesday 27 October 2026
LOCATION	ACTIVITY	ARTIST / ORGANISATION	DESCRIPTION
Auditorium	Painting with Light	Ethan Ward	Paint with light itself captured through long exposure photography.
Reading Room	Clay Glow Houses	Ingrid’s Pottery	Sculpt glowing clay houses inspired by Lancaster’s historic buildings.
Music Room	A Sky Full of Stars	Creative Ewe	Paint a beautiful night sky, then reveal a constellation of twinkling stars.
Gallery	Global Geli Plate Printing	Jess Levine Artist	Make unique geli plate prints inspired by the colours of world flags.
Gallery	Seaside Cinema	Campus in the City: Film Studies	An archival treasure trove of Morecambe’s cinema history to explore.
Gallery	Arctic Music Making	Three Degrees High and Rising: David Shooter, More Music	Create your own soundtrack in this interactive, electronic, audiovisual installation.
Gallery	Face Painting	Lancaster and Morecambe College: Specialist Makeup	Have your face painted by the Specialist Makeup students from Lancaster and Morecambe College.
Extra			DIY Activity Tables
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Wednesday 28 October 2026
LOCATION	ACTIVITY	ARTIST / ORGANISATION	DESCRIPTION
Auditorium	Gadgets, Gizmos and Thingamajigs	Lancaster Makerspace	Back by popular demand… explore, discover and play!
Reading Room	Willow Bird Lanterns	Mudfolk	Weave your own bird-inspired light-up willow lantern.
Music Room	Geometric Mobile Making	Molly Bland	Create your own Alexander Calder inspired geometric hanging mobile.
Gallery	Solar-Powered Lego Cars	Campus in the City: Physics Department	Build and drive a mini solar-powered Lego car.
Gallery	Under Your Skin: Inside the Human Body	Campus in the City: Fidelis Chibhabha	Explore human anatomy through four fun hands-on activities.
Gallery	Foretelling the Futures of the Hospital	Campus in the City: Benjamin Dalton	What could future hospitals look like? Consult the cards.
Gallery	Face Painting	Lancaster and Morecambe College: Specialist Makeup	Have your face painted by the Specialist Makeup students from Lancaster and Morecambe College.
Extra			DIY Activity Tables
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Thursday 29 October 2026
LOCATION	ACTIVITY	ARTIST / ORGANISATION	DESCRIPTION
Auditorium	Gadgets, Gizmos and Thingamajigs	Lancaster Makerspace	Back by popular demand… explore, discover and play!
Reading Room	Glow-in-the-Dark Flags	Artscool	Design your own flag and watch it glow under UV light.
Music Room	Drawn to the Moon	Rachel Allsop	Make glowing paper moths and graffiti a giant handmade moon.
Gallery	Chinese Shadow Puppet Papercutting	Lancaster University: Confucius Institute	Create shadow puppets through the art of papercutting to tell a story.
Gallery	AI Investigators: Spot the Bot	Campus in the City: Sophie Nightingale & Justin Lo	Can you tell what’s real, and what’s AI?
Gallery	Face Painting	Lancaster and Morecambe College: Specialist Makeup	Have your face painted by the Specialist Makeup students from Lancaster and Morecambe College.
Extra			DIY Activity Tables
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	Please note that the ‘Clodhoppers, Jackbit and Snigs – oh my!” workshop has unfortunately been cancelled today.
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Friday 30 October 2026
LOCATION	ACTIVITY	ARTIST / ORGANISATION	DESCRIPTION
Auditorium	UV Street Signs	Escape2Make	Design reinvented street signs through UV and mixed media under blacklight.
Reading Room	Shadow Theatre Books	Rebecca Lanyon Willmott	Create a little illuminated world where shadow puppets can play.
Music Room	South Asian Cultural Crafts	Preston City Mela	Henna, Macrame, Flower Garlands, Warli Painting, Jar Lanterns, Calligraphy and more!
Gallery	South Asian Cultural Crafts	Preston City Mela	Henna, Macrame, Flower Garlands, Warli Painting, Jar Lanterns, Calligraphy and more!
Gallery	AI Investigators: Spot the Bot	CITC: Sophie Nightingale & Justin Lo	Can you tell what’s real, and what’s AI?
Gallery	Face Painting	Lancaster and Morecambe College: Specialist Makeup	Have your face painted by the Specialist Makeup students from Lancaster and Morecambe College.
			DIY Activity Tables