Children flock to 1001 Inventions in Rotterdam

Visiting schools report positive engagement with science exhibition

Rotterdam, 1st October 2014: More than one thousand children are visiting the award-winning 1001 Inventions in Rotterdam every week, since the worldwide blockbuster show began its Dutch premiere a month ago. Feedback from visitors has been exceptionally positive, and the science show that has been wowing audience all over the world is attracting bookings from schools and families in the Netherlands, welcoming organised group visits from as far afield as Belgium, France and Germany.

Exhibitions produced by 1001 Inventions have received more than six million visitors at blockbuster residencies in cities around the world breaking visitor number records in LondonNew YorkLos Angeles,Washington DCDohaAbu DhabiIstanbulJeddahDhahranHassaKula LumpurSharjah, and Karlstad.

Speaking at a press conference in Rotterdam earlier today, Ahmed Salim, Producer and Director of 1001 Inventions said:

Our British-based team has been regularly visiting Rotterdam since the Spring and we’ve watched with delight as the partners here in the Netherlands have made this Dutch installation as impressive as any we have seen anywhere on the world tour of 1001 Inventions. The positive visitor feedback, and the fact we’re attracting international visitors from neighbouring countries, demonstrates that there is a huge interest in the exciting, surprising, enjoyable and enlightening experience.

1001 Inventions is a family-friendly, award-winning science exhibition that uncovers a fascinating truth. It presents a special period in the history of science in a fun and engaging way. It is designed to inspire young people to have a stronger passion for science, and uncovers a relatively unknown story helping us further understand the origins of many things we enjoy today.

It is NOT about religion. Nor is it political in nature. Its aims are entirely educational, with a strong focus on enriching the teaching of science in schools and providing educators with compelling resources that can be shared with their students.

Many of us are taught that, after the fall of the Greek and Roman Empires, scientific and cultural advancement entered a period of stagnation until the European Renaissance more than a thousand years later. Could this be true? Did nothing really happen during a millennium of human history? 1001 Inventions begins to answer that question.

This science exhibition is about the achievements of men and women of different cultures, faiths and none. From the 7th to the 17th century, in a geographic area spreading at various times from Spain to China, a flowering of scientific and cultural achievement took place, within what historians refer to as ‘Muslim Civilisation’.

Scholars and scientists from that era built on knowledge of ancient civilisations making breakthroughs in the fields of physics, chemistry, biology, medicine, mathematics, astronomy and the social sciences.

This is a unique opportunity for the people of The Netherlands to discover a relatively unknown period in the history of science.

The exhibition is a huge global success and the result of a massive international effort involving more than 50 authoritative academics and more than 300 experts and professionals from around the world. In 2011, it was voted the world’s best touring exhibition by the museums industry in the UK.

Every word in the 1001 Inventions exhibition has been independently reviewed by the prestigious London Science Museum before it welcomed 400,000 visitors. It was then reviewed by the California Science Center before 500,000 visitors saw the exhibition in Los Angeles. National Geographic Museum also reviewed the amazing stories that are presented in the exhibition. You’ll find more than 500 academic references and sources are published online at 1001inventions.com/references.

This work is made possible thanks to the support of many international partners. However, we owe a particular debt of thanks to the British government which, through various departments and initiatives, provided the funding to launch this project when it was still in its infancy. We would not be here today if it wasn’t for the enthusiastic support we received in the United Kingdom from local and national government. As well as a large number of philanthropic benefactors, we are also grateful for the ongoing support we have received from Universities and their academic experts who have contributed so much in the furtherance of our educational goals.

We rely on the latest research from the academic community. We continuously work with experts to further develop the content especially when authoritative academics make new claims. In fact the exhibition catalogue is already in its 3rd edition, and published by National Geographic.

This is just the tip of the iceberg. More research needs to be carried out into this important period of history, and we encourage more academics to dedicate their time and effort into helping us to gain a better understanding of this era in human history that continues to surprise and impress us as we gain more knowledge about its achievements and impact.

About 1001 Inventions

1001 Inventions is an award-winning, British based organisation, that creates international educational campaigns and engaging transmedia productions aiming to raise awareness of the contributions to science, technology and culture from the Golden Age of Muslim Civilisation.

For one thousand years from the 7th century onwards, inspirational men and women, of different faiths and cultures built upon knowledge of ancient civilisations, making discoveries that have had a huge and often underappreciated impact on our world.

In an area that spread from Spain to China, this Golden Age of Muslim Civilisation saw fascinating advancements in science and technology that helped pave the way for the European Renaissance.

Over the last decade, 1001 Inventions has engaged with over 100 million people across the globe, with educational campaigns in cities such as LondonNew YorkLos AngelesWashington DCDohaAbu Dhabi,IstanbulJeddahDhahranHassaKula LumpurSharjah, and Karlstad.

1001 Inventions works with a network of international partners and the world’s leading academics to produce world-class experiences, blockbuster interactive exhibits, short feature films, live shows, books and classroom learning materials that are being used by hundreds of thousands of educators around the world.

Further information can be found at www.1001inventions.com/rotterdam and www.1001inventions.nl.