Bees: A Story of Survival Exhibition at the World Museum of Liverpool Review

DISCLOSURE – THIS EXPERIENCE WAS GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST/S FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW.

Reviewed by Dottie Rood

Bees: A Story of Survival was one of the most interesting exhibitions I have been to. It was produced in partnership between the World Museum, bee communication expert Professor Martin Bencsik and the artist Wolfgang Buttress.
From the moment you walk in you are immersed in ‘bees’, you can hear them straight away and the visual impact is immediate. The whole exhibition is set over quite a large area but it is engaging all the way through. The exhibition uses many forms of visual activities that draw you in and keep you informed on every level of bees from all over the globe. It explains what is happening with the bees in the present day, also why we are losing many of our bees and how many varieties of bees there are, not only here but in other countries.

The exhibition also shows us how bees live, communicate, suffer, reproduce and much more, it does this in a number of wonderous ways. You are invited to wander through eight ‘rooms’ and using art, our senses, interactive touch screens and so much more we are enthralled by a truly immersive spectacle.

Part of the area you walk through is a huge ‘hive’ and you are encouraged to see things from the bee’s perspective which truly gives you a sense of awe and wonder. One of the main feelings I had whilst walking through the exhibition was one of calm, soothing amazement. Also, I felt sadness that we are losing so many of these precious insects, it did however give me a sense of hope that we still have time to save these wonderous little creature. There was lots of information on why and how we can help save the bees which made for very interesting reading as some of the suggestions are so simple.

I would highly recommend this exhibition and would suggest it as suitable for all age groups and as it is in the World Museum there is also a huge number of other areas to visit.

The World Museum is housed in a beautiful building in Liverpool city centre. It is easy to get to as it is between Lime Street station and both Queens Square bus station and Liverpool One bus station. The World Museum is also close to the entrance to the Queensway Tunnel and has a number of pay and display parking areas close by plus a car park at Queens Square. The World Museum has a large well stocked and reasonably priced restaurant on the ground floor which dates back to 1901 and features some beautiful original artwork, this is open from 10 am to 4.30 pm with lunch served till 3.30 pm. It also has a gift shop that had a number of ‘bee’ relatable gifts alongside other gifts that reflected the other displays and exhibitions within the museum.

Rating: 5/5

Tickets for the exhibition: Adults £12. Concessions (60+, Jobseekers, People with disabilities & Students ) £11. Child: 12-17 years of age £5. Child 0-11 years of age Free. Companion accompanying a person with a disability Free. National Art Pass: Adult £6 Concessions £5.50. World Museum: Free.

This exhibition started 3rd May 2024 and continues to 5th May 2025
At World Museum William Brown Street. Liverpool United Kingdom L3 8EN

For more information or to book tickets, visit www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk or at the museum.