This year we’re celebrating the 250th Anniversary of the Lunar Society which shaped the world we live in today and helped spark the industrial revolution. With a range of exciting new events at Erasmus Darwin House, including lectures, family days, a conference and a light show, 2016 is set to be a year of Lunarcy! 250 years ago, under the light of a full moon, a group of Midland’s men began meeting to discuss ground-breaking ideas – from natural philosophy to transport systems – and the Lunar society was born! Members included Erasmus Darwin, Josiah Wedgwood, entrepreneur Matthew Boulton, engineer James Watt, chemist and Unitarian Minister Joseph Priestley and James Keir, one of the greatest experimental chemists. The Lunarticks (as they were known) often met at Erasmus Darwin House in Lichfield and developed ideas for electrotherapy, steam engines, analytical chemistry and much more. Their ideas were considered dangerous by the establishment and led to riots in Birmingham in 1791. Despite this, their influential ideas changed society and are still remembered today.

Join us for a year-long celebration and a packed programme of talks, events, competitions, a stunning Son et Lumière and more. Throughout the year, Erasmus Darwin House will be hosting a series of lectures focused on the different members of the Lunar Society. Join us each month on the night of the full moon, between January and November, for talks covering topics from female education through to clock making and engineering. Notable speakers include Dr Malcolm Dick, Dr Kate Iles and Professor Johnathan Powers. All are welcome and tickets are priced at £5 each, with the holder entitled to half-price entry to Birmingham’s Soho House.

April sees the arrival of Joseph Wright’s famous portrait of Erasmus Darwin. The painting, which is being loaned to Erasmus Darwin House by Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, will take centre stage alongside his 18th century microscope at our free Family Day on Saturday 30th April. From 11am- 5pm, there will be Georgian activities, a tea room and much more. Also on Saturday 30th April will be a celebratory “Moonlight” Dinner, held at the Guildhall, Lichfield in the company of historian and broadcaster Adam Hart Davis. Tickets are priced at £35 and will include a delicious three course meal at this beautiful venue, as well as pre-dinner drinks accompanied by a lightshow orchestrated by Lichfield Cathedral’s resident artist Peter Walker.

For those seeking an in-depth look at the Lunar Society and its significance, Erasmus Darwin House will also be holding a two day conference on 14 – 15th October, with speakers to include Dr Patricia Fara, Dr Jonathan Atherton, Dr Isabelle Charmantier (Linnaean Society), Jenny Uglow & Dr Martin Priestman. Tickets for the conference are priced at £75 per person. The weekend will culminate in a three course buffet dinner at the George Hotel in Lichfield on Saturday 15th October, in the company of historian and author Wendy Moore. For more details or to book places at any of the events, go to www.erasmusdarwin.org or telephone 01543 306260.