Here’s One We Made Earlier: Celebrate BBC Children’s programmes past and present in biggest ever exhibition at The Lowry

The changing world of BBC Children’s radio and television programming will be the focus of a three-month exhibition at The Lowry this summer.

Here’s One We Made Earlier - which will look at the past, present and future of children’s broadcasting on the BBC - will open on Saturday 19 July and run until Sunday 12 October.

It will explore the complete story of more than 90 years of BBC Children’s, moving from the first days of broadcasting in 1922 with the launch of Children’s Hour, right up to the present multi-media moment.  The interactive exhibition will pull together iconic items, footage, puppets and props from the BBC Archives as well as from private and public collections across the country.

The exhibition will be co-curated with local children and as well as revisiting favourite broadcast moments from across the generations, visitors can peep behind the scenes, having a go at being presenters themselves and trying a range of hands-on activities. 

The exhibition will also ponder the question of how children’s broadcasting has both changed, and remained the same over almost a century – from when toddlers were asked to ‘sit comfortably’ to today’s children who take centre stage on air. 

Joe Godwin, director of BBC Children’s, said: “It’s great to be launching an exhibition of this kind in partnership with our close neighbours at The Lowry.  From Muffin the Mule and Andy Pandy to Crackerjack, Newsround and Blue Peter, most British childhoods have been defined by the programmes and characters we love when we're young, many of them provided by the BBC.

“It’s really exciting to be able to showcase current programmes, as well as look back at some favourites from the past 92 years of BBC children's programmes.  Families will be able to come along and enjoy the exhibition together which is incredibly important to us and we’re looking forward to hearing what visitors think.”

Michael Simpson, director of visual arts and engagement at The Lowry, said: “This exhibition is as much about today as it is about yesterday.  There will be plenty of blasts from the past, but it will also be looking at how relevant and important children’s broadcasting remains, and how children’s viewing and listening habits are changing”