A BRAND new exhibition at Bradford's National Science and Media Museum is now underway, exploring the role that sound plays in our world.

Sound Season began on Friday, and will run until 5 December, as the museum prepares for life post-Covid.

Sound Season explores why sound is important, helping visitors to understand how it works, as well as including interactive features which encourage people to play with and learn more about sound.

The museum is "really excited" following the launch of the exhibition, with staff "delighted" to see visitors return.

"It has been lovely to see people back in the museum, and everyone is genuinely so happy that we are open again", said Sarah Rawlins, Interpretation Developer at the museum.

"We are really excited to be hosting Sound Season. We had to delay its opening last year, due to Covid, but I think we have done a really fantastic job this time around.

"In our galleries, you can follow the journey of a sound wave, how it is created, how it travels through the air and how it is then received by your ears.

"We also have some really cool 19th-century equipment, which will tell you how different structural materials can change the way you hear sound.

"Then there is our crescendo space, a large immersive space where visitors can experience sound, and we also have learning demonstrations with our learning team, as well as workshops, which everyone can take part in.

"We also have a nice section on BBC radio, where we explore how they recorded sounds and then manipulated them to create the jingles and theme tunes from all the programmes you will know, from the 1950s onwards.

"We are also looking at how the size and shape of the source of a sound affects what you hear.

"We have an interactive booth, which uses audio processing to allow visitors to hear their own footsteps as they would sound in different environments, here in Bradford - so we have Ivegate, Bradford Cathedral, the underpass outside the museum as well as local forests and woods.

"We wanted to use spaces people are familiar with, and reference our way back to Bradford wherever we could, as the museum is part of the community and we love being here."

Despite Covid-19 restrictions easing last week, and things slowly moving back to 'normal', the museum is still following coronavirus guidelines.

Free tickets need to be booked online beforehand, so that the number of visitors can be controlled, while visitors are still encouraged to wear masks - unless they are exempt - and to maintain social distancing in the galleries.

"We did some audience research with some of the first visitors back to the museum since reopening, and they said they felt a lot more comfortable visiting with safety measures in place", Sarah added.

"We are hoping that will give people confidence to feel secure in coming back to the museum, but we are just so excited to have people back and to hear people in the corridors again. We do not want to be shut, we just want to see visitors back in and having a fantastic time."

More information on Sound Season and other exhibitions at the museum can be found on its website.