The city of Cambridge, UK, is to be transformed into a ‘living museum’ for five weeks starting in October as part of a major event called Curating Cambridge.

Funded by Arts Council England and backed by Cambridge City Council, experts and curators from the city’s University museums will exhibit an array of workshops, displays, music, performances and talks and other activities will also be on offer for families.

“There will be a range of opportunities for members of the public to connect their own stories with those found in the museum collections, to join a celebration of our culture and heritage and to take part in an original programme of events,” said a spokesperson for Curating Cambridge.

As part of the event, the Fitzwilliam Museum will host an exhibition focused on the role of mannequins in art, in the museum and on the streets, while video artists Nina Pope and Karen Guthrie will mount a film project in a specially-constructed outdoor gallery cinema. At The Polar Museum, visitors will be invited to use touch-screen technology in an exhibition called The Thing Is.

An exhibition originally run at the Natural History Museum – The Campsite – will feature a collection of vintage motorhomes, caravans and tents, all of which are turned into venues for music, theatre, poetry and art installations.

The city’s Grand Arcade shopping centre will host the Museum of Water – an exhibition which explores water and how we use it – with publicly donated water on display in cabinets and people allowed to make further donations as the exhibition runs.

“Working with cultural organisations and community groups, the University of Cambridge Museums are able to offer a wide ranging programme that celebrates everything that makes Cambridge a great place to be – the people, the tales and the triumphs,” said Cambridge Museums Steering Group chair, Heather Lane.

“Curating Cambridge is a terrific opportunity for visitors to the city, and for local people looking for fun on their doorstep to question, discover and explore all that this vibrant city has to offer.”