Leigh-Anne Stradeski has worked in the science centre sector for more than 21 years in the UK and Canada. Prior to that, she served in senior roles in communications and PR in healthcare and higher education. Currently, Stradeski is the chief executive officer of Eureka! The National Children’s Museum in Halifax, West Yorkshire. She has served in this role since 2000.
In addition, Stradeski is CEO of the new Eureka! Science + Discovery in Wallasey, Merseyside, one of the most deprived areas in the UK. “It is a very deprived community, but also one that is undergoing massive regeneration. We are in the very early stages of that transformation, and will serve as a cultural anchor for the continued regeneration of that area,” Stradeski told blooloop.
The sister site is a place for children to explore science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) through interactive activities. “We are not positioned as a traditional museum. We are very much a hands-on, play-based interactive experience that engages children,” Stradeski said.
“It’s basically an attraction that’s based around three key themes: ‘bodies’, ‘homes’, and ‘nature’. Those themes are all very relevant to helping children understand themselves, and the world around them. Sustainability was central to what we want to cover in the new visitor attraction, so we have threaded the concept of sustainability through each of those themes, demonstrating the interconnections.”
To develop the visitor experience at the new venue, Eureka! collaborated with around 200 children and young people from local schools and youth centres. Eureka! Science + Discovery will welcome around 180,000 visitors every year. It is expected to contribute £12 million to the local economy by 2032.