Information to help you plan and prepare for your visit to the exhibition.
Introduction to Jason and the Adventure of 254
‘Jason and the Adventure of 254’ is an exhibition by an artist called Jason Wilsher-Mills.
An exhibition is a collection of things to look at and learn about.
Source: Wellcome Collection. © Wellcome Collection.
The exhibition is at Wellcome Collection.
The exhibition is in Gallery 2 on level 1 of our building.
The exhibition starts on Thursday 21 March 2024.
The exhibition finishes on Sunday 12 January 2025.
You do not need to book a ticket. Just turn up.
About the exhibition
‘Jason and the Adventure of 254’ is an exhibition by an artist called Jason Wilsher-Mills.
Jason makes art that tells stories about his life.
He tells stories about:
- how he was very ill when he was a child
- his family life
- how he became an artist.
The exhibition is in Gallery 2 on level 1.
A part of the exhibition is in the lobby.
The lobby is an area outside Gallery 2 on level 1.
What is on display
There are 15 different artworks in the exhibition. These include:
Sculptures
Dioramas. Dioramas are drawings in boxes that light up.
Wallpaper that has words and pictures on it.
Sensory information
You can touch all of the artworks.
The dioramas have low lighting.
When you push the coloured button on the front, more lights come on.
The film in the lobby plays on headphones.
You cannot eat or drink in the exhibition.
But you can breastfeed or bottle-feed babies.
People sometimes speak quietly at an exhibition. But you do not have to speak quietly.
What is in Gallery 2
‘Jason and the Adventure of 254’ is about:
- how Jason Wilsher-Mills was very ill when he was a child
- his family life
- how he became an artist.
A map of Gallery 2 and the lobby.
Calliper Boots
This sculpture is about the kind of boots Jason had to wear when he was ill.
Jason did not like wearing the calliper boots. So he decorated this sculpture to make the boots beautiful.
You can touch the boots.
Figure in the Bed
This shows Jason when he was in hospital for a year.
When he was in hospital, Jason’s body was paralysed from his neck down. Paralysed means he could not move.
You can press a button which lights up parts of Jason’s body.
You can touch the sculpture.
Seb Coe
This is a sculpture of Seb Coe. He is a British runner.
Instead of a head, the sculpture has a TV screen, which shows a famous race that Seb won. Jason watched this race when he was in hospital.
Uncle Jimmy Kissing the Ferret
In this diorama, you can see Jason’s Uncle Jimmy.
Uncle Jimmy is about to kiss his pet ferret.
You can press the button to light it up.
Mum as a Mermaid
In this diorama, you can see Jason’s mum. Jason has imagined his mum as a mermaid swimming in the sea.
You can press the button to light it up.
The 254 Wall of Facts
The drawings and words on the wallpaper tell the story of when Jason was in hospital as a child.
What is in the exhibition lobby
In the lobby area outside the exhibition you can:
- watch a short film about Jason
- look at some of Jason’s sketchbooks
- touch the sketchbooks.
Exhibition accessibility
You can find accessible guides at the start of the exhibition.
The guides are:
Gallery guide with words and pictures.
Large-print guide.
Digital guides
There are two digital guides that you can use:
- An audio-described guide to hear what eight artworks in the exhibition look like.
- A British Sign Language guide of videos for people who use BSL.
The digital guides are on our website.
There are ten stops in the digital guides.
There is a number and a QR code next to each stop in the exhibition. You can scan the QR codes with your phone to get the digital guides.
To scan a QR code:
- open the camera on your phone
- point it at the QR code
- click on the link that appears.
If you do not know how to scan a QR code, we can help you.
There is a white line on the exhibition floor. Follow the white line to get to each stop.
The white line has a pattern that you can feel with your feet.
If you want to watch the BSL guide on your phone or other device, you can:
- scan the QR code with your phone camera
- choose ‘Watch British Sign Language videos’.
If you want to listen to the audio-described guide on your phone or other device, you can:
- scan the QR code with your phone camera
- choose ‘Listen to audio’.
Or you can listen to the audio-described guide by:
- picking up a touch-button handset in the exhibition
- pressing the number of the audio stop.
You can use our WiFi for free. To do this you need to:
- turn your phone’s WiFi on
- choose Wellcome WiFi
- tick a box to accept our terms and conditions
- choose ‘connect’.
If you need help with the digital guides, you can ask a member of gallery staff.
Relaxed Openings
If you need additional support to enjoy this exhibition, join us for a Relaxed Opening. At a Relaxed Opening there will be:
- fewer visitors
- extra gallery staff to help you.
At a Relaxed Opening you can use:
- cushions
- ear defenders
- tinted glasses
- tinted visors
- weighted lap pads.
At a Relaxed Opening there will be a Chill-Out Room. The Chill-Out Room has:
- low lighting
- soft seats
- sensory and fidget toys.
There will be 5 Relaxed Openings during the exhibition.
- Relaxed Openings are free.
- You need to book a ticket.
The first relaxed opening is on 9 May.
You can find out all the Relaxed Opening dates and times, and book your free tickets by clicking on this link.