To the days of Britpop and the Spice Girls. When Everything I Do, Love Is All Around, and I Will Always Love You set up camp at the top of the singles chart. When Sonic the Hedgehog first spun, and Lara Croft raided her first tomb. We played our first PlayStation and caught our first Pokémon. Polly Pockets and Super Soakers kept us entertained, while Harry Potter and Tracy Beaker kept us reading. We ate a Big Breakfast, were pummelled by Gladiators, and told ‘it could be you’ by the National Lottery. Wonderbra said Hello Boys and Nike told us to Just Do It, and even though McDonalds tried to Super-Size us, Lucozade Sport and Red Bull were on hand to give us wings.
Opening its doors on Saturday 23rd March, this brand-new exhibition arrives in Banbury as the first stop in its national tour. ‘I Wannabe in the 90s’ invites visitors to take a stroll down memory lane and relive the magic of growing up in the Nineties. With over 200 iconic objects and artworks that celebrate the youthful exuberance of the decade and bring it to vivid life.
“Kids in the 90s didn’t have smart phones, social media or reality TV.” says curator Matt Fox. “We can genuinely say that life was different then, and we can explore that through the objects and interests that 90s kids held dear. I personally think the Nineties were a golden age for British youth, and I can’t wait for people to step back in time in this exhibition!”
Featuring:
Iconic Toys and Gadgets: Explore a curated collection of beloved toys and gadgets that defined playtime for an entire generation. From Beanie Babies to Tamagotchi’s, witness the evolution of entertainment in the pre-digital age.
A Nostalgic Soundtrack: Take a stroll through the musical landscape of the nineties from grunge to hip hop; taking in some great pop group icons from Take That to the Spice Girls.
At the Movies: Pretty Woman set the decade on a romcom course that ended with the Titanic sinking, and the British film industry reinvigorated by Four Weddings, Lock Stock, and a touch of Trainspotting.
Digital Revolution: Explore the technological breakthroughs that paved the way for the digital age. The nineties was when we went ‘online’, surfed the net’ and ‘asked Jeeves’ with the iconic dial-up internet connections to the first mobile phones.
Pop Culture Moments: See objects from the decade that relive iconic moments in film, tv, fashion, advertising and popular culture that captivated audiences during the 90s. From classic sitcoms to the fashion favourites, this exhibition celebrates the pop culture phenomena that shaped an era. Why not have a go at some iconic nineties’ games on our working arcade machine!
‘I Wannabe in the 90s’ is a nostalgic celebration of the vibrant culture, trends and experiences that defined the youth of the nineties. Don’t miss this opportunity to rediscover and celebrate the shared experiences that shaped an unforgettable decade.
The exhibition opens Saturday 23rd March and runs to Sunday 7th July 2024.
To purchase tickets, see our What’s On page
