Permanent Exhibitions
These 3 venues have CMT exhibits on show all year round. Choose a link below for opening times and more information.
- American Visionary Arts Museum – Baltimore – USA
- Discovery World – Wisconsin – USA
- Automata Museum – Heyri Art Village – South Korea
Touring Exhibitions
Ingenious Contraptions
Hastings Museum and Art Gallery, John’s Place, Bohemia Road, Hastings, TN34 1ET
29th May – 29th August 2021
Ingenious Contraptions introduces amazing automata from the collections of Cabaret Mechanical Theatre & Falmouth Art Gallery. This exhibition is entertaining and engaging for families and art enthusiasts alike. The automata capture moments of humour and offer alluring illusion. They will be exhibited with carefully selected museum items for visitors to marvel at their mechanics. This exhibition is made possible with the generous support of Anthony Horowitz and Falmouth Art Gallery.
Ingenious?
Falmouth Art Gallery Municipal Buildings, The Moor, Falmouth, Cornwall, TR11 2RT
11th June – 11th September 2021
A celebration of invention and innovation in Falmouth past and present, plus some jolly clever things from other parts of Cornwall. This eclectic and fun filled exhibition features an assortment of artworks, archival documents and objects that will fascinate all ages. Come along and marvel at the inventions of the Fox family, put some new automata into action and be awe struck by the amazing innovations that are being developed right here, right now.
This exhibition will be accompanied by a series of free workshops, talks and events being held at the Princess Pavilions and the Council Chamber in the Municipal Buildings. See open.falculture.org for the full programme of activities.
In partnership with Cabaret Mechanical Theatre.
Cabaret Mechanical Marvels features automata, interactives and artefacts from the CMT collection. It is currently touring the UK.
Town Hall, St Peter’s Street, St Albans, AL1 3DH
3rd December 2020 – 21st February 2021 Extended until 27th June 2021
An exhibition for all ages, featuring modern automata with intricate mechanisms and humorous scenes. Cabaret Mechanical Marvels celebrates the fascinating world of automata and show-cases exhibits from some the finest contemporary automata makers throughout the United Kingdom.
4 High St, Poole, Dorset, BH15 1BW
17th July – 12th September 2021
This temporary exhibition celebrates the fascinating world of automata. The interactive displays give visitors the chance to get up close to these mechanical marvels.
Fletcher’s House, Park Street, Woodstock, OX20 1SN
25th September – 14th November 2021
Curious Contraptions
Te Manawa 326 Main Street, Palmerston North, New Zealand
3rd July – 24th October 2021
A fully interactive exhibition of automata from New Zealand and the UK. More than fifty finely crafted tiny machines create a perfect blend of engineering and whimsy, coming to life with the press of a button or the turn of a handle. Every object is bursting with character in an exhibition sure to delight young and old alike.
CMT @ The Museum of Making
Museum of Making, Silk Mill Lane, Derby, DE1 3AF
10th December 2021 – 13th March 2022
30 pieces of automata from the CMT collection will be travelling to this brand new museum in Derby.
RH Fleet Science Center, 1875 El Prado, Balboa Park, San Diego, CA 92101, USA
24th September 2021 – 17th January 2022
Explora Executive Director Joe Hastings notes that “the Cabaret Mechanical Theatre automata are the epitome of STEAM–Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math. Each automata is a piece of art, a beautiful mechanism, and a five to ten second haiku. Everyone finds a favorite in the collection, and they just have to share with a friend or family member. I’m a big fan of the “Banana Ripener,” which makes me laugh at my own impatience.”
Tim Hunkin’s latest arcade of slot machines Novelty Automation includes some old favourites from CMT’s Covent Garden days – The Frisker, Test Your Nerve and The Chiropodist.
Novelty Automation, 1a Princeton Street, London WC1R 4AX. More of Tim’s machines can be seen in his first arcade on Southwold Pier.
