A new diorama display at Booth Museum of Natural History in Brighton has been revealed, its first in 92 years.
The diorama, ‘Life in the Garden’, comes after its 18-month, £50,000 ‘Discover our Dioramas’ project.
Staff at the museum worked with thousands of young children under 10 years old, their parents and carers, and educators, eco-groups and low-income groups to collect feedback for the focus of its first diorama since the 1930s.
Brighton & Hove Museums Director of Engagement and Public Programmes Ceryl Evans said the consultation “showed the climate crisis is contributing to anxiety and depression, especially with children and young people and that people really want to do their bit in combating climate change.”
The Booth Museum was founded by Brighton naturalist and collector, Edward Thomas Booth, whose collection of over 300 dioramas launched the opening of the museum in 1874.
Taxidermist Jazmine Miles Long worked on the animals in the piece. The new diorama features animals which represent local wildlife in the area including hedgehogs, foxes, and parakeets. Long only works with animals that have died of natural causes or an accident.
The project is funded by Esme Fairburn MA Collections Fund.
