Appointments
Five new figures have been appointed to the National Railway Museum’s Advisory Board. Railway industry professionals Tim Dunn, Steve Oates, Jo Lewington, Anit Chandarana and Toufic Machnouk will join its board, providing advice and support to the museum’s Senior Management Team on their plans for the expansion of the museum.
Openings
Scotland’s-famous wedding destination Gretna Green has launched a new visitor experience telling the story of “romance, rebellion, and unstoppable love since 1754” as The Gretna Green Experience. Mather & Co is responsible for the design, management and production of the exhibition and retail area – including repairs to and restoration of the former ‘Famous Blacksmiths Shop’.
Mather & Co spreads the love with Gretna Green Experience project opening
The Battle of Prestonpans Heritage Trust is to use the local Prestonpans Town Hall, eight miles from Edinburgh in Scotland, to display its collection, dedicated to the first battle of the last Jacobite Rising.
Exhibitions
The Design Museum is to open its exhibition dedicated to ASMR (Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response) next week. Visitors can experience an “acoustically tuned environment” to induce the tingling sensation many feel when hearing, seeing or feeling certain objects. ‘WEIRD SENSATION FEELS GOOD: The World of ASMR’ opens 13th May 2022.
Bradford’s Peace Museum is to open ‘Defining Peace: Past, Present & Future’ on 10th May 2022 at the city centre’s arts hub Kala Sangam while its galleries are closed. The free exhibition will explore the scope and definition of ‘peace’.
Staying in West Yorkshire, the largest-ever picture created by Bradford artist David Hockney will be seen for the first time in the UK at an exhibition in the city’s UNESCO World Heritage site, Saltaire. A 90.75-metre picture created by Hockney will be pinned to a specially built wall.
Two museums are to celebrate ‘Star Wars day’ today May 4th, (May the Fourth be with you). At Northampton Museum, Star Wars toy collector Matt Fox – whose hoard of memorabilia began in the 70s – will go on display. The Science Museum group is also celebrating, with a Darth Vader helmet made for Empire Strikes Back announced in the Science Museum’s upcoming ‘Science Fiction: Voyage to the Edge of Imagination’ exhibition and famous characters from the franchise to visit the Science Museum.
The Walker Art Gallery is preparing to open its summer exhibition, The Tudors: Passion, Power and Politics. The exhibition will focus on life at Tudor court, inviting audiences to discover the politics, family connections and culture of the most famous royals in history. 21st May – 29th August 2022.
Hayward Gallery Touring’s exhibition British Art Show 9 (BAS9) will continue its national tour, beginning in Manchester. British Art Show takes place every five years and brings the work of some of the most exciting contemporary artists to four UK cities. It takes place in Manchester on Friday 27th May, following its successful iterations in Aberdeen (10th July – 10th October 2021) and Wolverhampton (22nd January – 10th April 2022)
Funding
AIM (Association for Independent Museums) has announced the six member organisations which have been selected to receive Tackling Inequality Hallmark grants of up to £10,000, funded by Arts Council England. Aerospace Bristol, Ditchling Museum of Art & Craft, The American Museum in Britain, Jewish Museum London, Macclesfield Museum and The National Paralympic Heritage Trust have received a total of £55,000.
AIM reveals the six members to receive funding to tackle inequality
