The Science Museum’s upcoming gallery, Technicians: The David Sainsbury Gallery, is being created in collaboration with Marvel Studios, the NHS, National Grid, and the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre.
The four organisations will assist in the creation of the interactive gallery which will be designed to demonstrate the vital but often hidden role that technicians play, and encourage a career in the profession.
A “close collaboration” with Marvel Studio will see a reconstructed film set from Marvel Studios’ Black Panther become a centerpiece of the new gallery. Visitors will be able to re-enact the role of a film-set lighting technician, post-production sound technician or visual effects technician by interacting with the exhibit.
Marvel has previously collaborated with Colchester + Ipswich Museums’ ‘Power of Stories’ exhibition which featured three costumes from Black Panther and recently won ‘Temporary or Touring Exhibition of the Year’ at the Museums + Heritage Awards 2022.
The health science section of the new gallery will feature a design inspired by the exterior of The Royal London Hospital, and will focus on the role of pharmacy technicians who create bespoke drugs for patients in NHS hospitals. Interactive exhibits will mimic tasks including preparing an IV bag, checking medicines for contaminants and pipetting.
Sujata Patel, NHS Aseptic Pharmacy Technician contributed to the gallery. Patel said: “The Technicians gallery will give us a unique opportunity to showcase the important work we do in the background at major hospitals.”
A huge wind turbine model will greet visitors to the energy networks section of the gallery, where visitors can take on the role of a wind turbine maintenance technician and pilot a remotely operated vehicle on the ocean floor.
Visitors can experience the work of technicians at the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre by testing designs using computer aided design and experimenting with simple coding to optimise the movement of a robotic arm, watching it in action in a task inspired by the use of robotics in recycling facilities
Technicians: The David Sainsbury Gallery is supported by the Gatsby Charitable Foundation as Principal Funder and will open at the Science Museum on 3 November 2022. The gallery has been designed by JAC Studios, Denmark.
