The £4m project which is being developed by Mid Ulster District Council, with part-funding from the former Department for Culture, Arts and Leisure has moved into its final stage with the fit-out of the internal space.
The 2,000sqm building will be home to a permanent exhibition, interpreting Seamus Heaney’s work through his connections with people and places. The new exhibition will be completed by Marcon’s specialist Heritage/Museum team and will take visitors on a journey through Seamus Heaney’s life and literature. Marcon will also be responsible for the manufacture and installation of the setworks, interactives, display cases and audio visual hardware.
The exhibition will be over two floors and will contain personal stories and artefacts, dozens of family photographs, video recordings from friends, neighbours and cultural leaders, and the voice of the poet himself reading his own words. A recreation of the poet’s attic study in Dublin is also underway.
Mark McElroy, Director, Marcon Fit-Out, said: “We are really excited to be involved in such a culturally significant project. Our heritage team is looking forward to starting work on the scheme. We are particularly pleased because Seamus Heaney HomePlace is such a landmark project which will further enhance our reputation within the museum and heritage sector.
The award winning fit-out firm will be working closely with leading interpretive designers Tandem Design, transforming their vision into reality.
Chair of Mid Ulster District Council, Councillor Trevor Wilson, said: “The start of the exhibition fit-out is an important milestone for the project and I am pleased to see the internal shell of the building being brought to life by Marcon’s team.”
HomePlace, named to reflect the physical position of the centre at the heart of the area where the poet was born, grew up and is buried, as well as its significance as a source of inspiration for Seamus Heaney’s work throughout his life, opens in September 2016. For more information about Seamus Heaney HomePlace, visit www.seamusheaneyhome.com or follow @SHHomePlace.
Marcon Fit-Out has been responsible for the fit-out of a number of iconic museums and exhibitions over the past number of years, including Titanic Belfast, Down County Museum, Navan Fort, Cromford Mills Gateway in Derbyshire and the iconic American Air Museum for Imperial War Museum Duxford, Cambridgeshire.
