Wednesday 13 April 2011
New Robin Hood exhibition for Nottingham
A new Robin Hood exhibition for Nottingham has been created by Nottingham Trent University students at the city's popular Galleries of Justice Museum, the former base of the Sheriff of Nottingham.
The ambitious Robin Hood: The Rise of a Rebel project is part of the students' Professional Certificate in Heritage Tourism module. Its introduction is in response to a recent industry assessment by the Visitor Attraction Quality Assurance Scheme (VAQAS), which recommended the museum's current exhibition in the Stevenson Gallery be better integrated into the site as a whole. After conducting surveys and observational research, the 16 students have worked together to curate a more coherent exhibition with a number of correlating themes.
Visitors will now learn about the medieval period in general, as well as exploring Nottingham as a divided city during Anglo Saxon and Norman times. They can also explore the evolving legend of Robin Hood and how he has gone from beggar to thief, to romantic lead and contemporary symbol for social justice.
Popular aspects of the existing exhibition, which was created from the city's former Tales of Robin Hood attraction, have been kept, while a whole new range of objects and interactive activities have been added, including magnetic words to create medieval ballads and poetry.
The students have also involved the community in the development of the exhibition. Nottingham artists, Andrew Hawnt and Chris Dowson, have given it a modern twist with the creation new characters in graphic art style, local children have been painting oak leaves for the Major Oak and thoughts from the people of Nottingham on what Robin Hood means to them have been collected and added to the displays.
Student Geraldina O'Neill, said: "We wanted to avoid a text heavy exhibition so we've created something which is much more engaging and interactive. We also wanted to bring it right up to date so the new artwork has made it very relevant and edgy and we've been targeting different audiences by marketing it via Robin Hood and Sheriff of Nottingham character pages on Facebook.
"We were also careful not to exclude adults when making the exhibition more child-friendly, so we've made sure it appeals to the whole family. As well as the more hands-on activities, there are lots of interesting artefacts to explore, such as maps, a long bow and a date book which records Robin Hood's date of birth."
The new exhibition is also set to become a formal learning resource for school children, with activity packs, worksheets and certificates all being created. Passports for children to receive stamps each time they return are also to be introduced in the future.
Course leader for Nottingham Trent University's MA Museum and Heritage Management, Neville Stankley, added: "This live module requires students from mixed social and academic backgrounds to curate a new exhibition, including all the learning activities, events, marketing, launch and evaluation. For the students to be able to do this for such a high profile museum as the Galleries of Justice, in a city where the Robin Hood means so much to both visitors and the local population, is a fantastic opportunity."
The exhibition will be launched on Thursday 14 April with a special event for invited guests, which will feature characters dressed in costumes designed by Nottingham Trent University Costume Design students. It will open to the general public on Saturday 16 April.
Notes to editors:
Press enquiries please contact Helen Breese, Press Officer, on telephone +44 (0)115 848 8751, or via email or Therese Easom, Press and Media Relations Manager, on telephone +44 (0)115 848 8774, or via email.
Funding for the exhibition was provided by Nottingham Trent University, East Midlands Renaissance and Galleries of Justice.
Exhibition opening on Saturday 16 April 2011
Times:
- Mon-Fri, doors open 9 am - 5 pm.
Tours run: 10.30 am - 3 pm. - Weekends, School and bank holidays, doors open 10.30 am - 5 pm.
Tours run 11 am – 4 pm.
