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Crich Tramway Village - New Tramway Century Exhibition
Visitors to Crich Tramway Village, home of the National Tramway Museum will be able to see a brand new exhibition in the Great Exhibition Hall later this year which coincides with the 150th anniversary of tramways in the UK. Funding for the project has come from the Wolfson Foundation (£150k) and the Derbyshire Economic Partnership (DEP) (£350K) and will enable the Museum to re-display the entire exhibition hall and introduce modern interactive equipment aimed at a family audience.
Commenting on the project, Glynn Wilton, Museum Curator said “The new exhibition will feature a timeline of trams through the ages, from the very first horse-drawn trams, through steam trams to more modern electric systems. It will also enable us to display artefacts that are currently in storage and have never been seen before by the general public. The display will cover the period from 1860 to 1960.”
Richard Horsley, Chair of Derbyshire Economic Partnership, said; “Derbyshire Economic Partnership is delighted to support this exciting project at Crich Tramway Village. When completed, the area will benefit from the much improved visitor attraction”.
Visitors will be able to see the new ‘Tramway Century’ exhibition hall from April this year.
Editor’s Notes
1. The current Exhibition Hall was opened in 1992 and has many shortcomings in its interpretive solutions and the limited number of artefacts it interprets. The new exhibition will increase the amount of interpreted exhibits by 75%.
2. The project is being fully financed by grant funding from the Wolfson Foundation (£150k) and the Derbyshire Economic Partnership, DEP (£350k)
3. The Wolfson Foundation supports projects across the fields of science and technology, medical research and health, education and the arts, currently allocating some £35 million per annum.
4. DEP works in Partnership across Derbyshire to stimulate, develop and bring forward a range of sustainable economic opportunities and improve the prosperity and overall environment for businesses, communities, individuals and visitors. www.derbyshireeconomicpartnership.org.uk.
5. The aim of the project is to enrich the Museum experience for all visitors. Modern design approaches will provide greater learning outcomes and increased intellectual, sensory and cognitive access to the Museum’s collections and in a way that is appealing to children and adults.
6. The design will include environmentally sustainable photovoltaic cells (solar panels) which will help to offset the power consumption.
