Virtual Reconstruction of Nottingham Castle
Nottingham Castle, perched above the plain on the sandstone outcrop, is a Scheduled Monument containing a number of listedcomponents of which the Ducal Palace at Grade 1 is the largest structure. The building’s use is museum and art gallery of regional importance, and the grounds, an oasis in the city, contain archeological remnants of the castle’s past with several embedded layers of change. The Castle is currently undergoing a major refurbishment, that aims to reshape the site as an active and engaging cultural institution and hub for the future. Much of the building’s history, layered structures of different ages, medieval and 19th century additions, has never been digitally documented nor analysed. Much of this record and detail has disappeared from record therefore Nottingham Castle urgently requires historic and archaeological evaluation of its components to underline how it emerged as the centrepiece of Nottingham’s built heritage.
The research team of the Centre for Architecture, Urbanism and Global Heritage, in collaboration with Nottingham Castle Trust, Nottingham City Council and the British Geological Survey, has undertaken a research project to investigate the history of the site and its socio-cultural narratives. This includes using smart digital technologies to survey, record and virtually reconstruct the Ducal Palace and its galleries onto virtual platforms in order to engage wider audience and user groups with their collections. This workshop completes the first phase of this research to develop a coherent understanding of how innovative public engagement platforms could be used to effectively engage wider user groups and the public; first during the 2-years closure of the building, and secondly through permanent public display at the museum once opened in its new shape.
Research Project & Innovation
This is a preview and overarching vision of the project and its aims and objectives.
Northern Ireland's 1968 and Beyond
On 11-13th October 2018, as part of an ongoing collaboration between NTU’s Chris Reynolds and National Museum’s Northern Ireland, a three-day event was held at Belfast’s Ulster Museum entitled ‘Northern Ireland’s 1968 and Beyond’.
Reynolds’ project with National Museum's Northern Ireland has evolved in three stages from an initial consultation on how this period is handled in the Ulster Museum’s permanent galleries, to the curation of an extended exhibition entitled ‘Voices of 68’ hosted at the Ulster Museum between 5th September - 15th October 2018. Two travelling versions of the exhibition have also been created and are currently touring to in excess of 25 destinations in the UK and Ireland, including, Belfast, Derry/Londonderry, London, Dublin, Cork, Manchester and Liverpool. Furthermore, a digital version of the exhibition is to be displayed at a number of events in the USA.
Exhibition and Event
This is a preview and overarching vision of the project and its aims and objectives.
Can Museums Rise to the Challenge: Preparing Museums for the Age of Participation
Many museums started as enlightenment institutions focused on their collections. but in today’s global society, audiences expect a lot more. museums need to engage their visitors and respond to changes in society quickly to guarantee a sustainable future. museums are no longer arbitrary gatekeepers. Visitors expect a more exciting experience. changing demographics, new media, and increasing globalisation have created new challenges for the sector.
The research is led by Professor Graham Black. He’s been working in the field since the 1990s and has seen a huge number of changes sweep across the museum industry. Professor Graham Black is regularly asked to share his expertise at museums across the world and help them tackle the unique challenges they face.
Research Project
This is a preview and overarching vision of the project and its aims and objectives.
Pits, Props, and Prose: A literary Celebration of the Coalfields of the East Midland
Mining has a unique lexicon, which changes from region to region, with the same word meaning different things to different people (see also Douglass 1973; Forster 1972; Griffiths 2007). Much mining research focuses on specific events or memories but does not focus on language usage (Bell 2008, Hall 2012) and such intangible heritage is at risk. The use of a different language in mines emphasised and strengthened the brotherhood which existed amongst miners. When writing about North-East coalfields, Bill Griffiths (2007) stated that it is with urgency that we must collect all data held about pit language from the individuals who still have memories of it, as the time of the coalfields is over and this data will be lost to us forever. Mining was for centuries a vital industry in the region, however, Thoresby Colliery closed in July 2015 and all mining in the region has now ceased.
Using a community engagement and learning approach, the project identifies, classifies and records mining vocabulary and critically examines its contribution to regional identity. It examines specific pit language used by miners and how this may be specific to the East Midlands. Integral to this is a consideration of the movement of miners to see where influence has spread, alongside analysis of the data gathered in comparison to data available from other regions.
This project offers an opportunity to do something different by focusing on the intangible aspects of local mining heritage. No other projects have looked at language specifically, or used heritage in this way in the region to examine culture.
Mining poetry and songs offer a way into exploring wider aspects of mining community heritage and identity. By engaging with local expertise through our links with local groups we will be able to improve self-esteem and self-value within those groups.
Research Project
This is a preview and overarching vision of the project and its aims and objectives.
Coal, Community and Change: Dealing with the past: Mining culture in the East Midlands (1965 – 2015
Coal, Community and Change explores mining culture in the East Midlands through photographs and living memory. Assembled by Natalie Braber, David Amos and Paul Fillingham, the exhibition was made possible through Nottingham Trent University’s Global Heritage Fund.
The East Midlands was a particular focus of the miners’ strike of 1984-85 and bitter divisions still linger with resentment enduring to the present day. However, the time has come to face up to the past, to try and bridge the chasm that exists between and within communities. If both sides in the ageing mining population engage in this unifying effort, our mining heritage, including the memories of miners and their families, will not be lost to future generations.
Coal, Community and Change launched at Mansfield museum in March 2019, touring venues in Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire and South Yorkshire, and the National Coal Mining Museum England (NCMME). Attracting in excess of 70,000 visitors over a six month period, the exhibition explored the industry’s contested history and wider aspects of mining culture, including the role of women, social activities, housing, industrial decline and the environment.
In January 2020 a more compact version of the exhibition was designed for display in public libraries and community spaces. Unfortunately COVID-19 social distancing resulted in the closure of such venues with visitors confined to their homes. However, we will be looking to go on tour again so do contact natalie.braber@ntu.ac.uk if you would like to display this exhibition.
Our response has been to create a virtual exhibition so that visitors can enjoy this remarkable collection of photographs and stories from the comfort of an armchair. You can visit the exhibition on:http://www.miningheritage.co.uk/coal-community-change/
Research Project
This is a preview and overarching vision of the project and its aims and objectives.