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Blogpost: Sensational Experiences at our Pilot Museums

The Sensational Museum > Latest News > Blog > Blogpost: Sensational Experiences at our Pilot Museums
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Over the summer the TSM team has been busy visiting our pilot museums. Despite a few transport-related misadventures this has been a wonderful opportunity to put faces to names and get a sense of what makes each museum special. In this month’s blogpost, our post-docs Sophie and Charlotte share their sensational highlights.

Keswick Museum

The ‘musical stones’ at Keswick Museum really caught our imagination. We enjoyed how interactive they were and how we were able to explore them in a multisensory way. We particularly enjoyed the opportunity for Sophie to use her impressive musical talents to work out how to play Debussy’s Clair de Lune. Encountering Keswick’s handling collection also kickstarted our new obsession with prehistoric axe heads. We were able to also indulge this interest in Cambridge and Hereford.

This is the sound of Sophie playing the musical stones, and figuring out the notes she wants to play. There are regular chimes of the stones being hit, clear and bright tones, like a glockenspiel. These are punctuated by joyful cackles of shared laughter, and self-questioning, ‘why cannot I not remember the notes?’, and ‘what are these notes?’ or ‘Is that an octave?’, as Sophie enjoys the process of working out what she’s playing. In the background, you can hear the echoing hubbub of a larger museum space and its visitors.

Roman Baths and Pump Room

At the Roman Baths (in Bath) Charlotte and Alison enjoyed learning about everything that we just don’t really know about Roman life. Charlotte enjoyed tasting the waters and imagining herself as a regency lady “taking the cure”.

The Living Barracks Project at Berwick Barracks

In Berwick we loved exploring the Barracks, including spotting some ‘smoke drawings’ on the ceiling boards, and discovering the telephone exchange that was used between 1973 and 1998 on the Holy Island of Lindisfarne. The exchange is still in working order and Charlotte was able to call Alison at the other end of the gift shop for a chat!

Simple animal shapes stenciled using black smudgey smoke, on plaster ceiling between wooden joists.
Smoke drawings – Simple animal shapes and letters stenciled using black smudgy smoke, on plaster ceiling.

Ditchling Museum of Art + Craft

Charlotte and Alison visited Ditchling Arts and Crafts Museum whilst the Raymond Briggs exhibition was on display. It was fascinating to discover more about the life of the illustrator and his rather dark sense of humour. There is a Swedish version of The Snowman which is annotated with some very funny comments by Briggs himself. Charlotte and Alison particularly enjoyed Raymond’s record of something a three-year-old friend said about him – so much so that a postcard of it is now on Charlotte’s fridge.

Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology

At the Cambridge MAA we were encouraged to discover the archaeological treasures in stores and draws in the back of house spaces. We were also fascinated by the story of the Pakam Rope from the Kui people in Thailand. The questions this artefact raises about how to care for it in a sensitive way are very relevant to our work on the creation of a sensory data model for museum collections.

Kui Elephant Catchers and the Pakam Rope: From Thailand to Cambridge

Bradford District Museums and Galleries

In Bradford, Sophie visited the Industrial Museum, one of the many sites under BDMG. She saw a whole host of sleeping textile, print and transport machines – and has a new favourite fact about the difference between ‘woollen’ and ‘wursted’. She also loved seeing the spaces where volunteers continue to make use of the historic machinery, including a working print shop  (she will definitely be buying some of their crafts from the gift shop on her next visit).

Two industrial looms, stretched with fabric illustrated with sketched colourful threads, text and woman wearing a veil.
Two industrial looms are stretched with fabric illustrated with sketched colourful threads, text and woman wearing a veil.

BFI Archive

The BFI archive, hidden in the depths of Berkhamsted, was a treasure trove of all things British film and TV. Wishing she could possibly see and interact with all the things in their care, Sophie was wowed by the gigantic racking bays filled with video-based content (where she near disappeared in the stalls), which were stored in the same space as a digital repository machine that contained more footage than all the content on the racking – despite being only 3-4 times her body length!

Racks and racks of black tapes are stacked high in a warehouse space, creating only a narrow walkway through the centre.
Racks and racks of black tapes are stacked high in a warehouse space, creating only a narrow walkway through the centre.

Hereford Museum Services

In Hereford we were fascinated by the mystery surrounding some of the objects in their stores. The Roman dodecahedron reminded us of the mystery surrounding the purpose of items in museums, and where sensory interactions can provide new interpretation and presentation. In Hereford’s Black and White house we also loved the touchable embroidery on the beds – being able to feel the various stitches really brought the decorations to life.

A Roman dodecahedron, nestled in white tissue paper. It’s a small fist-sized hollow metal object made up of 12 sides, dotted with round spherical knobs, and circular holes.
A Roman dodecahedron – a small fist-sized hollow metal object , dotted with round spherical knobs, and circular holes.

Shakespeare Birthplace Trust

While Charlotte and Hannah explored Shakespeare’s house, Sophie enjoyed the fresh air, beautiful and fragrant garden, and listened to Dr Rosie Poebright’s ‘It Ever Was’ audio artwork:

It Ever Was

We also spent time touching giant sculptures depicting some of the plays and we enjoyed an audio-described tour with a partially blind staff member. We also heard some extracts from Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet performed live.

Hannah, a partially blind woman, bends to pinch and touch the base of a textured, feathered sculpture.
Hannah, a partially-blind white woman, bends to pinch and touch the base of a textured, feathered sculpture.

Nuneaton Museum & Art Gallery

In Nuneaton Charlotte and Hannah loved the recorded conversations available next to some of the paintings. Although not originally created for blind and partially blind visitors, these artistic creations include enough descriptive elements to provide an imaginative response to the paintings that is accessible to everyone.

National Paralympic Heritage Trust

With the 2024 Paralympic Games underway, it feels appropriate that the National Paralympic Heritage Trust is the final museum Sophie visited. She narrowly missed seeing the Paralympic flame begin its journey to Paris from Stoke Mandeville, but did get to hold (with much excitement) a torch from Tokyo 2020.  

Sophie, an India/white British woman grins broadly, holding a rose gold paralympic torch.
Sophie, an Indian/white British woman grins broadly, thrilled to be holding a rose gold Paralympic torch.

Two magnets hold a postcard on a fridge - a Shakespeare quote, a map of bath, the postcard reading, 'Raymond is not a normal person'.
Two magnets and a postcard – a Shakespeare quote, a map of bath, the postcard reading, ‘Raymond is not a normal person’.

Needless to say, we also enjoyed the museum shops and cafés where available – including the highly quotable treasures now residing on Charlotte’s fridge.

The TSM Summer Tour was unofficially sponsored by Delay Repay 😊