PRESS RELEASE: Grab hold of the past and get a sense of history!
Tue, May 26, 2015
PRESS RELEASE Friday 8th May 2015 Grab hold of the past and get a sense of history!
Coleraine Museum at Coleraine Town Hall launched two new exhibitions on Tuesday 5th May titled, ‘Sensing the Past: Irish History Starts Here’ and ‘A Sense of the Past’. Pictured are two members of the ‘Sensing the Past’ group run by Coleraine Museum investigating the sculpted shamrocks at St Patrick’s Church, Coleraine. For more information on the exhibitions please contact Nic Wright, Causeway Museum Service, at Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council on 028 7034 7221 or email nic.wright@causewaycoastandglens.gov.uk. Both exhibitions will be open in Coleraine Town Hall from 1st May until 30th June, Tuesday until Saturday (excluding public holidays) from 11.00am until 4.00pm.Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council’s Coleraine Museum launched two new exhibitions on Tuesday 5th May titled, ‘Sensing the Past: Irish History Starts Here’ and ‘A Sense of the Past’. The exhibitions will run until 30th June 2015 in Coleraine Town Hall, Coleraine town centre. ‘A Sense of the Past’ is a travelling exhibition developed by the Royal National Institute of Blind People Northern Ireland with the support of the Heritage Lottery Fund. It provides the first social history of blindness in Northern Ireland and provided the inspiration and backdrop for Coleraine Museum to consider how to engage local people with visual impairment in our museums. The ‘Sensing the Past: Irish History Starts Here’ exhibition is the result of a twelve month community engagement programme run by Coleraine Museum. The programme which is part of the Northern Ireland Museums Council Community Engagement Initiative funded by Heritage Lottery Fund. It was designed to improve exhibitions within the museum by making them more accessible to those with visual impairments The exhibition was developed by NIMC CEI trainee Dr Nic Wright and local participants with visual impairment. It explored five key stories from the local history of Coleraine ranging from Ireland’s first settlement at Mountsandel through to 17th century Coleraine, finishing with the story of the blind bards. Deputy Mayor of Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, Councillor Darryl Wilson who officially opened the exhibition commented, “On behalf of the Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council I’d like to thank those involved in the exhibition and community engagement programme for their vital contributions in delivering this exhibition. I’m delighted to see group members from the programme here today. “Both exhibitions make excellent use of interactive audio descriptions and handling objects which make the exhibitions accessible to sighted and visually impaired visitors alike. Dr Nic Wright of the Causeway Museum Service said, "Participants of the programme have spoken today of their encouragement for the project. The exhibition is designed to provide an alternative and ultimately more accessible way to view history for those with visual impairments.” Participants of the programme voiced their approval during the evening; "I think this is a brilliant way of doing history" said one participant in the programme. “You're not exactly changing the museum,” said another group member, “you're just making it more accessible”. For further details on Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council Museum Services, please visit www.causewaycoastandglens.gov.uk. For more information on the exhibitions please contact Nic Wright, Causeway Museum Service, at Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council on 028 7034 7221 or email nic.wright@causewaycoastandglens.gov.uk. Both exhibitions will be open in Coleraine Town Hall from 1st May until 30th June, Tuesday until Saturday (excluding public holidays) from 11.00am until 4.00pm. END