I’m delighted to announce that OOT & ABOOT, the interactive oral-history-based touring exhibition about beautiful Coquetdale in Northumberland, has found a permanent home. Many of the stories, objects and interactives, which were Highly Commended in Association for Heritage Interpretation’s 2023 Engaging People Awards, are now part of the local history displays at Bailiffgate Museum & Gallery in Alnwick.
‘I’m really proud of creating this popular exhibition, which has helped share and celebrate the remarkable stories of life in remote, rural Northumberland. And it’s wonderful news that we’ve been able to install the best bits at Bailiffgate Museum for the long term. It’s a great legacy.’
The NLHF-funded Out of Town Museum project team spent several years gathering many hours of fascinating oral histories from local people, just in time to save the stories from being lost forever. The OOT & ABOOT exhibition took these colourful tales back out to the communities and beyond during 2023. I worked with interpretive designer Marcus Byron to create the exhibition, with the help of a small team of enthusiastic volunteers led by project manager Sally Brewis.