Manchester Museum, part of The University of Manchester, has received a grant for a major expansion project which expects to see thousands more school pupils visit each year.
The project has been funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and will develop and transform the museum by providing new exhibition spaces and an extended programme of activities.
‘The Courtyard Project’ as it’s being referred to, will start in August 2018, with the finished building expected to reopen in late 2020.
The new additions and refurbishments aim to create a more accessible layout for all abilities.
The museum predicts hundreds of thousands of new visitors to the museum including an additional 11,000 more school pupils each year.
What to expect from the project
A major new Temporary Exhibitions Gallery will be a new home for blockbuster and international shows.
There will also be a gallery of South Asian history and culture, created in partnership with the British Museum, which will combine the Manchester Museum’s South Asian collections and sculptures, textiles and artefacts from the British Museum.
At the heart of the gallery will be a performance space, dedicated to showing live music, dance and performances from and inspired by South Asia.
Underpinning the transformation, there will be a dynamic programme which will address some of the key issues of our time; climate change, ageing, migration and belonging, which can tie into school studies.
More for school groups
The museum provides educational visits for both Primary and Secondary age groups and can involve self-led visits or more facilitated trips.
Teachers should note that the workshops are not running currently, however enquiries can be made by contacting school.bookings@manchester.ac.uk.
For more information, visit www.museum.manchester.ac.uk.
