Thomas Matthews

A view from all perspectives

To fully understand the needs current perceptions of the Tower and Museum, we designed and facilited a number of workshops with key stakeholders, experts, volunteers and community groups. This process led to a preliminary exhibition that allowed us to test themes and modes of delivery. This testing phase gave the whole team invaluable qualitative feedback that directly fed into all aspects of our design, from how we use language around sensitive subjects such as enslavement, to accessibility both within the space and within our designs.

Our engagement workshops also cemented strong links that have since formed a community project now on display in the tower. Young people from the Supplementary School programme run by Bath Black Families Educational Support Group have worked with artist Jacqueline Braithwaite to create artistic responses to the Tower and the story of William Beckford. This pilot project tested our proposal for an ‘object in focus’. We proposed that this flexible interpretation would become a regular annual or bi-annual community project exhibited alongside other ‘artefacts’ in the collection. This approach means that the voices of communities are represented in a live and responsive way, allowing for multiple viewpoints that can shift and change.

A flexible approach to tell the story

After success at funding stage we were retained by BPT into the delivery phase of the project, for both interpretation design and wayfinding. We have worked closely with access consultants, developing visitor routes and key moments for information, insight and reflection and how to introduce difficult content in a sensitive and respectful manner, whilst retaining the integrity of historical fact. With decolonising practice moving and changing it was essential that we delivered a physically flexible approach for interpretation so that BPT can respond and change content swiftly and cost effectively. We carried this approach through into the signage scheme which is panel based to allow for maximum flexibility with minimum cost whilst remaining robust and weatherproof.