Nottingham Castle is iconic for its prolific history spanning one thousand years, and has been a beacon of power, protest and rebellion throughout the centuries. The ambitious £30m Transforming Nottingham Castle project, led and part-funded by Nottingham City Council and made possible thanks to grants from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, D2N2 and Nottingham Castle Trust, aimed to sympathetically restore and reflect the wealth of its history, depth of collections and represent the lives of the people of Nottingham. As one of the most significant heritage regeneration projects in the UK today, visitors can discover a site rich in archaeology and human interest.

As part of the visionary project plans, a new visitor centre will greet visitors and provide a brief introduction to the narrative set to unfold in the journey ahead. Brand new gallery and exhibition spaces will deliver a visually dynamic experience that will immerse visitors in the vast history, extensive collections and renowned stories of Nottingham Castle.

Venturing back in time to medieval Nottingham, The Robin Hood Gallery will bring to life tales of Robin Hood; the great hero and world famous outlaw. Visitors can explore the forest clearing where legends and ballads of Robin Hood are retold through digital “in the round” storytelling screens. Soundscapes, projection and display screens work in harmony to enhance this memorable and unique multi-sensory encounter. 

Using local camera tracking, the Archery and Quarterstaff games allow real time participation and deeper engagement with the themes within the gallery space. Nearby, three Link Space games comprise projection onto tabletop displays, with accompanying joysticks and button controls to allow lively gaming interaction. 

Stepping into three of Nottingham’s most rebellious and bloody episodes, the Rebellion Gallery focuses on the more riotous moments in history. Detailed chronicles of extraordinary historical objects and artefacts can be explored using animated touchscreen displays and large scale projections enhanced by audio soundscape.

Housed within the Craft Gallery, are the medieval alabasters collection and 17th century salt glaze pottery collection. Inspired by these impressive exhibits, visitors will have the opportunity to get creative and design their very own alabaster carvings using the four interactive touchscreens in situ.

Finally, the Lace Gallery is dedicated to the story of Nottingham’s most famous creative industry, focusing on the production of lace across the ages. Ranging from early processes and factory machinery through to modern techniques of today, this significant practice is depicted using archive footage, media content and video projection.

Sysco worked closely with Casson Mann during the design development phase, later collaborating with fit-out contractors Beck during the audiovisual integration. Although impacted by various challenges, Sysco worked tirelessly with all partnering teams to ensure ongoing project progress, and helped to successfully deliver a stunning experience that can be enjoyed by many for years to come as part of Nottingham Castle’s important heritage.

Nottingham Castle is due to re-open to the public on Monday 21 June 2021.