We are delighted to announce that we have been successfully appointed as the audiovisual partner for the ambitious £30m Transforming Nottingham Castle project, made possible thanks to grants from The National Lottery Heritage Fund and D2N2. Nottingham Castle is entwined with a prolific history spanning one thousand years and has been a beacon of power, protest and rebellion throughout the centuries. As part of the rejuvenation project, Nottingham Castle will be sympathetically restored to reflect the wealth of its history, the depth of its collections and the lives of the people of Nottingham. As one of the most significant heritage regeneration projects in the UK today, visitors will be able to discover a site rich in archaeology and human interest.

As part of these development plans, a new visitor centre will greet visitors, and provide a brief introduction to the history that will unravel before them as part of the fascinating experience. New gallery spaces and exhibitions will share the vast history and the extensive collections using audiovisual interactives and creative narratives to help recreate the renowned stories of Nottingham Castle. The Robin Hood Gallery will deliver an immersive, multi-sensory experience that will transport visitors back to medieval Nottingham where large-scale projection screens will bring the famous tales of Robin Hood to life. 

The Rebellion Gallery will explore the fight for democracy, representation and fairness, which runs throughout Nottingham’s history. Artworks and objects will become layered with insightful interpretation, and enlivened with animated chronicles using large-scale AV presentations and digital interactive games. The medieval alabasters collection and the 17th century salt glaze pottery collection will be showcased in the early Nottingham craft gallery, whilst the Nottingham Lace Gallery will be dedicated to the story of Nottingham’s most famous creative industry, both of which will incite a deeper level of engagement through touchscreen interactives and archive footage.

Having worked closely with Casson Mann during design development, we will also be working closely with fit-out contractors Beck towards the successful delivery of this project, supporting the audiovisual integration to animate the site’s notable past and dynamic history. The creative media content will also be produced by JAM Media, Preloaded, Bottletop, Spiral Media, and Sideburn Panda.

Nottingham Castle is currently closed whilst undergoing the transformation, and following the rapid progress during these early project stages, the site is expected to re-open to the public and welcome its first visitors in Spring 2021. 

IMAGES (from top): Artist’s impression of the new Visitor Centre, Artist’s impression of the Robin Hood Gallery and Artist’s impression of the Rebellion Gallery. All images courtesy of Casson Mann. © Nottingham Castle.

KEEP UP TO DATE WITH THE LATEST NEWS FROM THE SYSCO TEAM