PRESS RELEASE
Black Country Living Museum event leading the way
Black Country Living Museum is gearing up for an appearance on the One Show this Wednesday in a feature about the national ‘Museums at Night’ event. The BBC team chose the unique West Midlands museum - out of hundreds of participating museums across the UK - to lead the promotion of the national event and will be letting viewers know more about the range of events taking place across the country, including BCLM’s own event ‘Red by Night’.
Visitors to 'Red by Night' will be able to access the Museum after hours for half price and will be treated to some special performances from Dudley College’s performing arts students. The students, who've been working closely with the Museum staff are planning a series of acting, sound, media and art performances to entertain the hundreds of visitors expected on the night and to tell the story of the hard working people of the area who created a turning point in Britain's national story.
Morgan Henly, 16 from Darlaston is part of the college team performing at the Trapshop. He told us "I'm delighted to be involved in this national event, and now the One Show are broadcasting information about what's happening on Saturday night I'm expecting a large audience! Researching and rehearsing has been a really good experience and given me something exciting and unique to put on my CV when I start looking for a job."
Other highlights of the evening will include demonstrations from glassblower, Allister Malcolm, fire juggling and poetry performances, a chance to witness ‘Chemistry at Night’ and a rare opportunity to see all of the Museum's industrial areas in action, including the rolling mill, chainmakers, brass foundry, the nail shop, as well as steamings from the World's only working Newcomen Engine and the famous steam narrowboat, President.
You can catch the BBC’s Museums at Night feature, which follows comedian Arthur Smith’s own night at Black Country Living Museum, on the One Show, this Wednesday, 14 May at 7pm.
Tickets to BCLM’s Red By Night event are available at half price rates – Adults £7.95 and Children £3.95. Gates open on Saturday 17 May at 7pm and close at 10.30pm. The event is advanced booking only at www.bclmbookings.co.uk or telephone 0121 520 8054.
ENDS
Note to Editors:
About the Museum
Established in 1978, Black Country Living Museum is one of the UK’s leading open-air Museums. Designated by Arts Council England for the quality and national significance of its collections, it is a remarkable place to explore, enjoy and spend time. Set in 26 acres with over 150 historic buildings and features, and attracting 240,000 visitors each year and over 8m people since it first opened, it offers a glimpse into 200 years of history like no other. The Museum (a registered educational charity) records and exemplifies the contribution and impact of the Black Country region since the 18th century to the development of the modern industrialized world. Black Country folk changed the world, and the Museum tells the story of a very special time and place in history and some of the most hard-working, ingenious and influential people you could imagine. It offers a visitor experience that few others can match. www.bclm.com
About Dudley College
Dudley College is a long established general Further Education college situated in the Black Country Metropolitan Borough of Dudley in the West Midlands. The college’s history can be traced to the Dudley Institute in 1862.
The college is the preferred choice for over 12,000 students, including young people, adults and employers, all of which study on one of the 4000+ courses offered in all the key sector subject areas. Strong partnerships exist with universities and local schools and some collaborative work is undertaken with other colleges. The college is also actively involved in employer engagement, working with almost 1,500 employers on an annual basis.
The college was last inspected by Ofsted in February 2013. The report, published on 9th April 2013, finds that all areas of the college are ‘Good’ or better noting the college’s many outstanding features. Inspectors particularly praised the college for its ‘very high’ success rates, ‘outstanding’ accommodation and resources across the new Learning Quarter. The college’s Visual Arts provision area was awarded the highest grade of ‘Outstanding’.
The college employs approximately 750 staff and is a major employer in the Black Country.
For further information please contact:
Laura Wakelin, Director of Communications and Marketing, 0121 521 3514