Westfield Community School in Wigan provides a ‘Beacon of Hope’ for the families in nearby communities.

Imagemakers worked with children, parents, teachers and governors to devise waymarking and signage around the School.

The forms and colours of large silhouetted imagery translated in vinyl and acrylic guide visitors around the site, reminding them of our intellectual and social transition throughout school life.

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Berry Head – “400 million years in the making, and still the story continues” – so goes the tagline that features on signage, print, audiovisual presentations and graphics that are all part of the Berry Head On the Edge Project.

Funded by Sea Change, DCMS and the Heritage Lottery, this multi-faceted scheme has led to the creation of a comprehensive suite of new visitor facilities for the Torbay Coast & Countryside Trust’s (TCCT) flagship site.

A common graphic and stylistic language was used throughout the scheme from the point of arrival to the visitor centre exhibition to the site leaflet, guidebook and website. Memorable taglines and key words help ensure that visitors are introduced quickly to the major themes and stories of the site. Rocky textures and shapes reflect the limestone origins of Berry Head and striking colours hint at the limestone flora and the pageantry associated with the Napoleonic forts.

Layered use of media allows visitors to explore stories in greater depth. For younger audiences there are themed spotter sheets, rubbings to collect and a character-led audio trail around the site.

A dedicated AV room in the visitor centre plays a regularly changing programme of films with themes such as geology, history and seabirds. There’s also a general introductory film which projects onto three walls, gradually building a moving ‘scrapbook’ of stories about Berry Head.

One of the more innovative elements of the scheme involves the use of RFID (radio frequency identification) technology. Special ‘story cards’ rigged up with small RFID tags trigger multimedia applications when placed next to touchscreens.

An interactive website www.berryhead.org.uk integrated with social media presences on flickr, twitter, YouTube and facebook, allows users to engage with Berry Head away from the site itself. This includes a introduction to the site’s stories, a species recordingfeature and a printable itinerary called ‘my Berry Head adventure’.

Out and about care has been taken to minimise installations, especially within the Scheduled Ancient Monument. Tasteful zinc etched plaques interpret the original roles of buildings, and the occasional interpretation panel sits neatly on stone cairns.

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Shorne Woods Country Park is one of Kent County Council’s flagship sites. Its position on the North Kent Downs, surrounded by a dense network of roads and situated close to urban centres makes it a very busy and popular destination for local people.

At its heart is an award-winning, eco-friendly visitor centre – a hub for visitor activity and the starting point for numerous themed, waymarked routes. The site has been subject to several archaeological digs that have revealed much about the use of Shorne Woods through the ages.

Graphically we decided to be bold and go for a really vibrant, fun and colourful letterpress style. The lead for the design approach came from a desire to work in harmony with the striking open space of the visitor centre; its bold curves and forms and clever combination of traditional and modern materials. This set the tone both inside and out.

Here’s what Amanda Dunk (Country Parks Area Manager) had to say:

“Since the new exhibition went in people have been generally spending longer in the centre and are actually bothering to read the information and play with the interactives. We have even had two other professional organisations contact us to ask us who did the interpretation for us, as they’ve come to the park with their families and loved it!”

Due to limited wall space, freestanding oak frames were constructed to display themed graphics, each with its own colour scheme and interactive element reflecting one of the major habitats within the Park. Awkwardly-shaped, curved walls were covered with high impact graphic wallpaper, turning the central stairwell into an eye-catching centrepiece within the space. An existing coppiced sweet chestnut stool was re-purposed as a bold welcome feature, being adorned with hanging banners depicting the changing seasons of Shorne.

Outside on the themed walking trails we produced a number of panels and worked with a local sculptor to design a striking wooden piece depicting a hand grasping a flint tool. The scheme also included an audio MP3 trail linked to the various stopping points on the themed trails.

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National Maritime Museum

During the 18th and 19th centuries, Falmouth truly was Britain’s ‘first and last port of call’. For travellers and cargoes, it was quicker to embark or disembark at the flourishing Cornish port than to tack all the way along the English Channel to and from London.

Artefacts were used as the starting point to develop interpretive media that tells the story of how Falmouth grew up to supply these ships and their crews with everything from food to religious instruction. Central to the exhibition is a young sea captain’s diary recording his impressions as he sailed into Falmouth for the first time and a room set showing a shipping agent at work.

“Imagemakers’ ability to immerse themselves in our local stories was key to developing a strong underlying theme for the whole gallery. The result is a strong cohesive story that draws people in through images, sounds and objects. We were very impressed with their process.” Ben Lumby, Exhibitions Manager, National Maritime Museum.

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Heaton Hall

If only the walls of Manchester’s Heaton Hall could talk, what tales they would have to tell…

They could relate how the house was rebuilt by a fashionable 18th century architect and decorated by some of the finest artists and craftsmen of the period. Of how the Egerton family used the hall’s grand interiors and parkland setting to reflect their passions and to entertain and impress the rich and famous, supported by a retinue of servants. And how changing fashions, fortunes and society led to the hall and park becoming a much-loved place for public enjoyment.

Since the walls are dumb, other means must be found to pass on the stories of this Grade 1 neo-classical building. We were commissioned by Manchester City Galleries to draw up a visitor experience and outline interpretation plan to be incorporated into a larger bid for funding. Our proposals revolved around the key characters whose inspiration, aspirations and tastes shaped Heaton Hall and to present them in ways relevant to all.

Personally-tailored experiences of the hall can be achieved through careful layering of content and innovative use of new media, such as Mobitour, Bluetooth and technology which allows visitors to find out more about a particular character as they explore the hall, via scan stations triggered by bar codes. Other suggestions included an interactive touch table representing an imagined work desk of the architect and a Grand Tour interactive highlighting the influences and items which were brought back to Heaton.

The plan evolved through research, internal consultation and evaluation with the local community. Moira Stevenson, Head of Manchester City Galleries, commented:

“Working with Imagemakers to develop the interpretation strategy for Heaton Hall was a very positive experience. They were receptive to ideas from Galleries and Leisure staff and worked in a very collaborative way to develop the interpretive plan. They also played an active role alongside staff and other consultants at a focus group where proposals were tested. We hope that the funding application will be successful and we can go on to realise the interpretation in the Hall.”

The Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham

Pilgrims have been making their way to the shrine at Walsingham in Norfolk since the 11th century. A Saxon noblewoman, who was instructed in a vision of the Virgin Mary to build a replica of the holy family’s house in Nazareth, founded the shrine. Walsingham became known as England’s Nazareth and pilgrims flocked to the Shrine of Our Lady, until its destruction in 1538. A faithful few continued to visit, but the trickle became a flood in the last century when the shrine was restored and once again pilgrimage to Walsingham became a regular feature of Christian life.

Recognising some visitors today need help in understanding the concept of pilgrimage, the Anglican Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham commissioned us to create inspiring interpretation for a new welcome centre. Central to the exhibition is the pilgrim road, an installation which charts pilgrimages to Walsingham down the centuries and leads to a miniature of the holy house. To prepare people for their visit, we designed a series of graphic panels about the shrine, accompanied by scrolls and books which explore the story in greater depth, and a touchscreen.

“Imagemakers got inside our vision of the Welcome Centre and helped us bring it to fruition in a way that speaks to both the first-time visitor to Walsingham and the experienced pilgrim.”

The interpretation has achieved its objectives: “Imagemakers got inside our vision of the Welcome Centre and helped us bring it to fruition in a way that speaks to both the first-time visitor to Walsingham and the experienced pilgrim” said Gill Austen, Retail and Heritage Consultant, “They listened and understood our complex and often conflicting requirements and accepted the sensitivities of working with deeply held beliefs. With Imagemakers’ expertise, we have been able to make the historical and religious aspects of the Shrine accessible to all visitors, and present them in an aesthetically beautiful way.”

Gateshead Heritage @ St Marys

As one of Gateshead’s oldest buildings, St Mary’s Church has borne witness to many social, cultural and industrial changes. Situated above the quayside, it has seen this rural area transformed by coal mining and the growth of industries fuelled by the coal. As people streamed in from near and far to work in these new industries, the population exploded, and the small market town became a sprawling industrial borough. Residents old and new adapted to the changing face of Gateshead. St Mary’s, regarded as the town’s Mother Church, welcomed all.

Appropriately, the church is now at the heart of a new development by Gateshead Council to celebrate the area’s heritage and the ongoing regeneration of the quayside. The aim of Gateshead Heritage@ St Mary’s is to give access for everyone to Gateshead’s rich and changing history, through formal and informal learning opportunities. At the same time, the heritage centre has to be a flexible space which can be used for major events and functions.

Among the solutions we came up with were free standing bespoke mobile units, which create a timeline interpreting the changes in Gateshead from Roman times to today through graphics and interactives. The units incorporate coloured glass to mimic the stained windows once present in the church and inject colour into the space. They also replicate the shape of the graceful archways in the church. Other elements include an audio-visual with footage of the historic characters featured in the timeline mixed with images, and CD ROM games exploring the lives of Victorian residents.

The scheme has been well received, according to Anthea Lang, Local History & Heritage Manager: “This was not an easy project. Our building is Grade 1 listed and there were a number of restrictions on what could be done. Also, the fact that the building not only serves as a heritage centre but also as a civic function space meant that all installations had to be moveable.  Imagemakers provided us with some really interesting design concepts and worked hard to provide us with what we needed. Customer and council feedback since we opened has been very positive”

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“Imagemakers provided us with some really interesting design concepts and worked hard to provide us with what we needed. Customer and council feedback since we opened has been very positive”

Silloth Green

The regeneration of the town’s distinctive seaside Green is crucial to halting the economic and social decline of Silloth-on-Solway. The town grew up around the railway’s arrival in 1856 and the entrepreneurship of businessmen who saw its potential as a port for Carlisle. It became a popular holiday destination, centred on the Green, but the closure of the railway in the 1960s and subsequent rise in cheap holidays abroad signalled the end for the renowned resort.

Following extensive consultation and research we drew up a suite of intepretation, audience development and training plans for inclusion within a Stage I bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund. Recommendations included a trail of life-size sculptures of historic characters, interactive displays focusing on the Victorians at leisure and artwork created by local schoolchildren. We also suggested ways of enhancing the events and activities programme and empowering the workforce through training.

“Silloth is a fantastic scheme, and it’s been great working with Imagemakers. Knowing that they’ll come up with professional well-thought out proposals, based on really understanding the local community and what the site needs, makes delivering a successful project a lot easier.” Liz Carlisle, Managing Director, Ruby Tiger (project co-ordinator for Silloth Regeneration Partnership).

“It’s been great working with Imagemakers. Knowing that they’ll come up with professional well-thought out proposals… makes delivering a successful project a lot easier.”

Cairngorms NNR’s

Finding methods of preserving the ‘wildness’, but also interpreting the remote areas, of six National Nature Reserves in or adjacent to the Cairngorms National Park presented a stimulating interpretive challenge.

One of a number of exciting proposals was to install a series of engraved clear acrylic panels that allow visitors to view the high remote landscapes and ’see’ the scenes changing over time. The plans also suggested ways of creating a distinct family of inter-linked reserves whilst still retaining the special individual character of each.

“SNH have welcomed the flexible approach from Imagemakers to this contract and in particular dealing easily with timetabling changes not of their making. The interpretive ideas proposed are creative and offer opportunity to improve the visitor experience on several of the Cairngorms NNRs.” Andy Rockall, Scottish Natural Heritage.

“The interpretive ideas proposed are creative and offer opportunity to improve the visitor experience on several of the Cairngorms NNRs.”

Foxton Locks

When the Grand Union Canal was facing competition from the railways, the company’s engineer Gordon Cale Thomas came up with a patented design for an inclined plane and boat lift to move boats and barges up the canal’s steepest hill. But the operating system is difficult to explain and, while the locks are still there, nothing much remains of the boat lift.

A tactile bronze topographical model enables visitors to understand the engineer’s ingenious invention. Other elements interpreting Foxton’s social and industrial history included life-size sculptures, a self-guided trail with carved plaques and downloadable MP3 audio clips and interactives.

“The new interpretation at Foxton Locks has been well received by our visitors and partners. It has contributed significantly to the increased numbers of visitors to the locks and incline plane, adding vibrancy and encouraging understanding of the human endeavour which has formed this complex place.” Annette Simpson, Education & Interpretation Manager, British Waterways.

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“The new interpretation at Foxton Locks… has contributed significantly to the increased numbers of visitor to the locks and incline plane, adding vibrancy and encouraging understanding”