To celebrate the start of the £46.4 million Royal Museum Project, a line-up of fun and entertainment headlined by the Red Hot Chilli Pipers is planned for the weekend of 26 and 27 April at the National Museums of Scotland.
The free extravaganza will include a vibrant and diverse
collection of live music, workshops, tours, children’s activities,
performance, dance and appearances from local celebrities to
captivate both young and old and highlight this important milestone
for the museum, half of which is set to close for the three-year
project.
Performances from various local schools and a collection of
talented young traditional musicians will take place throughout the
weekend. For the kids, puppeteers, face painting, stilt walkers,
jugglers, a treasure trail and the chance to meet characters right
out of the pages of history are just some of the things that will
keep them entertained over the weekend. Visitors will also
have the opportunity to get up close and personal with museum
objects and can try their hand at circus skills, badge making and
Indian dance as part of the festivities.
The celebration will host a free ticketed book festival event with appearances by authors Kate Atkinson and Maggie O’Farrell and ‘last chance’ tours of the museum will be available over the two days. An energetic Celebration Ceilidh will keep spirits high before the world-renowned Red Hot Chilli Pipers bring the weekend to an end with a stirring closing ceremony hosted by Forth One presenter, Grant Stott.
Jane Ferguson, Head of Marketing and Communications said: “Our Celebration Weekend will be jam-packed with activities and is a great opportunity to enjoy and support our museum as it reaches this significant milestone. It is also a way of saying thank you to our regular visitors from the local community who know and love the museum. This is an exciting time in our history, and while we will be sad to temporarily close parts of the museum, over half will remain open with an exciting programme of events and exhibitions continuing. While it’s farewell to part of the building for now, the transformation will be well worth the wait when we re-open in 2011”
National Museums Scotland is undertaking a £46.4 million redevelopment of the Victorian Royal Museum building, part of their flagship site the National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh. Over half of the National Museum of Scotland will remain open throughout the Project and the full building is set to re-open in 2011. The project is jointly funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund (£17.8 million), and the Scottish Government (£16 million), with a further £12 million from fundraising.
The Celebration Weekend will take place over 26- 27 April 2008, from 10:00 to 17:00.
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Note to Editors
For more information contact Charlotte Rowland or Anne McMunn at Porter Novelli on 0131 470 3400 or email charlotte.rowland@porternovelli.co.uk or anne.mcmunn@porternovelli.co.uk