MUSEUMS & ATTRACTIONS IN BRIEF


Technology to help promote Irish culture Irish culture minister Mary Hanafin has announced that more than E1m (£871,000) will be invested in schemes using technology to promote arts and culture. The funding has been made available as part of the Cultural Technology Grant Scheme, which was launched in July to support the use of new and existing technologies. A total of 25 projects are to benefit from the grants, including Foynes Flying Boat Museum in County Limerick, which has secured the largest share of funding - E180,000 (£157,000).


Hampshire museums decision put back A decision on the restructuring


of Hampshire County Council's museums service has been put back to allow for further consultation with stakeholders. The council is proposing "major alterations" to the service in a bid to ensure it reaches as wide an audience as possible amid cuts to the Renaissance scheme in the next financial year. HCC executive member for culture and recreation Margaret Snaith-Tempia has announced that a decision will not be taken until 17 November to accommodate all the feedback


Winter Gardens architect named Blackpool Council has selected


Donald Insall Associates to start work on the first stage of restoration work at the Grade II-listed Winter Gardens. The London-based conservation architect has been selected to revamp the Floral Hall and to open up the venue to visitors as part of phase one of the scheme. Existing features will be refurbished and the entrance on Church Street and Coronation Street will be restored.


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New visitor centre for Harlech Castle Proposed facility to form part of a long term scheme to secure attraction's future


By Pete Hayman A new visitor centre is set to be created at Harlech Castle, North Wales, as part of an


"ambitious programme" of improvements to secure the attraction's future. Cadw – the Welsh Assembly


Government's historic environ- ment service – will develop the new facility on the ground floor of the Castle Hotel after the agency bought the property. The first and second floors of


the hotel will continue to offer guest accommodation and will help ensure a regular stream of income towards future maintenance of the facilities. Cadw's acquisition of the


hotel and adjacent car park, which are sited next to the entrance of Harlech Castle, was funded through the Assembly Government's £19m Heritage Tourism Project.


The project is being backed by Welsh Assembly Government funds The project – backed with


£8.5m of European Regional Development Funding – aims to capitalise on the economic value of Wales' historic sites. Cadw director Marilyn Lewis


said: "The Heritage Tourism Project at Harlech will vastly improve the ways we can introduce visitors to the key stories about the history of Harlech and its environs.


Dr Who Experience taking shape By Tom Walker


Design and audio visual special- ist Sarner is to start construc- tion work of the first ever immersive Doctor Who Experience for BBC Worldwide. Sarner was selected to design


and create the attraction after a tender at the start of the year and is currently working on the pre-build prior to going on site in early December. The exhibition is scheduled


to launch at London's Olympia on 20 February 2011, with the main element to feature an immersive, timed dark walk experience where visitors will become involved in their very own Doctor Who adventure. The new 'show', which has been devised with input from


The attraction will take visitors on a journey with "The Doctor"


Doctor Who executive producer and show runner Steven Moffat, will feature spectacular special effects and exclusive footage. Other segments at the


attraction include a freeflow exhibition charting the history of the show from the first series in 1963, comprising interactive areas, displays and memora- bilia from the TV show.


Read Leisure Opportunities online www.leisureopportunities.com/digital "It also provides an integrated


package on which to develop Harlech as a very special heritage destination." Welsh heritage minister Alun


Ffred Jones added: "I am pleased that Cadw, through the Heritage Tourism Project, has been able to secure a long term solution for visitor access and interpretation improve- ments at Harlech Castle."


Council to back museum revamp


Plans for a £6.3m overhaul of Cheltenham Art Gallery and Museum have progressed after councillors agreed to under- write part of a funding shortfall. Fundraising for the scheme


currently stands at more than £4.5m, although Cheltenham Borough Council (CBC) has revealed that a revised target of £5.75m has now been set. Councillors are in the process


of drawing up a second round bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for £750,000 to help address the shortfall, along with other funding bids. However, CBC said recent


changes at the HLF means it needed to secure or underwrite funding to the tune of £5.5m before the bid is submitted.


© Cybertrek 2010


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