Back in April we told you about our brand new exhibition, Moving Stories, which opens on 12 July 2013. Progress continues apace on the creation of our very special exhibition for families, and if you’ve passed through Bradford city centre this week, you might have spotted the huge Moving Stories poster adorning the front of our building. It’s coming…
A few weeks ago, we signed off all our text and sent it to the designers. Although text is not the only way to tell a story (I’m sure you won’t be surprised to learn that 7–11-year-olds don’t really do much reading in museums!) it’s an important building block in the overall learning experience.
For us, signing off the text means that we know how the stories we’re telling within the gallery—and the objects we use to illustrate those stories—will unfold.
We have an idea of what you and your kids will understand if you read one sentence, two paragraphs or none. We also know what ideas and concepts we’d like you to take away from each and every object.
So what are the objects? Well, we have some absolute crackers.
The stand out treasure in my opinion is on loan from The Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre.
What would you give to get up close and personal with a notebook containing the first ever images of Fantastic Mr. Fox? Lovingly sketched not by Quentin Blake as you might expect, or even by Donald Chaffin (who illustrated the first Fantastic Mr. Fox book in the 1970s), but by Roald Dahl himself! It will appear alongside the actual real puppets of Mr. and Mrs. Fox used in Wes Anderson’s stop-motion animated film.
How about the first ever version of The Borrowers?
The typed document has edits written in pencil from the author Mary Norton. She’s even made a last minute change to the name of the book. Originally it was called…
… Well, I’m not going to tell you that, am I? You’ll have to come and find out. Pages from the typescript will be on loan from our partner Seven Stories, the national centre for children’s books.
If you’re not already on your way here, I can tempt you further with the coat used by the BBC to turn actor Hugh Bonneville into the ‘stinkiest stinky stinker who ever lived’ for the 2012 dramatisation of David Walliams’ book Mr. Stink.
We also have (beautiful) sketches drawn by animators at Studio Ghibli for their 2004 adaptation of Howl’s Moving Castle, the first design by Axel Scheffler for the cover of The Gruffalo book and original costumes (yes—the original costumes) from Martin Scorsese’s feature film adaptation of The Invention of Hugo Cabret.
And just think, among that list of text labels we sent to the designers are another 75 objects. Imagine what other treasures will be waiting for you when the gallery opens (in 3 weeks!)
Here’s a sneaky peek at the visuals from our designers Studio MB. You can see the Hugo costumes on the right.
Moving Stories: Children’s Books from Page to Screen opens on Friday 12 July 2013. We really can’t wait to see you there.