Supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the transformation of the museum’s building, exhibitions and programmes included the creation of a new outside courtyard area, a distinctive space used for alfresco  performances and creative activities, as well as providing outside seating for the museum’s café.

Dan McWilliam, Museum Director, explains,” The museum opened over 25 years ago and was originally all housed in one room. It expanded over the years to encompass the courthouse and the adjacent decommissioned police station but was operating out of two separate buildings. The redevelopment project was a way to bring the two sites together as one and redevelop the exhibition spaces.”

Most of the museum is in one space, but the temporary exhibition gallery is across the courtyard, which people need access to as part of the admission fee. The courtyard is a community area, open to the public and people that have not paid to enter the exhibition. Dan and the team at the museum needed to find a way to restrict access to certain parts of the site whilst allowing access to the courtyard.