Pop-up exhibition on Dr Livingstone
Plans in place during Blantyre centre refurb
Key moments in the life of legendary explorer and missionary David Livingstone are the focus of an exciting new‘pop-up’ touring exhibition coming to Low Parks Museum in Hamilton this weekend.
As well as highlighting the remarkable achievements of Lanarkshire’s most famous son, the event will reveal details of the redevelopment of the David Livingstone Centre into a worldclass visitor attraction.
Additionally, there will be a number of fun interactive activities including a ‘selfie wall’ where visitors can insert themselves into famous moments of Livingstone’s life, including the jaw-dropping occasion when he was attacked by a lion during his first outpost at Mabotsa in 1844.
The pop-up has been created by the David Livingstone Trust to keep the public informed, entertained and engaged with Livingstone’s story while the nearby David Livingstone Centre in Blantyre is closed for a multimillion pound refurbishment.
The exhibition opens at Low Parks on Saturday, September 8, and runs from four weeks.
Elena Trimarchi, learning manager at the David Livingstone Trust, said: “We are incredibly excited about the redevelopment of the David Livingstone Centre, and this touring exhibition is a great way to share details of the project with the public while the centre is closed.
“We hope that people will visit Low Parks Museum to find out more about David Livingstone’s story and our plans to turn the centre into a 21st century visitor attraction which will showcase our collection in new and exciting ways.”
Construction work started earlier this month on the muchanticipated Birthplace Project to transform the Blantyre centre into a world-class visitor attraction.
Clark Contracts is the main contractor on the £6.1million operation to restore and renovate the 11-hectare Station Road site which includes the iconic Shuttle Row mill-workers’ tenement where the legendary explorer and missionary was born and raised.
The Birthplace Project is jointly funded by The National Lottery through The Heritage Lottery Fund (£4.1m), the Scottish Government (£1.3m) and Historic Environment Scotland (£575,000).
The project will include the renewal of the historic buildings, a newly interpreted exhibition which will showcase artefacts from the Trust’s collection of 3000 objects, and an upgrade of facilities such as cafe and shop.