This is a brief update to let you know about training plans, a look ahead to the forthcoming visitor programme, and our plans for opening up online booking again.
Training plans
Work to prepare the Museum for opening continues, including the finalisation of training plans. By now, all colleagues should have received the timetable for the pre-opening training sessions they are due to attend. If anyone hasn’t yet received notification, please get in touch with [email protected] and a member of the team will be able to help you.
Visitor programme
From the previous Museum Update you will know that BCLM will reopen with ‘Discovering the Black Country’, which run as our main daytime programme until the summer holiday. However, for the Whitsun holiday (Sat 29 May – Sun 6 Jun), ‘Loff Out Loud’ will run as the half-term programme. Loff Out Loud will be a celebration of Black Country humour, its distinctive characteristics, and how seeing the funny side of life has enabled local people to survive through difficult times as well as good. Brand new characters are being introduced as part of Loff Out Loud. More details will be shared on this as part of training.
Subject to the Government’s Roadmap making continued progress, we’re also planning on holding 1940s Weekend on Sat 17 and Sun 18 July. 1940s Weekend will also include a 1940s Evening on Sat 17 July. Peaky Blinders Nights will also be back with a bang and a refreshed approach in September and November. An update on our forthcoming events programme will be shared as part of training.
Bookings reopening
General admission tickets will go on sale next week. Members will be invited to book tickets from noon on Tue 27 April; UnChained Passholders/general public will be notified of ticketing being back online again from noon on Thu 29 April. As in August 2020, entry to the Museum will be via a pre-booked entry time only and with a fixed daily attendance to aid social distancing. We will issue public communications on bookings in the next few days, so please avoid sharing any public information about this on social media until we post from the Museum’s official accounts.
National Lottery Open Week (NLOW)
National Lottery Good Causes will run their ‘Thanks To You’ campaign between Sat 5 and Sun 13 June this year as National Lottery Open Week (NLOW). This is an opportunity for Lottery-funded organisations to say thank you to Lottery players for their support. As you will know, the National Lottery Heritage Fund is a major investor in Forging Ahead, therefore, the Museum will be participating in National Lottery Open Week in order to drive awareness of our project and other Lottery good causes. We’re finalising our plans, but it’s likely that we’ll be able to offer two chances for Lottery players to visit the Museum during NLOW – one on a week day and another at a weekend. Please keep a look out for further updates on this.
We’re looking forward to seeing colleagues return to the Museum soon. Thank you everyone for your continued support and perseverance.
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