News
Cultural Innovations designs The Greatest Show On Earth®
9 April 2024
We are thrilled to announce the opening of The Greatest Show On Earth® gallery at The Ringling, Sarasota, Florida, which brings the iconic Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus® into the museum.
The team worked closely with the Ringling Museum and Feld Entertainment to tell the story of the last 50 years of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus®, under the ownership and direction of Feld Entertainment.
Cultural Innovations developed the gallery content and interpretative approach and exhibition design across four thematic zones to tell the fascinating story of recent circus innovations including the move of the circus from under canvas to indoor arenas and the incredible techniques developed to make touring the circus possible in the modern era. From the spectacle of the show to the backstage preparations and logistics, visitors are taken on an immersive, multi-sensory experience.
In their design for The Greatest Show On Earth® Gallery, Cultural Innovations has helped The Ringling share a complex story documenting fifty years of the community, business, and spectacle of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey®. The team at Cultural Innovations brought creativity and professionalism paired with enthusiasm and curiosity to every step of the collaboration. The result is an extraordinary visitor experience that evokes wonder and joy. – Jennifer Lemmer Posey, Tibbals Curator of Circus, The Ringling Museum
Cultural Innovations attend the Building Museums Symposium, Philadelphia
12 March 2024
Last week Martyn and Andrew enjoyed three busy days in Philadelphia at Cultural Innovations’ third ‘Building Museums Symposium’, organised by Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums.
We also managed to squeeze in visits to the Franklin Institute, Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell which gave us a great introduction to the historic city, as well as attending engaging presentations which shared every stage of museum projects - from audience development through early-stage strategy, development and delivery and into operational excellence. The speakers shared lessons from both positive and not-so-positive experiences. The openness to sharing knowledge by everyone contributed greatly to the value of the conference.
There are a wide range of conversations to continue before we see everyone at ‘Building Museums 2025’ in St Louis.
Cultural Innovations visit Naturhistorisk Museum Aarhus for creative workshops
26 February 2024
We are excited to share that we have started a new project in collaboration with the Natural History Museum in Aarhus, Denmark!
Last week we had a fantastic visit to the museum, meeting the team and running creative workshops. We are looking forward to working closely with the museum in developing their vision in the coming months.
Project Progress at the Viking Museum Oslo
24th January 2024
We’ve had a fantastic few days of workshops and exploring with the Vikingtidsmuseet and Kiss The Frog teams this week! Great to see on-site construction progress and glimpse their amazing collections in store that will bring alive the Viking age in the new museum.
Grand Stair opens to the public at the Grand Egyptian Museum
19th December 2023
We are excited to see that the Grand Stair of the Grand Egyptian Museum has now opened to the public. In 2005, the artist David Walker captured the Cultural Innovations / Metaphor Comms vision for the Grand Stair. An 18 year wait has been worth it.
Click here for more details about our journey developing this world-class museum.
We look back at the International Museum Construction Congress in Antwerp, Belgium
23rd November 2023
The team had an excellent time at #IMCC2023 Antwerp this month, catching up with old friends and new and learning about some incredible projects across the world.
It was great to hear that visitors and local communities are increasingly at the heart of projects, and about thought being given to the emotional experience of a visit. The beautiful Ilulissat Icefjord Centre in Greenland is now a community space as well as a place for sharing scientific knowledge and we look forward to seeing the new vision for the Portland Museum of Art being realised.
We heard how the Design Museum has reduced the carbon footprint of its exhibitions and how Carmody Groarke’s commitment to finding sustainable solutions led them to design a new low-carbon brick made from recycled waste to build the Design Museum Gent. We had a glimpse into the mind of a Belgian brewer in Belgian Beer World, a library of stones at Narbo Via in Narbonne, France, and a library of glitches from the Nederlands Instituut voor Beeld en Geluid.
One of our highlights was sharing our experience of working on the Grand Egyptian Museum alongside Shirin Brückner of Atelier Brueckner. It was great to see so many familiar faces at the talk and recognise the hard work of the many companies and individuals that have contributed to its creation.
CI have worked on this project since 2004, providing museological advisory services which informed the development of the exhibition masterplan. In 2018, we were then appointed to lead the content development and interpretive planning for the permanent Kingdom galleries and the exhibition design for two galleries that make up this extraordinary museum. It has been a privilege for the CI team to be part of this incredible journey, and was fantastic sharing our learnings at IMCC. Find out more about our work on GEM here.
A big thank you to our hosts and to the IMCC organising committee for a great couple of days!
Cultural Innovations welcomes Rick Pelasara as Senior Associate
12th October 2023
We are pleased to welcome Rick Pelasara as Senior Associate of Cultural Innovations. Rick has been active in the museum world for some 30 years, from Logistics and Production Manager for the Malaysian National Science Center in Kuala Lumpur to Assistant Director of Exhibit Production for the Smithsonian Institution.
Roger Walshe, Managing Director, says 'We are thrilled that Rick will be playing a greater role within Cultural Innovations as we develop and expand our business in the US. His unique depth of expertise and knowledge will be invaluable in supporting our growing US project portfolio.'
Cultural Innovations and BECK appointed to design and build the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) Welcome Center
26th September 2023
We are excited to announce CI and BECK’s appointment as designer and fit-out contractor respectively for the prestigious KAUST Welcome Center in Saudi Arabia. The existing Center will undergo a transformation into a captivating and immersive space that introduces visitors to KAUST's vision and highlights the university's offerings, both within Saudi Arabia and on a global scale.
The Design & Build project will see Cultural Innovations developing the concept and schematic design for the Welcome Center, with BECK then creating the detailed design, managing fabrication and overseeing the installation. BECK and Cultural Innovations have a long and successful history of working together to develop and deliver exhibitions and visitor experiences for some of the world’s most respected and prestigious institutions.
Andrew Wood-Walker, Director of Design at Cultural Innovations, says: ‘‘We’re delighted to have the opportunity to design the KAUST Welcome Center. We look forward to working with the KAUST team, and our long-term partners BECK, to create a unique experience that will showcase KAUST’s vision – accelerating impact – and highlight their scientific and academic achievements.”
Schiattarella Associati, Cultural Innovations and team awarded second place in Science Museum Rome concept design competition
20th July 2023
Cultural Innovations were pleased to be part of a creative consortium that were awarded second place in the architectural competition to design the new Science Museum in Rome. The design by Schiattarella Associati features internally lit open structures that are integrated into the surrounding public realm and which highlight the museum’s fantastic collection. We were thrilled to be part of this exciting competition and look forward to working with Schiattarella Associati again in the future.
(Visuals by Schiattarella Associati)
CI attends Ecsite Conference in Malta
28th June 2023
This year, our Non-Executive Director, Lizzy Moriarty, attended the European Network of Science Centres and Museums Conference and shared some of her thoughts:
“Ecsite is always a great conference, but this year I was particularly engaged by Rob Hopkins’ talk, author of 'From What is to What If'. His inspiring keynote took us into 2030 to see projects in all areas of public life such as growing mushrooms in disused underground car parks, schools growing their own food and carless streets lined with trees. He described these as pop-up tomorrows which are happening now due to the collective imagination of communities. His message delivered hope with humour, encouraging the audience to bring future changes today. His talk was inspired by a climate activists' slogan: "I've been to the future and we won!"
I also enjoyed the thought-provoking keynote by Lauren Vargas, which explained how to use futurist scoping models to assess our institutions' digital strengths and weaknesses. This helps to visualise the 'unseen' nature of digital and how data in varying formats is scattered throughout our organisations. Lauren has adapted a digital maturity model to suit museum needs.
With plenty of food for thought, we had time to network and catch up with old friends and new friends in the awe inspiring surroundings of 16th Century Valletta.”
Roger Walshe speaks at UK Saudi Business, Trade & Partnership Forum
12th June 2023
CI was honoured to be invited to be part of discussions at the UK Saudi Business, Trade & Partnership Forum last week in the amazing setting of Mansion House. We enjoyed sharing our experience working on Culture and Heritage projects and the growing focus on preserving history and culture in the panel discussion 'Unlocking the Potential of the Service Economy: Tourism, Culture & Creative Industries Sectors' alongside other sector experts and representatives from the Ministries of Tourism and Culture.
‘Connecting Stories’ Exhibition opens at Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art
12th May 2023
We had a fantastic time visiting Washington DC this week, exploring some the city’s many amazing museums and seeing in person our newest exhibition, ‘Connecting Stories’, at the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art, which opened as part of the museum’s centennial celebrations.
Designed as a flexible space so that objects can be rotated, the exhibition offers visitors fresh perspectives and tools to explore the museum’s world-class collection. Digital interactives encourage visitors to explore recurring symbols in Asian arts and a large wall map centring Asia provides an impactful introduction to the scale and diversity of the continent.
We are proud to have worked on such an amazing project with collaborators Acme Studios, Kudos Design Collaboratory, Morris Hargreaves McIntyre and Bandol Consultants.
Find out more about the project here
We are hiring! Exhibition Designer (Maternity Cover)
28th April 2023
We are looking for a talented exhibition designer (maternity cover) to join our London team.
Find out more about the job specifications in the link and submit a CV, covering letter and examples of work/portfolio to Valessy Cazas - valessy@culturalinnovations.com. If you have any queries regarding the role please contact Valessy.
Application deadline: 21 May 2023
Museum Next’s Green Museums Summit gives a hopeful perspective on museum sustainability
28th March 2023
We have lots to think about after a busy few days at Museum Next Green Museums Summit. We saw fantastic examples of sustainable projects all over the world, many of whom are well on their way to achieving net zero carbon emissions, as well as having thoughtful conversations with our international museum peers about how cultural institutions can empower their staff members and visitors to take action.
Through collaboration with other museums, governing bodies, communities and experts, we are hopeful that all museums can significantly reduce their environmental impact on the planet and work towards a more sustainable future.
CI attends Building Museums Symposium, Atlanta, Georgia
16th March 2023
CI are back in London after visiting the Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums Building Museums Conference in Atlanta.
It was great to meet so many museum professionals, architects, designers and everyone who plays a part in building or running museums, as well as hearing about ambitious projects, both large and small.
We saw some impressive examples of new builds, adaptive reuse and acupuncture architecture and had thought-provoking conversations around diversity and inclusion, how design as well as visitor programming can support community engagement and of course the urgent issue of climate action and how museums can reduce their environmental impact through decarbonization projects, energy efficiency and sustainable design practices.
Looking forward to continuing lots of interesting conversations and to visiting all the amazing museums.
CI to work on ‘The Great Viking Journey;’ at The Museum of the Viking Age, Oslo
13th January 2023
Cultural Innovations are excited to be part of a team of talented designers creating the Great Viking Journey at the Museum of the Viking Age in Oslo. Led by Kiss the Frog, we will uncover fascinating stories in this game-based museum experience for children and families.
The Museum of the Viking Age is due to open in 2026, and will be the world's leading museum of the Viking Age. At the museum, you can experience the world's three best-preserved Viking ships and more than 8,000 other objects from the Viking Era. The Great Viking Journey will be a social, interactive experience which uses the permanent exhibition in the museum as its playground.
We look forward to working with our partners Kiss the Frog, Torden & Lynild, Bruns, REDRUM and Tactile Studio.
Visual: AART Architects
CI does Christmas in Oxford
12th December 2022
The CI team ventured out of London to Oxford for Christmas this year, where we had the pleasure of touring the iconic Ashmolean Museum, discovering its hidden stories and learning more about its public engagement programmes. After working on the redevelopment plan of the museum from 2005 to 2009, it was great to see how the museum is still evolving to engage new and existing audiences. Of course, we also made time for a festive Christmas lunch before heading back to London!
We are hiring! Office/Studio Manager
28th November 2022
We are looking for an Office/Studio Manager to join our London team. Find out more in the link and submit your CV and covering letter to info@culturalinnovations.com. We can’t wait to hear from you!
Cultural Innovations reflects on IMCC 2022 in Oslo
10th November 2022
We are back in London after a busy and informative trip to Oslo and #IMCC2022.
We enjoyed a range of presentations from building entirely new museums and preserving Viking ships to the most beautiful toilet in the world! There were lively conversations about whether we should rebuild or reuse existing buildings and about designing from the outside in or inside out. At CI we always say that form follows content, but surely the best projects are when architects and designers collaborate from the beginning, and we saw some great examples of this throughout the conference.
Sustainability gains more importance and urgency every year, well demonstrated by the Netherlands Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai which used innovative technology to harvest and re-use water as well as local sustainable materials for the build. We wish the very best of luck to The Whale museum project in securing their remaining funding to realise their stunning vision and a truly important project for the world.
We also loved the Hill House box project with its clever chain-mail covering which kept the rain out but let the bees in and which had the added bonus of attracting more visitors than ever.
Three different versions of The Scream were on display at the Munch Museum if you were patient enough (they are on rotation every hour) and we had a fantastic tour of the breath-taking new National Museum.
Thank you to all the IMCC conference organisers and our Oslo hosts for a fantastic and successful conference. We look forward to meeting again at IMCC 2023 in Antwerp!
Cultural Innovations turns 20!
30th September 2022
Cultural Innovations started life as the advisory service of the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto before becoming what it is today.
Since 2002, CI has worked on world-leading projects in over 30 countries alongside hundreds of talented experts and teams. It has been a very rewarding journey so far and we look forward to all the future opportunities ahead.
We would particularly like to recognise the support, input and contributions from clients, partners, colleagues and, most of all, members of the CI team, past, present and future.
The short video below shows some of the many highlights and milestones of the past 20 years. Here’s to the next 20!
Lizzy Moriarty presents Museum Leadership report and chairs Keynote Panel at ICOM Prague 2022
25th August 2022
At this year’s International Council of Museums conference held in Prague, Lizzy Moriarty, Cultural Innovations’ Non-Executive Director, presented ‘Museum Leadership: Taking the Pulse’ which outlines issues facing museum directors all over the world. The report provides analysis of over 1000 surveys and interviews with museum directors and highlights that alongside reductions in funding they are tackling lack of autonomy, political interference, and difficulties with stakeholder engagement.
In addition, Lizzy convened and chaired the Keynote Panel that discussed expert insights into museum leadership in our uncertain times. It was fantastic to facilitate and be part of discussions around such a crucial topic for museums worldwide today.
The report is available online here, and the Keynote and panel will also be broadcast on ICOM’s YouTube channel.
Roger Walshe and Andrew-Wood Walker appointed Directors of the Company
18th July 2022
The Board of Cultural Innovations is very pleased to announce that as of 1st July, Roger Walshe and Andrew Wood-Walker have been appointed Directors of the Company. Their appointment is a further positive step in the progression of Cultural Innovations for the future, to develop and deliver on the rich and varied achievements of the company over the previous 20 years.
Martyn Best, Chairman said:
‘The Board looks forward to the contributions that will be made by Roger and Andrew as Directors. These are important steps for the next stage of the development of Cultural Innovations. Both Roger and Andrew have exceptional experience and expertise in delivery of the services for which Cultural Innovations is known. We have great confidence that they will continue Cultural Innovations’ strong relationships and support for current and future clients and develop Cultural Innovations for the long term. We look forward to their continued growth within Cultural Innovations and within the sector.’
Roger Walshe appointed Managing Director of Cultural Innovations
28th April 2022
The Board of Cultural Innovations is very pleased to announce the appointment of Roger Walshe as Managing Director from April 2022. Roger has been an important part of Cultural Innovations for over 5 years as Director of Consulting and is taking up the position in addition to maintaining his leadership of client-facing strategy and consulting services.
Martyn Best is moving from his position as CEO to become Chairman with immediate effect.
Martyn Best commented:
‘’These developments are focussed on strengthening Cultural Innovations for the future and ensuring the continued delivery of high-level cultural projects on an international basis. We are looking forward to the ongoing success with Roger as Managing Director supported by a great team.’’
Roger Walshe commented:
“It is a great privilege to be taking on this important role at such an exciting time for CI and the cultural sector more broadly. CI has been at the heart of innovation and global best-practice in the sector for 20 years and has been involved in some of the world’s most high-profile cultural initiatives. With a strong portfolio of new large-scale projects, our team, partners and clients are looking to the future with energy and ambition.”
Sheikh Abdullah Al Salem Cultural Centre
Leading Cultural Destination for the Middle East and Africa for 2021 / 2022
Cultural Innovations congratulates the Sheikh Abdullah Al Salem Cultural Centre for its outstanding success in winning the ‘Oscar’ as ‘Cultural Destination for the Year’ for Middle East and Africa 2021 / 2022 at the Leading Cultural Destinations awards held in Berlin.
This amazing cultural destination was the result of dedicated work by thousands of talented people from Kuwait and across the world, delivering the vision of the Amiri Diwan client team.
Developing the museums was a journey of adventure for Cultural Innovations. From a start in 2013 through to the opening in early 2018, Cultural Innovations was privileged to contribute to all stages of development from initial masterplanning, development of themes, content and interpretation for the museums through to the design of the exceptional exhibits and experiences.
We wish the Sheikh Abdullah Al Salem Cultural Centre continued success in delivering extraordinary experiences for residents of Kuwait and international visitors.
Bill Hart leaving Cultural Innovations
The Board of Directors of Cultural Innovations Ltd wishes to announce the resignation of Bill Hart as Executive Director of the company with effect from 31st December 2021.
Bill joined the company in January 2010 and his extensive knowledge and experience of the creative and cultural sectors, both in the UK and overseas, had an important and sustained impact on the company’s performance and reputation worldwide.
Martyn Best, CEO of Cultural Innovations, on behalf of the Board, wishes to express their appreciation of Bill and his contribution to the company and wish him every success in the future.
International Museum Construction Congress
Cultural Innovations is very pleased to be a Gold Sponsor for the International Museums Construction Congress in London from 7 – 9th November.
We are looking forward to welcoming delegates to London for a congress with inspirational speakers addressing important issues relating to museums and cultural development projects. We appreciate the host institutions for making IMCC2021 possible in inspirational locations.
Everyone will be very welcome to London for real in-person interaction!
Mentoring for the Social Mobility Foundation
A group of us from Cultural Innovations have started mentoring students at The Social Mobility Foundation. We are thrilled to be taking part in making a difference to young people's lives for this inspiring charity - read more about the great work that The Social Mobility Foundation do here.
May 2021
New Office
After being based in Imperial Wharf for many years, Cultural Innovations have recently moved offices. Our new location is situated close to the river Thames in the Waterloo area. The team are excited to settle in a new part of London!
May 2021
Cultural Innovations’ Representation and Inclusion Policy
“We are growing as people, as colleagues, as a company.”
Over the last few months, Cultural Innovations has been talking and learning about representation and inclusion. We have been working hard on a company policy and becoming more mindful of company decisions. Read our statement here.
January 2021
Atturaif Living Museum - Visitor Centre
It is great to see such an impressive media wall in the finished Atturaif project. This film by NewAngle tells the story of Atturaif from inception to the present day. Cultural Innovations worked on the content review and development of the galleries and exhibitions for the project. See our project profile here for more information.
Video credit: NewAngle.
January 2021
Christmas Jumper Day
Another year another Christmas Jumper Day at Cultural Innovations, but this time virtually on Zoom! It was nice to see everyone is festive gear for our morning meeting. On behalf of everyone, Cultural Innovations has donated money to Save the Children.
December 2020
Maldives Cultural Centre
It’s been great to see the photos of visitors enjoying the Maldives Cultural Centre. Cultural Innovations completed this project back in 2018, and it is wonderful seeing visitors amongst the coral reef walk-through and learn about the Maldivian way of life. More about our involvement on the project here and information about the area here.
November 2020
SAASCC on National Geographic Abu Dhabi
It is incredible to see such fantastic footage of the making of the Sheikh Abdullah Al Salem Cultural Centre on National Geographic Abu Dhabi. This was an amazing project for Cultural Innovations to work on. More than 2 years on, it is still exciting to see the finished museums being enjoyed by the people of Kuwait!
October 2020
Knowledge Sharing: Dexibit
Cultural Innovations had a great Knowledge Sharing session with Dexibit - a company who provide visitor attractions with the latest big data analytics and artificial intelligence. It was very interesting to see how this can be applied to museums and cultural attractions, particularly in the current times.
August 2020
Ringling Circus Museum
The Cultural Innovations team are continuing work on the Ringling Circus Museum in Florida, USA. Initially appointed in 2018, the team are re-developing the contemporary circus gallery to tell the story of the last 50 years of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, under the ownership and direction of Feld Entertainment.
Cultural Innovations are developing the gallery content and interpretative approach and exhibition design to tell the fascinating story of recent circus innovations.
August 2020
Knowledge Sharing: Science Through Storytelling with Jules Pottle
The Cultural Innovations team were captivated by Jules Pottle in our recent Knowledge Sharing Session. Jules tells science through stories and has worked with museums, exhibitions and schools to make learning through stories interactive and educational.
We loved hearing about the power of storytelling and how it can bring exhibitions to life.
July 2020
Knowledge Sharing: Girl Museum
Cultural Innovations recently had a great Knowledge Sharing session led by Ashley Remer, founder of Girl Museum.
Girl Museum is a virtual museum for exhibitions, education, and raising awareness about girls and girlhood globally. We covered many discussion points, including how Girl Museum works remotely all over the world, and subjects ranging from emotional intelligence, privilege, storytelling and of course GIRLS! Head to Girl Museum’s website, to see the great work Ashley and her team are doing.
May 2020
Ramadan Mubarak
Cultural Innovations would like to wish everyone, all over the world, a very happy and healthy Ramadan Mubarak!
April 2020
Sponsor for IMCC 2020
Cultural Innovations are delighted to be Gold Sponsors for the International Museum Construction Congress in London in November 2020. We look forward to welcoming all IMCC attendees later this year, it’s going to be a great event! Find out more about the congress here.
February 2020
Christmas Jumper Day
We had our annual Christmas Jumper Day at the Cultural Innovations’ office on the 13th December. It was great to see so many festive jumpers and have the jingling of bells in our meetings! On behalf of everyone, Cultural Innovations has donated money to Save the Children.
December 2019
HRH The Duke of Cambridge visits SAASCC in Kuwait
The Duke of Cambridge recently visited the Sheikh Abdullah Al Salem Cultural Centre as part of a royal visit to Kuwait and Oman. It’s great to see him enjoying the interactive exhibits and exploring the museum with local school children - Cultural Innovations are excited to see the importance of the cultural centre in Kuwait.
Images of the Duke at the Science Museum and the Natural History Museum can be found here. A video of the Duke arriving at the museum can be found here.
December 2019
Palestinian Museum wins Aga Khan Award
Cultural Innovations would like to congratulate architects Heneghan Peng for winning the Aga Khan Award for Architecture for their work on the Palestinian Museum. This recognition is very well-deserved for such an excellent design of this prestigious and important project which honours and celebrates Palestinian culture and heritage.
Here at CI, we are proud to have provided strategic development for this fantastic museum which offers an abundant array of workshops, performances, exhibitions, tours and more – all inviting visitors to engage in the culture and history of Palestine. Being in at the start, working alongside the client team to help shape the creative vision for the museum which was a privilege and we are delighted to see the design and delivery of the museum celebrated in this way.
September 2019
We’re Recruiting
Cultural Innovations are looking to recruit a Mid-weight 3D Designer and Senior 3D Designer. If you would like to be part of our growing team, head over to our Job Vacancies page to find out more.
August 2019
Electrosonic wins Best Museum Award for SAASCC
The Sheikh Abdullah Al Salem Cultural Centre recently won the Best Museum Award at the 2019 Commercial Integrator Awards. Cultural Innovations would like to congratulate Electrosonic on this fantastic achievement; we are proud to have worked on this project and love seeing the continued appreciation for the cultural centre.
More details here.
June 2019
Architects chosen for The Alamo Museum
Cultural Innovations are delighted to be working with the brilliant Boston-based Machado and Silvetti Associates on the new Alamo museum. A full article detailing this next phase of the project can be found here.
June 2019
Shortlisted for the Aga Khan Award
The Palestinian Museum has been shortlisted for the Aga Khan Award for Architecture 2019; we would like to say congratulations to Heneghan Peng Architects. Cultural Innovations were appointed to develop all aspects of the strategy and are very pleased to see the museum receive this prestigious recognition! More information here.
May 2019
Grand Egyptian Museum
Cultural Innovations is providing content interpretation and working with lead designer, Haley Sharpe Design, to deliver the exhibition design for the main galleries at the Grand Egyptian Museum. After working on this project for over 10 years, it is exciting to continue the journey and see the museum shaping up!
April 2019
Connecting Audiences in Berlin
Cultural Innovations’ Senior Consultant James White recently went to Kulturforum in Berlin to attend the Connected Audiences Conference. The conference had interesting expert talks on emotions and audiences from speakers such as PGAV Destination and Den Gamle By Museum. Really interesting, and left with plenty of reflections and food for thought!
April 2019
Launch of Battersea Heritage and Learning Hub
Cultural Innovations were delighted to attend the launch of Battersea Heritage and Learning Hub and see the exhibition space filled with visitors. Completed at the end of 2018, the CI team provided content interpretation and exhibition design for the heritage hub, situated in one of the entrance ways leading up to the power station. The exhibition explores Battersea’s heritage, how the power station worked and the regeneration and future of the area.
January 2019
Festive Visit to Windsor Castle
As part of the Cultural Innovations’ festive celebrations this year, the team took a trip to Windsor Castle. The day started off with an expert talk on restoring the castle after the fire of 1992, which provided a fascinating insight into the challenges and decisions faced by the restoration team as well as the historical context of the castle. A walk around the State Apartments provided the opportunity to see the restored rooms, exquisite interior designs and the chapel; all magnificent to see and packed with interesting stories. The day wrapped up with a Christmas meal at The Duchess of Cambridge - the cherry on top to a fabulous day!
December 2018
How to Light the World’s Largest Museum
The challenges and lessons learnt from lighting one of the largest cultural projects in the world, made for an illuminating presentation at the LUX Live 2018. Mark Sutton, founder of Sutton Vane Associates, gave a talk about the lighting design for the Sheikh Abdullah Al Salem Cultural Centre and how they delivered the project. Cultural Innovations’ 3D designer Tanya also had a chance to look at the new lighting technologies and innovations showcased at the event.
November 2018
World Heritage presentation in Germany
Cultural Innovations’ Senior Interpretation Developer, Luanne, was invited to Brandenburg University of Technology (BTU) in Cottbus, Germany last month to give a keynote speech on international heritage careers.
Luanne’s talk kicked off BTU’s first annual MA World Heritage Studies conference – a brilliant way for current students and alumni to share careers experience and advice. Participants were intrigued by the idea of working in a heritage business – an area many hadn’t considered before. Alumni also spoke about a fascinating range of international experiences from coordinating a European City of Culture bid to working in Australian museums.
Luanne then had the chance to explore the beautiful medieval city of Cottbus and visit Berlin’s wonderful Museum Island.
November 2018
UNESCO Heritage sites, Museums and Temples
Cultural Innovations' designer Sophie, has recently returned from a trip to China and Japan after visiting a range of heritage sites, places of outstanding natural beauty and museums filled to the brim with fascinating artefacts. The photo on the left shows the unique pillar formations at the Zhangjiajie National Forest Park in China. These formations are created as a result of physical erosion, and have inspired similar formations in the film 'Avatar'.
July 2018
The Sheikh Abdullah Al Salem Cultural Centre is open to the public
After working on the Sheikh Abdullah Al Salem Cultural Centre for the past five years, we are excited to see it finally open to the public this month! It has been rewarding to see visitors interacting and enjoying the museums on their social media posts, as well as partaking in various workshops and seeing shows. See the museum's website here.
March 2018
Atturaif Visitor Reception Centre
Martyn Best recently visited Saudi Arabia to see the progress being made on the Atturaif Visitor Reception Centre. Cultural Innovations worked with the Arriyadh Development Authority in 2011 to develop the galleries and exhibitions as well as reviewing the content.
See our full project profile here.
March 2018
Trip to Hanoi and Yen Tu in Vietnam
Earlier this month, a team from CI went out to Vietnam to the city of Hanoi and to Yen Tu Mountain in Quang Ninh Province. The team presented the concept design in Hanoi for the Da Lat biology museum before travelling up to visit the site at Yen Tu Mountain for the Exhibition of the Enlightened King.
March 2018
Martyn speaks to The Times about Saudi Arabia
Cultural Innovations CEO, Martyn Best, talks to The Times about the company's ongoing involvement in Saudi Arabia's museum world and the importance of personal relationships when doing business with the kingdom. Read the full article here.
March 2018
Good and Bad Help at Nesta
Cultural Innovations designer Sophie attended the Nesta event 'Good and Bad Help' in early February. Nesta introduced a report that is co-produced with Osca, which looks at how services and social programmes in this country can be improved. It was a great networking event with attendees from many different industries and gave food for thought about CI's involvement in the museum design industry.
https://www.nesta.org.uk/event/good-and-bad-help
February 2018
Cultural Innovations' visit to Shakespeare's Globe
In the beginning of December, the CI team took a festive trip to Shakespeare's Globe to celebrate Christmas. The weather held off, and we were given a fascinating tour of the magnificent Globe and The Rose theatre, finished off with an Elizabethan dressing demonstration modelled by our very own Roger.
CI made a donation to the Trees for Cities charity on behalf of everyone who wore a Christmas jumper on the 15th of December.
December 2017
Quetzalcoatlus northropi in National Geographic
The National Geographic included this impressive shot of our friends at Blue Rhino Studio putting the finishing touches to a standing Quetzalcoatlus northropi model for a new museum in Kuwait. We're seriously impressed!
https://www.instagram.com/p/BclSYsIDFMN
December 2017
Sackler Conference 2017: Innovations in Museum Architecture and Design
Tanya and Sophie, two of our designers, attended the Sackler Conference held at the V&A on the 24th November. The conference started with architect Amanda Levete giving an inspiring overview of the new entrance and temporary exhibition spaces she designed for the V&A. The day went on to host a great selection of international, national and resident creatives, curators and directors, with poignant presentations.
November 2017
Science Centres in Jeddah, Taif and Abha
Cultural Innovations worked with our client (Tatweer) T4edu, part of the Ministry of Education in Saudi Arabia to plan the renovation and renewed fit-out of the science centres in Jeddah, Taif and Abha. We delivered the Program’s Strategic Masterplan in 2012 before being appointed under a three year contract to oversee the design and delivery of a number of science centres and support programmes. The centres opened in 2014 and are proving very popular with students and educators.
March 2017
Drone Footage of the Sheikh Abdullah Al Salem Cultural Centre
A member of the public captured a video of the Sheikh Abdullah Al Salem Cultural Centre as construction work continues on the 13 hectare site. The construction of the cultural centre is progressing well with the opening of the galleries slated for the end of 2017.
March 2017
Cultural Innovations begin work on a new museum in Vietnam
Cultural Innovations has been appointed by the Tung Lam Development Company on the new Museum of the Enlightened King at Yen Tu Mountain, Quang Ninh Province, Socialist Republic of Vietnam. We are responsible for all content development, interpretation and exhibition design on this 465m² new museum. There are eight separate zones in the new museum that tell the story of the 13th century Vietnamese King Tran Nhan Tong and the Vietnamese Buddhism Sect that he established known as the Yen Tu Truc Lam Zen Sect. The museum is slated to open in January 2018.
December 2016
North Africa and Middle East Science Centers Network (NAMES) : Ten Year Anniversary
The 10 Year Anniversary of the NAMES network was celebrated with a Conference in Amman, Jordan, hosted by The Children’s Museum Jordan under the Patronage of Her Majesty Queen Rania Al-Abdullah of Jordan.
Cultural Innovations was represented by Bill Hart at the three-day conference, which included keynote speeches, panel discussions, interactive shows, workshops and an exhibition fair. Over 230 delegates, representing more than 25 countries, celebrated the importance of science in enriching all of our lives.
A special word of thanks to Sawsan Dalaq, the Director of The Children’s Museum, her deputy Shireen Sabanegh and all of their colleagues at the museum, for hosting such an enjoyable and successful conference and associated activities.
December 2016
Cultural Innovations awarded ISO Certification
We are delighted to announce that on 17th October 2016, Cultural Innovations achieved certification for ISO 9001 :2015 for International Museum and Cultural Heritage Consultancy. Everyone at Cultural Innovations is incredibly proud of this achievement and we are extremely grateful to The British Assessment Bureau – the Certification Body that has expertly guided us through the whole process of certification. ISO 9001 is a quality management standard that helps organisations of all sizes demonstrate they deliver a consistent high level of service and at the same time the standards are a recognised way of demonstrating our credentials internationally. Having the standard in place has already helped us become a better company and we thoroughly recommend the whole process of seeking certification.
December 2016
Cultural Innovations attend the TEG Marketplace 2016 held in Bradford
Tanya and Sarah, two of our exhibition designers, attended the Touring Exhibition Group (TEG) Marketplace 2016, held in Bradford on the 12th and 13th of May. This year’s seminar themes focused on working in partnership, with speakers from the British Museum, Heritage Lottery Fund and Arts Council England. TEG had organised some excellent visits, including the collection and open storage of the National Media Museum and they also visited the Impressions gallery. The second day was spent at Cartwright Hall Gallery reviewing some of the latest touring exhibitions. Another great event from the TEG, with superb networking opportunities and a really enjoyable social side to the two days.
June 2016
Cultural Innovations announces new Board appointment
We are delighted to announce that Lizzy Moriarty has joined the Board of Cultural Innovations as a Non-Executive Director.
Lizzy has worked in international business development in museums for over 15 years, most recently at the British Museum, developing the Museum’s global partnerships through consultancy and training projects. Prior to that, Lizzy was Head of Touring Exhibitions at the Natural History Museum, increasing the NHM’s revenue from exhibition assets. Lizzy’s international network includes museums, governmental organisations such as the British Council, UKTI, Foreign & Commonwealth Office and leisure industry attractions. On taking up the appointment, Lizzy said, “I am delighted to be working with Cultural Innovations who are leading the field in developing museums of the future for their diverse audiences.”
June 2016
AAM Annual Meeting & Museum Expo
Martyn and Gill are currently in Washington DC to attend the American Alliance of Museums (AAM) 2016 Annual Meeting & Museum Expo. The event runs from 26th to 29th May and this year’s theme focuses on the power, influence and responsibility of museums worldwide. With over 3,000 attendees, the Annual Meeting & Museum Expo is the world’s largest gathering of museum professionals and Cultural Innovations is proud to be one of the AAM’s industry members.
May 2016
The Palestinian Museum
We would like to congratulate our client, TAAWON – Welfare Association, on the formal opening of the Palestinian Museum in Birzeit on 18th May 2016. It was a privilege to work with the TAAWON team on the strategic development of the museum and we are delighted that the strong concept for the Palestinian Museum has been delivered in such impressive form. Washington Post article here.
March 2016
Arabian Gulf: Lands of Opportunity?
On 7 March the RIBA organised a Seminar on Working Internationally with a focus on the Arabian Gulf. Martyn was invited to speak on ‘Working in Saudi Arabia’. Taking the theme of a Personal ‘Journey’, Martyn presented an outline of working in Saudi Arabia through examples summarising over 25 years of working successfully with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
March 2016
February Kuwait site visit
A few members of the Cultural Innovations Design Team went out to Kuwait at the end of February to see the progress on site for our Sheikh Abdullah Al-Salem Cultural Centre. On site construction is coming along well and the girls were even able to stand inside what will become their aquarium.
March 2016
Milan Expo 2015
Tanya and Sarah, two of our designers, visited the Milan Expo 2015. Apart from having a fantastic time visiting a wide variety of pavilions, they experienced the Expo at its peak. With visitor numbers almost at capacity it allowed them to explore some areas which are normally bypassed by the majority of visitors.
The most exciting of these areas being the childrenpark, a play area for children which was a fantastic space designed for families to escape the crowds and allow children to explore the Expo in their own way. Interactive elements which engaged both parents and children created a family feel to the space, with colourful structures inviting visitors in to explore.
January 2016
Christmas Jumper Day
December 17th was Christmas Jumper day at Cultural Innovations. Everyone participated and an award was made for the best jumper – in the face of stiff competition it was won by the penguin. Cultural Innovations made a donation to the NSPCC for each jumper that was worn during the day.
December 2015
Royal Botanic Garden, Jordan
Cultural Innovations are delighted to be working once again on the Royal Botanic Garden, Jordan - the first botanic garden in Jordan. This unique 400 acre garden in the mountains above the capital city of Amman will aspire to provide a 21st century, world-class attraction for the people of Jordan and its visitors by demonstrating inspiration, excellence and leadership. The Mission of the Royal Botanic Garden of Jordan is to ensure native flora conservation through ecological restoration and provide a research and demonstration site to address the environmental challenges of our times and generate hope for the future.
December 2015
GREAT Week: Creative Industries and Cultural Projects, Milan, September 2015
Cultural Innovations was delighted to play its part in the GREAT Week held in Milan during September 2015, building on the critically-acclaimed UK Pavilion at the Milan Expo. Brilliantly organised and managed by Sue Bishop and her team at UKTI, Bill and Sherif attended the full week as UK industry delegates.
The first day's programme concentrated on the Youth of Today, Future of Tomorrow and on the second day we focussed on Attractions, Museum and Major Cultural Projects. On the final day we were treated to a visit to the Expo site itself and a VIP tour of the British Pavilion.
Cultural Innovations urges everyone in our sector to get behind Sue's team, who are pulling out all the stops in supporting the UK's creative industries across the globe.
December 2015
National Gallery Singapore
We are delighted to learn that the National Gallery Singapore is scheduled for a formal opening on Friday 27th November. Our involvement in the project started immediately after Studio Milou won the Architectural Competition. We were able to work with the National Gallery Team and Studio Milou to develop significant elements of the Operational and Functional Planning to inform the development. We were given a tour of the project in March this year and are honoured to have been invited to the opening.
November 2015
Exciting Developments in Kuwait
Our Sheikh Abdullah Al-Salam Cultural Centre project is moving forward, with the start of Detail Design and Fit-Out due to begin imminently. We would like to hear from Exhibition Designers, Content Developers and Audience Researchers who may be interested in joining the CI team for this exciting project.
October 2015
Kuwait site visit
On 23 September we visited the site in Kuwait of our Sheikh Abdullah Al-Salam Cultural Centre. The main construction work is progressing rapidly on all museums and the scale of the spaces is very impressive. The wing spaces in particular are spectacular. The installation of the first sections of glazing now gives a good impression of what the finished spaces will be like. We are looking forward to seeing the exhibitions realised in these spaces.
October 2015
'Expo 2025: Should London Bid?'
On 6th July 2015, Bill and Sherif took part in a discussion hosted by the Centre for London on the merits of London hosting the 2025 Expo, the world’s largest cultural event. Ten years after winning the right to host the 2012 Olympics, London government is now considering bidding for Expo 2025. The discussion took place at Level39 Canary Wharf.
The panel included:
Munira Mirza, London’s Deputy Mayor for Education and Culture
Professor Ricky Burdett, Director, LSE Cities
Colin Stanbridge, Chief Executive, London Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Oliver Wainwright, architecture and design critic, The Guardian
The event was chaired by James Ashton, Head of Business, Independent and Evening Standard
Following what can only be described as a robust exchange of views, the audience gave a resounding “green light” to London bidding for Expo 2025 – a view heartily endorsed by everyone at Cultural Innovations.
July 2015
AAM Annual Meeting 2015 Atlanta
Over 4,500 people attended the 2015 American Alliance of Museums Annual Meeting in Atlanta GA. The overall themes of the Congress were The Social Value of Museums. Cultural Innovations, The Museum of Islamic Art from Doha and Morris Hargreaves McIntyre jointly presented a session at the Congress on the topic of 'The Increasing Social Value of Museums in the Middle East'. To listen to the session with simultaneous co-ordinated presentation images follow the link below.
May 2015
AAM Annual Meeting
We will be convening a session on Wednesday 29th April at this year’s American Alliance of Museums meeting in Atlanta, US. Our conference session, called The Increasing Social Value of Museums in the Middle East is jointly run with the Museum of Islamic Art, Doha and Morris Hargreaves McIntyre, UK. We hope to generate some lively discussion about the unique roles and potential of museums around the Middle East. Join us if you are in Atlanta.
April 2015
Prince Sultan Cultural Centre
In April, Cultural Innovations was pleased to host Dr. Ahmed Sanousi at our London offices to present the final Concept Briefs and Designs for the new Prince Sultan Cultural Centre in Jeddah. The Centre, which aims to promote Health and Wellbeing, includes a walk-through theatre experience about the history of Jeddah and its communities, interactive Health exhibition, suite of multi-purpose art studios and the Prince Sultan Gallery about the Prince’s role and his enduring legacy for the Kingdom and abroad.
April 2015
Sheikh Abdullah Al Salem Cultural Centre
Our April site visit to Kuwait City revealed yet again how the build of the 4 new museums and Art Gallery for this landmark project are progressing at a rapid pace. CI is currently assisting the Client Teams with Enabling Works before Detailed Development begins later this year.
April 2015
On-site in Kuwait City
Drone footage (left) shows the impressive scale of construction for the Sheikh Abdullah Al Salem Cultural Centre, Kuwait City. 1400 building staff, working around the clock, are on schedule to complete the complex in July this year. The 32 acre site will feature 22,000m2 of exhibitions over four museums which have been designed by Cultural Innovations.
A CI team was on-site last week working with Site Contractor, Al Ghanim. We are currently working on enabling works for the build, following Scheme Design.
March 2015
The GREAT British Week, Singapore
Martyn Best will be participating in the inaugural GREAT British Week being held in Singapore from 7-14 March 2015. The GREAT British Week is part of the GREAT Britain campaign, which showcases the best of British innovation, creativity and education, encouraging the world to visit, study and do business in the UK. On Tuesday, 10 March, Martyn will be one of the guest panellists, together with Thomas Heatherwick and Martyn Ware, delivering the panel discussion “Better Together or Alone: the Creative Power of Collaboration”.
https://www.gov.uk/government/world-location-news/great-british-week-in-singapore
March 2015
Party
Edge of Arabia art gallery kindly provided the venue for the Cultural Innovations’ Party in February. The evening was a great success and a perfect opportunity to catch up with old friends and colleagues and to forge new friendships. Thank you to all those who came and apologies to those who couldn’t make it. We look forward to working with you all on forthcoming projects.
March 2015
Ancient Lives Exhibition: The British Museum until 19 April
We attended the British Council’s ‘UK-Gulf Partnership’ working meeting for Creative Industries hosted by the British Museum on 25 February. Taking the opportunity, we visited the Ancient Lives exhibition at the British Museum which was revelatory. Using interactive CT scanning technology, the exhibition allows visitors to peel away layers of mummies and manipulate 3D images to reveal remarkable levels of hidden detail. The effect is a very personal, immediate visitor experience that makes us feel closer to the ancient people of Egypt than we ever have.
Through our work over many years on the Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza, we have been privileged to view many ancient mummy specimens up close, but the British Museum exhibition is an entirely memorable experience. To be recommended!
March 2015
Touring Exhibitions Group
Cultural Innovations is delighted to announce that we have now joined the Touring Exhibitions Group (TEG) as a Corporate Member. The TEG is the professional group in the UK concerned with all aspects of organising and touring exhibitions. Andrew Wood-Walker, Head of Exhibition Design at CI, commented that with an increasing number of museums - both in the UK and overseas - now considering touring as an option, TEG membership would be a great help to CI in supporting clients in the development and touring of international exhibitions.
January 2015
The Cosmic Script
In December 2014 Dr Ahmed Moustafa launched the publication of The Cosmic Script. It is the magnificent result of 9 years of research and development. Co-Authored with Dr Stefan Sperl from SOAS, the two volume book explores Sacred Geometry and the Science of Arabic Penmanship. It is a remarkable academic, scientific and, most of all, passionate tribute to a life dedicated to exploring Arabic Script and the art of Penmanship. Cultural Innovations is honoured to have been working with Dr Ahmed over the past 7 years.
January 2015
Madinah Welcome Centre
Martyn was in Madinah on 16 and 17 December. Cultural Innovations have been working with the Madinah Development Authority to develop the Terms of Reference for the Madinah Welcome Centre. This is based on the concept developed by Cultural Innovations in 2013 and early 2014. The visit was at the invitation of the Governor, HRH Prince Faisal bin Salman, to present the Madinah Welcome Centre concept. The Welcome Centre is a flagship project for Madinah and will be the first point of contact for large numbers of visitors to the holy city.
December 2014
Franco-British Business Forum
On 28 November, Sarah and Bill attended the Franco-British Business Forum at the Pullman St Pancras Hotel in London, organised by the French Chamber of Commerce in Great Britain. After an informative welcome address and introduction to the event by HE Ms Sylvie Bermann, French Ambassador, Sarah and Bill participated in the Creative Industries Roundtable discussions and a number of meetings with creative companies and organisations from both France and the UK.
The event was a great success and provided an excellent opportunity for companies on both sides of the Channel to make invaluable business connections. It was the first event of its kind in the UK and we hope that the French Chamber continues with the forum in the years to come. The UK represents France's main trade surplus and the UK is the first destination in Europe for French investments.
December 2014
PWC – Investing in the Middle East
On 3 December Martyn and Sherif attended the one day conference organised and hosted by PWC to address Investing and Operating in the Middle East. (#pwcime) This was a well organised day with a very full agenda. A keynote presentation by Dr Nasser Saidi set the scene covering the Middle East after the Arab Firestorm (Spring) (www.nassersaidi.com).
Further presentations by PWC and invited guests expanded on ‘Understanding the Government Agenda’, ‘The Role of Family-owned Businesses’ and the support that UKTI and UKEF can provide. The speakers provided examples from their experiences in the region. Workshops on Megatrends included ‘Shifts in Global Economic Power’, ‘Demographic and Social Change’ and ‘Rapid Urbanisation’ provided the opportunity to share experiences and questions in discussion led forums led by PWC’s regional experts.
The event was supported by the ‘Lumi show’ app which provided all necessary information, contact with speakers, active questioning and access to all presented materials. Overall it was a very positive and informative event. Thank you to PWC.
December 2014
Cultural Innovations to design two pavilions for Astana Expo 2017
Cultural Innovations and Beck Interiors are delighted to be appointed, on behalf of the Astana Expo 2017 Authorities, to design two major pavilions for Astana Expo 2017, themed, ‘Future Energy’, in Kazakhstan.
Our design concepts for the Africa and Caribbean pavilions take visitors through dramatic theatrical environments that showcase pioneering initiatives in sustainability and future energy while celebrating the regions’ diverse, vibrant cultures and extraordinary natural environments. Each pavilion will host exhibitions for up to 20 countries. We are looking forward to working with the Astana Expo Authorities to develop the concepts further.
Astana Future Energy Expo 2017 will host more than 135,000 m2 of international pavilions, four themed pavilions, a major entertainment complex and conference centre alongside hotel and residential areas. Throughout its 93 day run, the Expo will host a spectacular festival programme that highlights the diversity of the participating nations.
November 2014
Prince Sultan Cultural Centre
Following Cultural Innovations’ Strategic Planning work for the Prince Sultan Cultural Centre in Jeddah, we are pleased to have been appointed to develop the Public Engagement Strategy and Interpretive Design for the cultural offer.
The Cultural Centre will be the focal point of Prince Sultan Cultural City, promoting a culture of “wellness” and connecting people with Jeddah’s cultural and artistic heritage. It will include exhibitions, arts studios and an interactive learning centre.
Cultural Innovations has previously developed the Cultural Masterplanning Brief, Functional Brief and Business Model for the Cultural Centre.
November 2014
Bill Hart presents UK opportunities in relation to Expo Astana 2017, Kazakhstan
Cultural Innovations was invited to present to the 18th session of the Kazakh-British Trade and Industry Council (KBTIC) at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office in London on 16th October.
Bill Hart gave a presentation discussing opportunities for companies in the UK’s creative and cultural sectors to collaborate on Astana Expo 2017 in Kazakhstan. Erzhan Meiramov, Managing Director, Expo-2017 Company, gave a detailed overview of the planning work for EXPO 2017 “Future Energy”.
KBTIC meets annually to discuss trade and economic co-operation between the two countries. It includes representatives from UK and Kazakhstan Government and businesses and has become an effective platform to promote and develop bilateral commercial ties.
November 2014
The Saudi British Joint Business Council
On 11 November, Martyn Best attended the second biannual meeting of the SBJBC in Riyadh. The SBJBC was welcomed by Dr. Abdulrahman Al Zamil, Chairman of Council, Saudi Chambers of Commerce, who hosted the event. Baroness Symons and Sheikh Nasser Al Mutawa chaired the meeting.
Cultural Innovations is pleased to be a Founder Member of the newly re-constituted SBJBC. The council aids the development of positive business relationships between UK and Saudi enterprises and provides advice and support to government to further business relationships.
November 2014