Saving the landlord from business rates

• Created excitement with window displays
• Used professionally-designed displays
• Developed a clear visual identity

Taunton – Our Place, Your Place brought together partners working in regeneration, the arts and heritage to explore three stages in a town’s life – the past, the present and the future.

Using a shop that was in an area of the town left behind by redevelopment and changing patterns of footfall, the project started with its windows wrapped in brown paper to hide what was happening inside. When the brown paper was torn down, it revealed a temporary museum, with professional displays created by the local museum’s curators and design staff. A strong visual identity was applied throughout, following the brown paper theme and including an iconic British road sign.

Throughout six weeks, the venue hosted a range of events, initially exploring archives and heritage before moving to present-day life in the town and finishing with an exploration of the area’s future regeneration. At every stage, the windows were used to maximum effect and a TV running in the window showing short films added movement and interest even outside opening hours.

Events included talks, presentations and drop in sessions with museum experts. The whole project also tied in with the BBC’s ‘History of the World’ campaign, which saw a visit from Time Team presenter Mick Aston.

A particularly successful project was one to capture local memory, with people’s personal photos scanned and copied on site and ‘I remember…’ slips completed by visitors. These memories and images, to be produced as a booklet, and a DVD of activity, will form a valuable legacy and an archive of local history.