Due to the Coronavirus pandemic Tullie House & Prism Arts today announce the unfortunate decision to postpone the Driggsby, A Whale’s Tale exhibition until early summer 2021.
Driggsby, A Whale’s Tale is a fantastical and immersive exhibition telling the poignant story of Driggsby the fin whale as she saves the seas by returning the moon clock to its rightful place. Despite the postponement the team are still creating the amazing large underwater creatures, but in their sitting rooms rather than the Prism Arts Studio.
The exhibition is the result of an exciting project inspired by Driggsby, a 12-metre-long, juvenile fin whale who washed up on Drigg beach and is now on display as part of the Tullie House permanent collection. The 18 month project, led by Tullie House Museum and Prism Arts, has given 200 Early Years and Reception children from 6 schools across West Cumbria the opportunity to learn about life in our oceans, how Driggsby might have journeyed to Cumbria and why whales have been the inspiration for myths and legends.
Children and parents have visited the skeleton of Driggsby on display at the Museum, completed beach cleans and developed a greater understanding that “The ocean is not a bin!”
The children created a heart-warming story about Driggsby which has been made into a book with a powerful message about keeping out oceans clean. The exhibition brings this story to life, giving visitors the chance to step into the children’s imagination. This will be the first time a major exhibition at Tullie House has been developed in this way by school children.
The book was presented in the Houses of Parliament by MP Mark Jenkins during a discussion on reducing plastic use and the project is a finalist for a Cumbria Eco Award. The book will be available to purchase once the museum re-opens.
Ali McCaw, Artistic Director at Prism Arts says: “We are still working hard to bring this exhibition to life, we can’t wait to share it with the children and public when the exhibition opens next year”.
Anna Smalley, Head of Collections & Engagement at Tullie House says: “We are thrilled to be able to deliver such a major engagement project with such a huge number of pupils, due to National Lottery Heritage Funding support. We are so excited to be able to use Driggsby’s story to inspire children across Cumbria and are looking forward to sharing the amazing creativity and hard work of our partner schools with museum visitors.”
The decision to postpone Driggsby, A Whale’s Tale exhibition was not taken lightly and was done in conjunction with partners and stakeholders. With the health of the community uppermost in minds it was felt postponement was the safest option.
The exhibition has been funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Tullie House and Prism Arts wishes to thank Lottery Ticket buyers for their continued support making projects like this possible.
For updates on this project and the future exhibition dates, visit the Tullie House website and social media platforms.
