Maritime Festival to showcase plans for new DNA Museum
17 June 2024
Visitors to the Foyle Maritime Festival will have the chance to get a sneak peek at the plans for the much-anticipated new DNA (Derry~Londonderry on the North Atlantic) Museum at a special riverfront display space during the event.
Work has been progressing well on the designs for the galleries in the state-of-the-art new museum with work due to commence on the Ebrington Square site early next year. A special DNA Pop-up Display will be a popular highlight at the Maritime Festival, which runs from June 27 – 30, where people can for the first-time view video animations of the plans and find out more about what collections the new museum will showcase.
Council’s Museum Team will be on hand to reveal more about the exciting vision for the City’s newest visitor attraction, as DNA Museum Project Manager, Margaret Edwards explained. “We are delighted at how the plans are progressing for the DNA Museum, and we can’t wait to unveil the visuals for the gallery spaces. The new museum will take a completely new approach to exploring the history of the city and district, using technology to create new audio-visual experiences to help visitors immerse themselves in the story of this place. In essence helping visitors to discover what’s in our DNA.
“There are so many fascinating strands to our heritage and the River Foyle has been central to much of that narrative. So it’s very fitting that we use this opportunity at the Foyle Maritime Festival to talk about its significance, and its part in shaping the DNA of Derry and its people and giving us our unique personality.”
During the festival the DNA Display will give visitors the chance to step back in time to the Factory Girls era, with an interactive display dedicated to telling the story of Derry’s industrial past. Visitors will also be invited to engage with a beautiful illustration designed to capture what’s in our DNA and share their own thoughts.
The DNA Display will also house the TIDE virtual reality experience, a unique way to immerse yourself in local heritage, and you can also find out more about the Unpath’d Waters Navigator, a ground-breaking three year research project aiming to unite the UK’s maritime collections.
The DNA Display is just one highlight in a packed programme of family friendly activities and experiences on offer throughout the four days of the Foyle Maritime Festival, which will transform Derry’s Quayside into a bustling Maritime Village from June 27th – 30th. Tens of thousands of visitors are expected to flock to the city to enjoy the packed programme of water and land-based activities and entertainment.
The festival is delivered by Derry City and Strabane District Council in partnership with key stakeholders Foyle Port and Loughs Agency and supported by a range of funders including TNI, Diageo and Ulster University.
Find out more about the full programme of events on www.foylemaritimefestival.com