The International Bomber Command Centre, in the historic cathedral city of Lincoln, opened in 2018 as part of the centenary celebrations for the Royal Air Force. It tells the story, and keeps alive the memory, of the men and women of Bomber Command, and those who were victims of the bombing campaigns. The centre features Peace Gardens, Walls of Names and The Spire, all of which attract hundreds of visitors every year. The IBCC welcomes all visitors and is often host to families with young children, school groups and youth organisations such as the Girl Guides and the Scouts.
Background
The Brief
An unfortunate by-product of Covid-19 was that museums across the country found themselves in a new world where almost every exhibit involved a level of tactile interaction, in an environment where this was no longer acceptable.
With no touching, the museum needed a way to provide this same level of interaction, engagement and learning via visitors’ own equipment or via a device borrowed from the centre that could be sanitised after each use; rather than every exhibit having to be wiped down.
The ‘app’ needed to be able to appeal to both children and adults, and thus have an aesthetic and content that was appropriate to each visitor demographic.
Our Solution
TJS has developed a bespoke visitor app for the centre which is vibrant, colourful and appealing, in particular to children. The fully interactive app can be used by all visitors, and is accessible via visitors’ own tablets and mobile phones. It presents exhibit related information in various formats including audio clips, video, and educational activities which immerse visitors into the era and help children to learn.