The exhibition is launched… it's all in the public domain now.
All went well for the preview. Between myself, the Museum Director and the Education Officer, we managed to take eight groups up the attic. May not sound like much, but it was exhausting!
Overall the response was very positive from Funders, Trustees, medics, friends, neighbours and other visitors.
We got a fair bit of discussion going on attitudes to the MMR vaccine. One couple were very against, and asked why the government was no longer allowing the single vaccines (is it to do with the MMR pharma co's making money?).
Another lady said she had been advised not to give her child the MMR vaccine because of a family history of epilepsy, and then her child got a bad case of measles. She decided to have her other children vaccinated.
There are still unfinished bits to the exhibition, primarily to do with the presentation of the tours… but I have let go now, it will be largely up to museum staff to make the installation their own.
Am please with my 'Virtual Tour'. One of the first visitors suggested it was important to for visitors to see it BEFORE going up the attic, as it planted seeds in the imagination. Which was precisely what I was hoping to do – the video is presented subjectively through my eyes, trying to recreate my thoughts when I first walked around the attic and imagined what the space could be like.
At the bank holiday weekend, the guides were on duty for the first time, and I half expected to get an emergency call – but no… they managed without me!
Whilst the exhibition & tours will run till end October, I just have one joint night time tour left to do on 16 May (to celebrate Edward Jenner's 260th birthday). Sarah (the Museum Director) plans to do it by candlelight… must remember to document it!
Is there the usual sense of post exhibition anti-climax…yes, I suppose so, after all it's been 4 months of concentrated effort. Time for a rest and space to think about the next project!
