Nottingham Castle, has revealed it will be welcoming city-legend Paul Smith back to his hometown, in conjunction with the Design Museum, as its first major exhibition since its £30million redevelopment...
The exhibition is titled “Hello, My Name is Paul Smith” and it opens on Monday 21 June. It will mark the first major appearance back in Nottingham for the Beeston-born fashion designer since the launch of the Sir Paul Smith Cinema at Broadway cinema, back in 2007. Read our interview with him about that here.
Tickets for the exhibition, are on sale from today (24 May 2021). They are priced at £13 for adults, £9.50 for children (4+) and £12 for concessions. Ticket price includes include access to the Castle visitor experience. There is also a 10% discount available for Nottingham residents who live within postcodes NG1 to NG9 and NG11.
Debbie Beardall, Director of Commercial and Customer Services at Nottingham Castle Trust, said: “We’re delighted to finally release tickets for sale and to reveal the first international touring exhibition, as well as providing further detail on the unique visitor experience that guests can expect.
"Nottingham Castle has been transformed into a heritage and culture tourist attraction of international standing and, as operation is moving from Nottingham City Council to Nottingham Castle Trust as a self-sustaining charity, tickets are a vital source of income with funds going directly back into education, upkeep, preservation and improvement of the Castle, its collections and landscapes.
“We are pleased to be able to offer a ten per cent discount to Nottingham residents in postcodes NG1 to NG9 and NG11 and we hope they will take advantage of our regularly changing outdoor trails, temporary exhibitions, and activities. The Trust is also committed to using a proportion of ticket income to increase the diversity of its visitors, especially local audiences which are currently less engaged in arts, culture, and heritage.
“One of the main attractions that visitors from around the world will be able to see within the ticket price is the world-class exhibitions that we are now able to accommodate due to the specialist gallery space that has been created. Being able to welcome Paul Smith, one of the city’s own legends and true success stories, as the very first to grace the amazing new Temporary Exhibition space is the perfect fit. It reflects our aim of truly championing and putting our unique city, and its rebellious voices, on the map for international heritage and culture tourism. With over a thousand fascinating objects on show, combined with Paul’s personal touch on the curation of the installation in his hometown, this will be an exhibition not to be missed.”
The “Hello, My Name is Paul Smith” exhibition takes visitors on a journey through the world of the fashion designer with more than 1,500 objects that reflect his personality, curiosity and energy. Looking at the impressive scale of its global operation today, the exhibition draws on Paul Smith’s personal archive, from the company’s beginnings in Nottingham to its international prominence today.
Other attractions people will be able to experience once the castle re-opens on Monday 21 June include:
- A brand new, state-of-the-art Visitor Centre, which will house the Coffee Shop and Castle Gift Shop. The gift shop will stock Nottingham Castle product ranges and bespoke pieces made by local designer-makers.
- Hood’s Hideout – a brand new adventure playground built into the Castle moat, naturally constructed and suitable for children of all ages
- New self-led trails of the Castle grounds
- The newly refurbished bandstand
- The Ducal Palace will also be home to the Terrace Café, which has beautiful panoramic views of the city
- Newly improved and more accessible cave tours
- Inside the Ducal Palace there are nine gallery and exhibition spaces;
- Robin Hood Adventures
- Rebellion Gallery
- Museum of the Mercian Gallery
- Temporary Exhibitions space – here you’ll be able to see an ever-changing variety of must-see exhibitions and pioneering works from a range of international artists
- Early Nottingham Craft Gallery*
- Nottingham Lace Gallery*
- Collections Gallery*
- Art Gallery*
- The Lab
*these galleries, are collectively referred to as the Creative Galleries. They showcase a remarkable collection of fine and decorative art, including paintings, medieval alabaster sculptures, salt-glaze pottery, Nottingham lace and more.
Find out more about Nottingham Castle and book tickets by visiting their website
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