National Museums Scotland – Page 4 – The NEN

What’s On at National Museums Scotland

Exhibitions & displays

National Museum of Scotland
Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF
Open 10:00–17:00 daily

Rising Tide: Art and Environment in Oceania
Until 14 Apr 2024
Exhibition Gallery 2, Level 3
Free

Rising Tide considers our relationship to the natural environment through contemporary artistic responses to climate change and plastic waste by Indigenous Australian and Pacific Islander artists.

Find out more nms.ac.uk/Rising-Tide

Uniquely Scottish Silver
Until 26 May 2024
Grand Gallery
Free

Uniquely Scottish Silver brings together five distinct Scottish silver object designs: mazers, quaichs, thistle cups, ovoid urns and heart brooches. Discover some of the earliest and rarest survivals within the Scottish silver smiths’ craft.

Find out more nms.ac.uk/Uniquely-Scottish-Silver

Wildlife Photographer of the Year
Until 06 May 2024
Special Exhibition Gallery, Level 3
Ticketed

In this world-renowned exhibition, on loan from the Natural History Museum in London, see exceptional images which capture fascinating animal behavior, spectacular species and the breathtaking diversity of the natural world.

Book now nms.ac.uk/wildlife-photographer-of-the-year

Game On
29 Jun – 03 Nov 2024
Special Exhibition Gallery, Level 3
Tickets on sale spring 2024

Get set for Game On – the largest interactive exhibition of the history and the culture of video games. Game On, an exhibition conceived and curated by Barbican Immersive, examines the creative and technological advances that have established a new medium and art form. From Sonic the Hedgehog to Mario, explore gaming’s rich history through over 100 playable games from the last five decades.

Events

National Museum of Scotland
Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF
Open 10:00–17:00 daily

Relaxed Morning
Sun 03 Mar
10:00-12:00 (Quiet space open until 12:30)
Free entry

Join us for our monthly Relaxed Morning for anyone who would appreciate a calmer visit to the museum.

Friendly staff will be there to give you a warm welcome and support your visit, as you explore some areas of the museum without noisy interactives and videos to give a more relaxed environment.

Find out more nms.ac.uk/Relaxed-Morning

In Conversation: Rachel Bigsby, Wildlife Photographer
09 Mar 2024
14:00–15:00

In celebration of International Women’s Day and our exhibition Wildlife Photographer of the Year, developed by the Natural History Museum, the National Museum of Scotland is proud to host two women who have carved out their careers inspired by the wonders of the natural world.

Join Rachel Bigsby as she shares the joys and challenges of her career in wildlife photography and broadcasting, and hear poetry from Kathleen Jamie, Makar (National Poet for Scotland).

Book now nms.ac.uk/rachelbigsby

Relaxed Access Evening: Wildlife Photographer of the Year
12 Mar 2024
17:30–19:00
Special Exhibition Gallery 1, Level 3
Booking required, ticketed

During this opening, visitor numbers will be limited and, wherever possible, sounds lowered to provide a more relaxed experience. A quiet break-out space will also be available, and a visual welcome guide will be provided in advance to help you prepare for your visit.

This session is primarily for, but not limited to, neurodivergent young people and adults, adults living with dementia, adults with learning difficulties or mental health challenges, or any visitors with sensory needs or who may prefer a more relaxed experience, plus their families, friends and carers.

Book now nms.ac.uk/Relaxed-Access

Magic Carpet Minis
Until 20 Mar 2024
10:30 & 14:00 on Wednesdays
£15.00 per child for block of 3
£13.50 per Member child for block of 3

Magic Carpet Minis introduces you and your little one to some of the wonderful galleries, objects and themes in the museum in a fun and gentle way. Taking place in different spaces around the museum, you will explore subjects such as the Natural World, Space, World Cultures and Scottish History through songs, stories, rhymes, actions, objects and sensory play.

Book now nms.ac.uk/MagicCarpetMinis

Behind the Lens: Doug Allan
27 Apr 2024
14:00–15:00
BSL interpreted

Twice winner of the underwater category in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition, join photographer, Doug Allan, as he shares insights from his incredible 40-year career and reflects on the impact of climate change on the natural world.

Featuring his own photographs and clips from well-known TV programmes, Doug will discuss how the natural world has inspired his photography, his passion for capturing wildlife on film, and share some of the challenges faced when working in the wild.

Book now nms.ac.uk/DougAllan

National Museum of Flight
East Fortune Airfield, East Lothian, EH39 5LF
Open daily 10:00 – 16:00

National Lottery Open Week
16 & 17 Mar 2024
10:00 – 16:00
Free entry on presentation of National Lottery ticket (T&Cs apply)

As a recipient of National Lottery funding, we are inviting players to the museum for free for the weekend, to say thank you for their support. Visitors will need to book a timed entry ticket online for every member of their group in advance of their visit and bring both their admission ticket and lottery ticket or scratch card.

Book now nms.ac.uk/National-Lottery-Open-Week

Conservation Hangar Tours
Until 31 Mar 2024
Free with museum admission
Booking required

See behind the scenes of the work carried out in the museum’s Conservation hangar with a guided tour and find out more about objects from the collection that aren’t normally on display.

Book now nms.ac.uk/Conservation-Hangar-Tours

National Museum of Rural Life
Philipshill Road, East Kilbride, G76 9HR
Open 10:00–17:00 daily 

Spring Explorers
8 – 11 Apr 2024
10:30 – 15:30
Free with museum admission and Annual Pass

Our Spring Explorer school holiday activities are back, and this time they’re all to do with Scotland’s folklore and wildlife.

Find out more nms.ac.uk/Spring-Explorers

Tractor Tots 
Until May 2024
10:15 & 13:30
Various dates
Ticketed

Running in blocks of three Friday morning sessions, Tractor Tots offers a fun, focused experience for our younger visitors, introducing them to the museum and farm, and bringing it to life through interactive creative play.

Each session will take place in a different location at the museum and working farm, and will feature handling objects from our learning boxes, singing, storytelling, rhymes, actions and sensory play to learn all about life in the countryside. 

Book now nms.ac.uk/tractor-tots 

For booking, opening times and location details, contact National Museums Scotland on 0300 123 6789  

What’s On at National Museums of Scotland

LISTINGS

Exhibitions & displays
National Museum of Scotland
Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF
Open 10:00–17:00 daily

Rising Tide: Art and Environment in Oceania
Until 14 Apr 2024
Exhibition Gallery 2, Level 3
Free

Rising Tide considers our relationship to the natural environment through contemporary artistic responses to climate change and plastic waste by Indigenous Australian and Pacific Islander artists.

Find out more nms.ac.uk/Rising-Tide

Uniquely Scottish Silver
Until 26 May 2024
Grand Gallery
Free

Uniquely Scottish Silver brings together five distinct Scottish silver object designs: mazers, quaichs, thistle cups, ovoid urns and heart brooches.

Discover some of the earliest and rarest survivals within the Scottish silver smiths’ craft.

Find out more nms.ac.uk/Uniquely-Scottish-Silver

Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2024
20 Jan – 6 May 2024
Special Exhibition Gallery, Level 3
Ticketed

In this world-renowned exhibition, on loan from the Natural History Museum in London, see exceptional images which capture fascinating animal behaviour, spectacular species and the breathtaking diversity of the natural world.

Book now nms.ac.uk/wildlife-photographer-of-the-year

Events
National Museum of Scotland
Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF
Open 10:00–17:00 daily

Morning Curator Tour: Rising Tide
1 & 9 Nov
09:15-10:00
Ticketed

On a tour which takes place before the museum opens to the general public, join the exhibition’s curator, Dr Ali Clark, as she delves into the stories behind the exhibition and explores innovative and artistic responses to climate change and plastic waste by Indigenous Australian and Pacific Islander artists.

Book now nms.ac.uk/morning-curator-tour

Annual Open Evening
23 Nov
18:00 – 19:30
Free, booking required

Join us for the Annual Open Evening to find out more about our collections, the work that we do, and to hear about our plans for the future across all our museums. The event will be hosted by Ian Russell, our Chair, and Dr Chris Breward, our Director.

Book now nms.ac.uk/annual-open-evening

Curiosity Club
25 Nov – 24 Feb 2024
10:30 – 12:00
£10 (Members and Concessions £9)

Unleash your creativity and curiosity topic each month, we’ve captured some of the museum’s most exciting and child friendly collections and themes, for kids to explore through games, activities, and visits to some of our most interactive galleries.

Book now nms.ac.uk/curiosity-club

Traditional Tunes for Tiny People: St Andrew’s Special
29 Nov
11:00-11:40 & 14:00-14:40
Level 1, Kingdom of the Scots Gallery
Free, booking required

Bring your wee ones to celebrate St Andrew’s Day with music and stories. Join musicians Roo and Neil for live music and storytelling. Through fiddle, accordion, and voice, Roo and Neil will lead an interactive and fun performance, specially designed to introduce traditional Scottish tunes, stories and songs to young children and their families.

Book now nms.ac.uk/traditional-tunes-st-andrews

Sensory Sunday: Arctic Animals
03 December
10:30-12:00
Level 4, Studio 2, Learning Centre
Free, booking required

Families with children with additional support needs and disabilities are invited to join our programme of sensory play sessions. Explore the museum’s collections, get creative and meet other families.  Sensory Sunday sessions are relaxed, fun and hands-on, and respond to the needs of the families participating.

You are welcome to come and go at any point during a session. These sessions are suitable for children with additional support needs, neurodivergent children or children with disabilities. The content is aimed at ages 5-10 but is not set – we welcome all families who think they might enjoy these sessions

Book now nms.ac.uk/sensory-sunday

Magic Carpet Minis
Until 20 Dec
10:30 & 14:00 (Wednesdays)
£15 per child for block of 3

Book now nms.ac.uk/magic-carpet-minis

Friday Friends
Until 28 Jun 2024
Selected Friday afternoons
14:00 – 16:00
Free, pre-booking required

Our Friday Friends programme offers a welcoming space for visually impaired and D/deaf children and their families. The groups meet monthly and explore the themes of the museum through objects, music, art and activities.

Find out more nms.ac.uk/friday-friends

National Museum of Rural Life
Philipshill Road, East Kilbride, G76 9HR
Open 10:00–17:00 daily

Bugs and Beasties Trail
Until 17 Nov
Outdoors
Free with museum admission and Annual Pass

Find big bugs and beasties, and learn some fun bug facts, on your way to our working farm.

Find out more nms.ac.uk/bugs-and-beasties-trail

Festive Weekend
09 – 10 Dec
10:30 – 15:00
Free with museum admission and Annual Pass

Celebrate the festive season at the National Museum of Rural Life with family-friendly crafts and live music.

Find out more nms.ac.uk/festive-weekend

Traditional Tunes for Tiny People
09 – 10 Dec
10:30 – 11:15 & 11:30-12:15
Theatre
Adult with one child (under 5) £5
Additional (under 5) £3

Get into the festive spirit with traditional live music sessions for under-fives and their adults at the National Museum of Rural Life.

Book now nms.ac.uk/traditional-tunes

For booking, opening times and location details, contact National Museums Scotland on 0300 123 6789 

National Museums Scotland Listings

Exhibitions & displays
   
National Museum of Scotland     
Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF    
Open 10:00–17:00 daily   

Beyond the Little Black Dress 
Until 29 Oct 2023 
Special Exhibition Gallery, Level 3 
Ticketed (concessions available)

From design classics to cutting-edge catwalk creations, this exhibition deconstructs the little black dress and examines the radical power of the colour black in fashion.

The exhibition will chart a century of fashion in a series of themed, immersive displays. Iconic early pieces by Yves Saint Laurent, Dior and Jean Muir will be juxtaposed with recent looks by ground-breaking contemporary designers and brands like Gareth Pugh, Simone Rocha and Off-White. 

Find out more nms.ac.uk/Beyond-the-Little-Black-Dress

Rising Tide: Art and Environment in Oceania
Until 14 Apr 2024
Exhibition Gallery 2, Level 3
Free

Rising Tide considers our relationship to the natural environment through contemporary artistic responses to climate change and plastic waste by Indigenous Australian and Pacific Islander artists.

Find out more nms.ac.uk/Rising-Tide

Uniquely Scottish Silver
Until 26 May 2024
Grand Gallery
Free

Find out more nms.ac.uk/Uniquely-Scottish-Silver

Theravada Buddhism
Until 09 Jun 2024
Grand Gallery
Free

This thought-provoking display charts the history and influence of the Theravāda Buddhist tradition across the world, including its role in Scotland today. The display includes a Buddha on loan from The Dhammapadipa Temple in Edinburgh. The Buddha was designed and made in Thailand in 2013, then later gifted to Temple where it is now used in their garden meditation room. The image takes inspiration from the Phra Phuttha Chinnarat (Great Victorious Buddha), one of the most revered Buddha images in Thailand.

Find out more nms.ac.uk/theravada-buddhism

Events 

National Museum of Scotland     
Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF    
Open 10:00–17:00 daily   

Fashionably Late
06 Oct
19:30 – 22:30
£16 – £22 including exhibition entry
Strictly 18+

Our legendary Museum Lates return in October restyled for one night only as Fashionably Late. Join us for an evening of fun, frolics and fashion in the beautiful setting of the National Museum of Scotland at night.

Book now nms.ac.uk/Fashionably-Late

Cultural Connections
16 – 21 Oct
11:00 – 16:00
Around the museum
Free, drop in
Some workshops are paid, bookable

Join us this half term to share in a mixture of music, song, dance, storytelling and art connecting to Africa and the Caribbean.

Find out more nms.ac.uk/cultural-connections

Museum Socials
20 Oct – 15 Dec
Third Friday of the month
10:30 – 12:00
Free

Our Museum Socials events are created for anyone affected by Dementia and their relatives, friends and supporters. Museum Socials create a friendly environment where everyone is welcome and all contributions are valued.

Book now nms.ac.uk/museum-socials

Morning Curator Tour: Rising Tide
01 – 09 Nov
09:15 – 10:00 (doors open at 09:00)

Join curator Dr Ali Clark for an exclusive morning tour of our Rising Tide: Art and Environment in OCeania exhibition. Add a voucher to upgrade your experience with refreshments in one of our museum cafés.

Book now nms.ac.uk/morning-curator-tour

Curiosity Club
25 Nov – 24 Feb 2024
10:30 – 12:00
£10 (Members and Concessions £9)

Book now nms.ac.uk/curiosity-club

Magic Carpet Minis
Until 20 Dec
10:30 & 14:00 (Wednesdays)
£15 per child for block of 3

Book now nms.ac.uk/magic-carpet-minis

Collection Centre Tours
Until 20 Mar 2024
National Museums Collection Centre

Go behind the scenes on a tour of our state-of-the-art collections and research centre in Granton, Edinburgh. Discover the secrets of how we store our Natural Sciences, Science & Technology and Scottish History & Archaeology collections, and find out how these objects and specimens are used in international research.  

Book now nms.ac.uk/collection-centre-tours

Friday Friends
Until 28 Jun 2024
Selected Friday afternoons
14:00 – 16:00
Free, pre-booking required

Find out more nms.ac.uk/friday-friends

National Museum of Flight
East Fortune Airfield, East Lothian, EH39 5LF
Open daily 10:00 – 16:00

Half Term Bricks
Sat 14, Sun 15, Sat 21 and Sun 22 October  11:00–13:00 & 14:00–16:00
Concorde Hangar
Free with museum admission

Inspired by our current Brick History display, each day we will have a different build theme. Choose to make something inspired by the theme or build your own creation. For something a bit more energetic, take part in our speed build challenge and see if you can make it to the top of the champions’ board.

Book now nms.ac.uk/half-term-bricks

Behind the Scenes Tours
Until 26 Oct
12:00 – 13:00
Free with museum admission

National Museums Scotland has one of the most comprehensive collections of aircraft engines anywhere in the world, some of which are in the Object Store at the National Museum of Flight, not normally open to the public. Join Aviation Curator Ian Brown for one of our regular guided tours of the museum’s Object Store.

Book now nms.ac.uk/behind-the-scenes-tours

Brick History
Until 05 Nov
10:00 – 17:00
Free with museum admission

Journey through history in our latest LEGO display by brick artist Warren Elsmore and his team.

Book your visit nms.ac.uk/Brick-History

Conservation Hangar Tours
Until 31 Mar 2024
Free with museum admission
Booking required

See behind the scenes of the work carried out in the museum’s Conservation hangar with a guided tour and find out more about objects from the collection that aren’t normally on display.

Book now nms.ac.uk/Conservation-Hangar-Tours

National Museum of Rural Life   
Philipshill Road, East Kilbride, G76 9HR  
Open 10:00–17:00 daily

Lewis’s Scottish Adventure Trail
Until 6 Oct 2023
Trail
Free with museum admission and Annual Pass

Go on an adventure around the museum with a new family trail at the National Museum of Rural Life.

Find out more nms.ac.uk/lewis-s-scottish-adventure-trail

Tractor Tots
Until 09 Oct

Tractor Tots is a bookable series of playful sensory singalong sessions for under-fives and their adults at the National Museum of Rural Life.

Book now nms.ac.uk/tractor-tots

Bugs and Beasties Trail
07 Oct – 17 Nov
Outdoors
Free with museum admission and Annual Pass

Find big bugs and beasties, and learn some fun bug facts, on your way to our working farm.

Find out more nms.ac.uk/bugs-and-beasties-trail

Autumn Explorers
17 – 20 Oct
10:30 – 15:30
Free with museum admission and Annual Pass

Become an Autumn Explorer this October half term at the National Museum of Rural Life. Enjoy family storytelling, an outdoor trail and creative crafts as you learn all about Scotland’s bugs, beasties and creatures.

Find our more nms.ac.uk/autumn-explorers

Adult Workshops: Willow Crafting
28 Oct
Age 16+
Tickets £30 – £35
Advance booking required

Join Max Johnson from Seileach Basketry for a fun, relaxed introduction to willow weaving at the National Museum of Rural Life. Choose from two half-day workshops where you will create your own willow bird feeder or willow platter.

Book now nms.ac.uk/willow-crafting

Festive Weekend
09 – 10 Dec
10:30 – 15:00
Free with museum admission and Annual Pass

Celebrate the festive season at the National Museum of Rural Life with family-friendly crafts and live music.

Find out more nms.ac.uk/festive-weekend

Traditional Tunes for Tiny People
09 – 10 Dec
10:30 – 11:15 & 11:30-12:15
Theatre
Adult with one child (under 5) £5
Additional (under 5) £3

Get into the festive spirit with traditional live music sessions for under-fives and their adults at the National Museum of Rural Life.

Book now nms.ac.uk/traditional-tunes

For booking, opening times and location details, contact National Museums Scotland on 0300 123 6789  

Maths Week Scotland: Maths in Motion

This week will see maths-related activities taking place across the country in the annual Maths Week Scotland programme. The theme of this year’s programme, which is coordinated by National Museums Scotland and funded by the Scottish Government, is Maths in Motion.

Maths Week Scotland: 25 September to 1 October 2023

mathsweek.scot

@mathsweekscot

Maths Week Scotland combines in-person events from Orkney to the Scottish Borders – in a mix of schools programming and public activities in museums, libraries and galleries – with a range of online events, resources and workshops.

The Maths in Motion theme has a huge variety of applications, as the programme shows, with diverse topics ranging from the maths of money to ceilidh dancing, and from nautical navigation to maths in football.

The Scottish Mathematical Council have created a series of football-themed films for of football-themed films for Maths Week Scotland, in conjunction with the Scottish Football Association and featuring the Hearts Women’s team, the Scottish Football Museum and Rugby Park, the home of Kilmarnock Football Club.

The films cover topics as diverse as predicting the outcome of penalty kicks, travel logistics, how to calculate how many people can get through the turnstiles in time for kick-off and the mathematics of the curve on a free kick.

The National Museum of Scotland will host a pop-up exhibition from the Open University entitled Maths in Motion: Pendulums and Patterns, maths-themed Magic Carpet sessions for pre-schoolers, object handling in the Grand Gallery and a maths-themed trail inspired by Dolly the Sheep.

Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth said: “The Scottish Government is proud to support Maths Week Scotland’s delivery of yet another amazing range of activities to promote the important merits of maths in everyday life.

“We are determined to do everything we can to inspire the next generation of people to engage with maths and the events and workshops on offer will play an important role in doing exactly that.”

Maths Week Scotland coordinator Ailsa Brien said: “We’re delighted to launch Maths Week Scotland in its seventh consecutive year.

“Maths in Motion is a theme which invites a wide range of interpretations and so we’re thrilled to see such a creative and diverse programme of activities and events, which I’m sure will inspire and engage a wide range of audiences.”

Maths Week Scotland is supporting a host of classroom activities for schools across the country, encouraging innovation and participation.

Activity packs are available to download from the Maths Week Scotland website, with ideas of how to celebrate and enjoy the week for everyone from early years to secondary school pupils.

Meanwhile, the daily Maths Week Scotland challenges will return, with accompanying BBC Bitesize learning videos setting out how to tackle them.

Support has also been provided to Scottish museums and galleries to integrate more maths into their programming during the week-long event.

Maths Week Scotland and National Museums Scotland will support maths activities taking place in: The Museum on the Mound, Auchindrain Township Museum, The Scottish Maritime Museum, The Burrell Collection, Sumerlee Museum of Scottish Industrial Life, Surgeons’ Hall Museum, The Scottish Fisheries Museum, National Galleries of Scotland and The Great Tapestry of Scotland.

Over 20 libraries are also taking part in Maths Week Scotland, with activities including Maths-themed Bookbug sessions, crafts and LEGO.

Maths Week Scotland has a supporting year-round programme for schools, families, adults and community groups.

This is part of an ongoing drive to transform Scotland into a maths-positive nation through raising the profile of maths and encouraging enthusiasm for maths across the country.

National Museums Scotland is working with a wide range of organisations and collaborators to support and deliver Maths Week Scotland activity across Scotland. For a full list of contributors and to view the whole programme, visit:

www.mathsweek.scot

#mathsweekscot

@mathsweekscot

Rematriation

MEMORIAL POLE IS GOING HOME

The Nisg̱a’a Lisims Government (NLG) and National Museums Scotland (NMS) announce that the House of Ni’isjoohl memorial pole will return home to the Nass Valley this September, in a historic moment for reconciliation.

The rematriation of the pole is the result of a year-long discussion and close collaboration between the Nisg̱a’a Nation and the museum.

The term “rematriation” reframes the concept of “repatriation” by grounding the process of recovering belongings in Indigenous law — and is more closely in alignment with Nisga’a matrilineal society.

Following months of preparatory work, a delegation of family members and supporters from the Nisg̱a’a Lisims Government have travelled to the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh to oversee the start of the return.

A closed spiritual ceremony was held on Aug. 28, to prepare the pole for its journey home. The delegation included: Sim’oogit Ni’isjoohl (Chief Earl Stephens), Sigidimnaḵ’ Nox̱s Ts’aawit (Dr. Amy Parent), Shawna Mackay, Sim’oogit Duuk (Chief William Moore), Sim’oogit Laay̓ (Chief Bruce Haldane), Mmihlgum Maakskwhl G̱akw (Pamela Brown), and NLG Representatives Apdii Lax̱ha (Andrew Robinson), Theresa Schober (Nisg̱a’a Museum Curator and Director), Laax̱ Yee (Bobby Clark, Director of Communications and Intergovernmental Relations.

The 37-foot, hand-carved pole will be transported to Terrace, British Columbia, and then driven in a family procession to the Nisg̱a’a Village of Lax̱g̱alts’ap in the Nass Valley where it will be housed at Hli G̱oothl Wilp-Adoḵshl Nisg̱a’a – the Nisga’a Museum.

A public arrival ceremony will be held at Hli G̱oothl Wilp-Adoḵshl Nisg̱a’a on Sept. 29, with the pole still enclosed within its protective box with a Nisg̱a’a feast to follow. The pole will be raised in the following days and available for the public to view later in October.

The memorial pole belongs to the House of Ni’isjoohl from the G̱anada (frog clan) in the Nisg̱a’a Nation. In 1860, House of Ni’isjoohl Matriarch Joanna Moody commissioned the pole to be carved by Nisg̱a’a master carver Oyee to honour her family member Ts’awit, who was next in line to be chief. Ts’awit was also a warrior who died protecting his family and nation.

Sim’oogit Ni’isjoohl, Chief Earl Stephens, explained: “In Nisg̱a’a culture, we believe that this pole is alive with the spirit of our ancestors.

“After nearly 100 years, we are finally able to bring our dear relative home to rest on Nisg̱a’a lands. It means so much for us to have the Ni’isjoohl memorial pole returned to us, so that we can connect our family, nation and our future generations with our living history.”

Sigidimnak’ Noxs Ts’aawit, Dr. Amy Parent, added: “We are grateful to collectively tell a new story that turns the colonial gaze onto itself by acknowledging the complexities of our pole’s theft, its intergenerational absence from our community and the persistence needed to ensure that justice for our ancestors prevails.

“This new story also highlights the responsible commitments made by many who have demonstrated to our global community that it is possible to do the right thing by returning our ancestors, cultural treasures and belongings back to us, their rightful relatives.”

Eva Clayton, President of Nisg̱a’a Lisims Government, said: “Our hearts are at peace knowing that we are changing history with a precedent-setting transformational story of collaboration with the people of Scotland and Canada.

“It is an honour for the Nisg̱a’a Nation to be standing beside Wilp Ni’isjoohl at this historic moment in time. We are grateful to be alongside them, while having our treaty partners next to us to unwind some of the injustices to our history as Nisg̱a’a people.”

Dr Chris Breward, Director of National Museums Scotland, said: “Since the transfer of the Memorial Pole was agreed last December, our teams have been planning the complex task of carefully lowering and transporting it in what is the first return of its type by a UK national institution.

“We are pleased to have reached the point where that work is now underway, and we are delighted to have welcomed the Nisga’a delegation to the Museum before we bid the Pole farewell.”

Scotland’s Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture, Angus Robertson said: “The great significance of the Ni’isjoohl memorial pole to the Nisga’a people and their community was made clear to me when I met with their representatives last year and I was pleased to have been able to provide the necessary ministerial consent to enable its return.

“Today’s ceremony is the next step in that journey, following months of careful planning and dialogue between National Museums Scotland and the Nisga’a Nation, and I’m grateful to all parties for the work that has been undertaken to make it happen.”

National Museums Scotland: What’s On

Exhibitions & displays
   
National Museum of Scotland     
Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF    
Open 10:00–17:00 daily   

Beyond the Little Black Dress 
Until 29 Oct 2023 
Special Exhibition Gallery, Level 3 
Ticketed (concessions available)

From design classics to cutting-edge catwalk creations, this exhibition deconstructs the little black dress and examines the radical power of the colour black in fashion. The exhibition will chart a century of fashion in a series of themed, immersive displays. Iconic early pieces by Yves Saint Laurent, Dior and Jean Muir will be juxtaposed with recent looks by ground-breaking contemporary designers and brands like Gareth Pugh, Simone Rocha and Off-White. 

Find out more nms.ac.uk/Beyond-the-Little-Black-Dress

Rising Tide: Art and Environment in Oceania
Until 14 Apr 2024
Exhibition Gallery 2, Level 3
Free

Delve into the most important and pressing issue of our time, humanity’s damaging relationship with planet Earth. This urgent issue is felt especially deeply in Australia and the Pacific Islands where sea levels are rising due to climate change and the oceans are filling with plastic. Rising Tide considers our relationship to the natural environment through contemporary artistic responses to climate change and plastic waste by Indigenous Australian and Pacific Islander artists.

Find out more nms.ac.uk/Rising-Tide

Uniquely Scottish Silver
Until 26 May 2024
Grand Gallery
Free

Find out more nms.ac.uk/Uniquely-Scottish-Silver

Events 

National Museum of Scotland     
Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF    
Open 10:00–17:00 daily   

Audio-Described Access Evening: Beyond the Little Black Dress
12 Sep
17:30 – 19:00
Special Exhibition Gallery 1, Level 3
Age 8+

Explore the Beyond the Little Black Dress exhibition supported by an audio-described tour of key objects, for those who are blind, partially sighted or visually impaired.

Book now nms.ac.uk/audio-described-access-evening

Film Screening: Fashion Reimagined
16 Sep
14:00 – 16:30
Auditorium, Level 1
Tickets £6 – £10
Age 14+

Join us for a screening of this 2022 documentary film following fashion designer Amy Powney of cult label Mother of Pearl, a rising star in the London fashion scene. Documentary Fashion Reimagined follows designer Amy Powney as she embarks on a three-year journey to create a sustainable clothing collection and transform the way we engage with fashion.

Book now nms.ac.uk/fashion-reimagined

Medieval to Modern: Animal Illustration Workshop
16 Sep
10:15 – 16:00
Studio 2, Level 4
Tickets £5 – £6
Age 16+

Join natural history artists Rebecca Jewell and Sandy Ross Sykes to create your own artwork in the style of a Medieval Book of Beasts, inspired by our Library Archives and Natural History collections.

Book now nms.ac.uk/Medieval-to-Modern

Maths in Motion: Family Fun
25 Sep – 1 Oct
10:00 – 17:00
Around the Museum
Free
Drop-in and ticketed activities

Discover Maths in Motion with our Maths Week Scotland family activities.

Find out more nms.ac.uk/Maths-in-Motion

Magic Carpet: Maths in Motion Special
27 Sep
10:30 – 11:00 and 14:00 – 14:30
Grand Gallery, Level 1
Free with booking required

Bring your little ones for a fun session on the Magic Carpet exploring maths in motion. Discover shapes, numbers, time and more through songs, action rhymes, objects and sensory play. Suitable for children ages 2–4 and their adult helper.

Bookings open 4 Sep

Find out more nms.ac.uk/magic-carpet

In Conversation: Black British Design
27 Sep
19:00 – 20:30
Auditorium, Level 1
Tickets £6 – £10
Age 14+

Join Maria Casely-Hayford and Sequoia Barnes in a conversation exploring Black British fashion. Discover the trailblazing career of fashion designer Joe Casely-Hayford OBE in this conversation with Sequoia Barnes and Maria Casely-Hayford.

Book now nms.ac.uk/Black-British-Design

Fashionably Late
06 Oct
19:30 – 22:30
£16 – £22 including exhibition entry
Strictly 18+

Book now nms.ac.uk/Fashionably-Late

National Museum of Flight
East Fortune Airfield, East Lothian, EH39 5LF
Open daily 10:00 – 16:00

Brick Sundays
03 – 17 Sep
12:00 – 16:00
Free with museum admission

Inspired by our current Brick History display, each Sunday we will have a different build theme. Choose to make something inspired by the theme or build your own creation. For something a bit more energetic, take part in our speed build challenge and see if you can make it to the top of the champions’ board.

Book your visit nms.ac.uk/brick-sundays

Doors Open Day 2023
23 & 24 Sep
10:00 – 17:00
Free

Visit the museum for free over Doors Open Days East Lothian weekend and learn about the history of aviation from the First World War to the present day. Immerse yourself in interactive galleries, supersonic experiences and our historic hangars and airfield.

Book your visit nms.ac.uk/Doors-Open-Day

Brick History
Until 05 Nov
10:00 – 17:00
Free with museum admission

Journey through history in our latest LEGO display by brick artist Warren Elsmore and his team.

Book your visit nms.ac.uk/Brick-History

Conservation Hangar Tours
Until 31 Mar 2024
Free with museum admission
Booking required

See behind the scenes of the work carried out in the museum’s Conservation hangar with a guided tour and find out more about objects from the collection that aren’t normally on display.

Book now nms.ac.uk/Conservation-Hangar-Tours

National Museum of Rural Life   
Philipshill Road, East Kilbride, G76 9HR  
Open 10:00–17:00 daily

MooFest
16 & 17 Sep
10:20 – 15:30
Free with museum admission and Annual Pass

Join us for a celebration of all things cattle at the National Museum of Rural Life.New for 2023, this weekend of cattle-inspired activities, talks and tastings for young and old alike.

Book your visit now nms.ac.uk/moofest

Adult Workshop: Natural Dyeing
23 Sep
10:15-16:00
Learning Centre
Age 16+
Tickets £50 – £55
Advance booking required

Join artist Elizabeth Viguie-Culshaw for a hands-on natural dyeing workshop at the National Museum of Rural Life using locally cultivated plants.

Book now nms.ac.uk/Natural-Dyeing

Lewis’s Scottish Adventure Trail
Until 6 Oct 2023
Trail
Free with museum admission and Annual Pass

Go on an adventure around the museum with a new family trail at the National Museum of Rural Life.

Find out more nms.ac.uk/lewis-s-scottish-adventure-trail

For booking, opening times and location details, contact National Museums Scotland on 0300 123 6789  

National Museums Scotland listings

Exhibitions & displays
   
National Museum of Scotland     
Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF    
Open 10:00–17:00 daily   

Beyond the Little Black Dress 
Until 29 Oct 2023 
Special Exhibition Gallery, Level 3 
Ticketed (concessions available)

Iconic early pieces by Yves Saint Laurent, Dior and Jean Muir will be juxtaposed with recent looks by ground-breaking contemporary designers and brands like Gareth Pugh, Simone Rocha and Off-White. 

Find out more nms.ac.uk/Beyond-the-Little-Black-Dress

Rising Tide: Art and Environment in Oceania
12 Aug 2023 – 14 Apr 2024
Exhibition Gallery 2, Level 3
Free

Find out more nms.ac.uk/Rising-Tide

Japanese Contemporary Design      
Until 30 Jul 2023       
Exhibition Gallery 3, Level 1      
Free entry      

From striking statement jewellery to prints and porcelain vases, this new free display considers how Japanese contemporary makers have combined innovative and traditional art, craft and design elements over the past five decades.   

The star object is Hitomi Hosono’s A Large Pine Tree Pool, a sculptural porcelain bowl with complex hand-carving made and acquired in 2019. Further highlights include Junko Mori’s intricate New Pinecone Silver Organism, and colourful body adornments by jeweller Suō Emiko’s adapted from metalworking and engraving techniques traditionally used in the making of Japanese sword fittings.      

Find out more nms.ac.uk/Japanese-Contemporary-Design

Events 

National Museum of Scotland     
Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF    
Open 10:00–17:00 daily   

Experts Radio Lab
8 Aug – 24 Aug
Various days and times
Hawthornden Court
Free, drop in

Experts Radio Lab and the accompanying Listening Station is a free, drop-in experience, set within our pop-up radio studio at the National Museum of Scotland. Interviews are shared live to an audience of fellow interviewees, their families and anyone who’s curious. Share your expertise with us or come along and learn from the masters! You never know what you’ll learn. A production by Alice Mary Cooper and Company.

Find out more nms.ac.uk/experts-radio-lab

Museum Late: Fringe Fridays
11 Aug & 18 Aug
19:30 – 22:30
£16 – £22

Fringe Fridays are back! Enjoy a unique flavour of the Fringe and explore the museum after hours. From comedy and cabaret to music and magic, handpicked performers will showcase highlights from their acts across two adults-only extravaganzas, alongside bars and entry to our summer exhibition, Beyond the Little Black Dress. Acts across the two nights include the Black Blues Brothers, Sunshine on Leith, Cirque Afrique and many more.

Book now nms.ac.uk/museum-late-fringe-fridays

BSL Access Evening: Beyond the Little Black Dress
15 Aug
18:00-19:30
Standard exhibition entry prices apply

Part of Edinburgh Deaf Festival, join us after hours for a Deaf-led BSL tour of key objects in the Beyond the Little Black Dress exhibition.

From design classics to cutting-edge catwalk creations, this exhibition deconstructs the little black dress and examines the radical power of the colour black in fashion. The tour will last around one hour with the chance to explore the exhibition independently afterwards.

Book now nms.ac.uk/bsl-access-evening-beyond-the-little-black-dress

Morning Curator Tour: Rising Tide
16 – 24 Aug
09:15-10:00 (doors open at 09:00)
Ticketed

Join curator Dr Ali Clark for an exclusive morning tour of our Rising Tide exhibition, delving nto the stories behind the exhibition and explore the innovative and artistic responses to climate change and plastic waste by Indigenous Australian and Pacific Islander artists. Add a voucher to upgrade your experience with refreshments in one of our museum cafés.

Book now nms.ac.uk/morning-curator-tour-rising-tide

Adult Workshop: Introduction to Fashion Illustration
09 Sep
11:00 – 16:00
Studios, Level 4
Age 18+
£45 – £50

Learn the fundamentals of fashion illustration in this drawing class with illustrator, Katie Braid.

Book now nms.ac.uk/fashion-illustration

Audio-Described Access Evening: Beyond the Little Black Dress
12 Sep
17:30 – 19:00
Special Exhibition Gallery 1, Level 3
Age 8+

Explore the Beyond the Little Black Dress exhibition supported by an audio-described tour of key objects, for those who are blind, partially sighted or visually impaired.

Book now nms.ac.uk/audio-described-access-evening

Film Screening: Fashion Reimagined
16 Sep
14:00 – 16:30
Auditorium, Level 1
Tickets £6 – £10
Age 14+

Book now nms.ac.uk/fashion-reimagined

National Museum of Flight
East Fortune Airfield, East Lothian, EH39 5LF
Open daily 10:00 – 16:00

Big Build Weekend
26 & 27 Aug
10:30 –16:30
Free with museum admission

Inspired by our current Brick History display, take part in our mass participation Big Build alongside LEGO experts Warren and Teresa Elsmore. You will be building part of a 3-metre-tall Saturn V rocket, the only launch vehicle to carry humans beyond low earth orbit to the moon, which will then become part of the Brick History display until November.

Book now nms.ac.uk/big-build-weekend.

Brick Sundays
3 – 17 Sep
12:00 – 16:00
Free with museum admission

Book your visit nms.ac.uk/brick-sundays

Conservation Hangar Tours
Until 31 Mar 2024
Free with museum admission
Booking required

See behind the scenes of the work carried out in the museum’s Conservation hangar with a guided tour and find out more about objects from the collection that aren’t normally on display.

Book now nms.ac.uk/Conservation-Hangar-Tours

National Museum of Rural Life   
Philipshill Road, East Kilbride, G76 9HR  
Open 10:00–17:00 daily

Nature Track Packs
Until 31 Aug
10:00 – 17:00
Borrow from the ticket desk
Free with museum admission and Annual Pass

Explore more at the National Museum of Rural Life this summer with our Nature Track Packs. Each pack contains fun ideas and activities to encourage children to engage all their senses to explore the countryside on a walk up to the farm.

National Museums Scotland Listings

Exhibitions & displays

National Museum of Scotland
Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF
Open 10:00–17:00 daily
 

Exhibitions & displays    
   
National Museum of Scotland     
Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF    
Open 10:00–17:00 daily   

The Declaration of Arbroath
Until 02 Jul 2023
Exhibition Gallery 2, Level 3       
Free entry       

The Declaration of Arbroath is a letter dated 6 April 1320 written by the barons and freeholders of the Kingdom of Scotland to Pope John XXII. The letter asked the pope to recognise Scotland’s independence and acknowledge Robert the Bruce as the country’s lawful king. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to see one of the most famous documents in Scottish history – the Declaration of Arbroath.

Find our more nms.ac.uk/The-Declaration-of-Arbroath

Beyond the Little Black Dress 
1 Jul – 29 Oct 2023 
Special Exhibition Gallery, Level 3 
Ticketed (concessions available)

Find out more nms.ac.uk/Beyond-the-Little-Black-Dress

Rising Tide: Art and Environment in Oceania
12 Aug 2023 – 14 Apr 2024
Exhibition Gallery 2, Level 3
Free

Delve into the most important and pressing issue of our time, humanity’s damaging relationship with planet Earth. This urgent issue is felt especially deeply in Australia and the Pacific Islands where sea levels are rising due to climate change and the oceans are filling with plastic. Rising Tide considers our relationship to the natural environment through contemporary artistic responses to climate change and plastic waste by Indigenous Australian and Pacific Islander artists.

Find out more nms.ac.uk/Rising-Tide

Japanese Contemporary Design   
Until 30 Jul 2023       
Exhibition Gallery 3, Level 1      
Free entry
  
From striking statement jewellery to prints and porcelain vases, this new free display considers how Japanese contemporary makers have combined innovative and traditional art, craft and design elements over the past five decades.  

 The star object is Hitomi Hosono’s A Large Pine Tree Pool, a sculptural porcelain bowl with complex hand-carving made and acquired in 2019. Further highlights include Junko Mori’s intricate New Pinecone Silver Organism, and colourful body adornments by jeweller Suō Emiko’s adapted from metalworking and engraving techniques traditionally used in the making of Japanese sword fittings.

Find out more nms.ac.uk/Japanese-Contemporary-Design

Events 

National Museum of Scotland     
Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF    
Open 10:00–17:00 daily   

Family Bonus Boxes
03 – 31 Jul
10:00 – 16:00
Grand Gallery, Level 1

Free, drop in Visitors can try out new sensory and play boxes, adding to the family experience in some of our galleries. Visit the Grand Gallery on the day for more information on where to find them.

Find out more nms.ac.uk/summer-at-the-museum

Join-in Jellyfish
06 – 08 Jul
14:00 – 16:00
Studio 2, Learning Centre Level 4
Free, drop in

Artist George Nuku will soon create the latest version of his installation, Bottled Ocean 2123. In this drop-in session, join our Learning Enablers to make jellyfish from emptied and cleaned plastic bottles. Visitors will be able to visit the Rising Tide: Art and Environment exhibition when it opens on 12 August to see if you can spot their jellyfish in the gallery.

Find out more nms.ac.uk/join-in-jellyfish

Just Sew You Know
10 & 11 Jul
10:15 – 13:15
Studio 2, Level 4 Learning Centre
£30 (£27 members & concessions)

Suitable for age 8 – 13, learn beginner’s sewing skills in this fun, practical workshop run by the Edinburgh Remakery. Visitors will be taught basic hand sewing techniques and sewing machine skills with experienced tutors to guide through. No experience is necessary and all materials and equipment are provided.

Book now nms.ac.uk/just-sew-you-know

Spotlight On: Beyond the Little Black Dress
13 Jul
14:00 – 15:00
Ticketed, various pricing

Join curator Georgina Ripley to explore design classics and cutting-edge catwalk creations in an introduction to our upcoming exhibition Beyond the Little Black Dress.

Book now nms.ac.uk/spotlight-on-beyond-the-little-black-dress

What, wear, when?
10 – 14 July
11:00 – 15:00
Grand Gallery, Level 1
Free, drop in

Join the Engagement team for some drop-in activities exploring clothing and sustainability.

Find out more nms.ac.uk/what-wear-when

Curiosity Club
15 Jul – 01 Aug
10:30 –12:00
Learning Centre, Level 4
Ticketed, £10 (Members and Concessions £9)

Leave the grown-ups at the door and jump into a Curiosity Club. Unleash your inner museum detective and explore through games, activities, and gallery visits. There’s a range of different topics to choose from, each capturing some of the museums most exciting and child friendly collections and themes.

Book now nms.ac.uk/curiosity-club

Repair to Wear
29 Jul 2023
10:30 – 13:00
Seminar Room, Level 4 Learning Centre
Free, drop-in

Run in partnership with the Edinburgh Remakery, their experienced sewers can help with repairs and simple alterations to textiles and clothing items, such as replacing buttons and zips, sewing on a patch, mending a rip, taking up trousers or a dress, or fixing a hem.

Find out more nms.ac.uk/ready-to-wear

Museum Late: Fringe Fridays
11 & 18 Aug
19:30 – 22:30
£16 – £20

Fringe Fridays are back! Enjoy a unique flavour of the Fringe and explore the museum after hours. From the Grand Gallery’s main stage to more intimate spaces across the museum, discover our world-class collections whilst soaking up the festival atmosphere.

Book now nms.ac.uk/fringefridays

Morning Curator Tour: Rising Tide
16 – 24 Aug
09:15 – 10:00
Ticketed, various pricing

Book now nms.ac.uk/morning-curator-tour-rising-tide

National Museum of Flight

East Fortune Airfield, East Lothian, EH39 5LF
Open daily 10:00 – 16:00

Conservation Hangar Tours
Until 31 Mar 2024
Free with museum admission
Booking required

See behind the scenes of the work carried out in the museum’s Conservation hangar with a guided tour and find out more about objects from the collection that aren’t normally on display.

Book now nms.ac.uk/Conservation-Hangar-Tours

Operation Sabotage
9 July
Age 14+ event   
Ticketed   

The year is 1942 and you are stationed at the RAF base at East Fortune. There has been an act of sabotage and one of the aircraft is unknowingly carrying live ordnance with instructions to bomb the town.

Solve a series of fiendish puzzles to call off the flight and save North Berwick! Operation Sabotage is an escape room experience for 4-8 people that lasts up to an hour. Working together as a team, you must race against the clock in two Second World War-themed rooms to decipher the identity of the saboteur before it’s too late.  

Book now nms.ac.uk/Operation-Sabotage

National Museum of Rural Life   
Philipshill Road, East Kilbride, G76 9HR  
Open 10:00–17:00 daily

Lewis’s Scottish Adventure Trail
Until 06 Oct
Trail
Free with museum admission and Annual Pass

Go on an adventure around the museum with a new family trail at the National Museum of Rural Life.

Find out more nms.ac.uk/lewis-s-scottish-adventure-trail

Nature Track Packs
Until 31 Aug
10:00 – 17:00
Borrow from the ticket desk
Free with museum admission and Annual Pass

Beyond the Little Black Dress: Major fashion exhibition opens tomorrow at the National Museum of Scotland

Major fashion exhibition ‘Beyond the Little Black Dress’ opens this weekend

A new exhibition at the National Museum of Scotland deconstructs the little black dress, examining the radical power of the colour black in fashion.

From design classics to cutting-edge catwalk creations, Beyond the Little Black Dress (1 July to 29 October 2023) brings together 65 striking looks from collections and designers around the world.

nms.ac.uk/BeyondLBD

The colour black can be interpreted in many subtle and often contradictory ways. The exhibition explores how its complexities have made the little black dress simultaneously expressive of piety and perversion, respect and rebellion; from the well-mannered cocktail attire of the early 20th century to the leather and latex worn by members of punk and fetish subcultures.

Beyond the Little Black Dress opens with a simple, short black dress designed by Coco Chanel in 1926. Considered radically modern, it disregarded convention entirely in both the stark design and sombre shade, that had traditionally been associated with mourning.

At the time it was hailed by US Vogue as “the frock that all the world will wear”. The ‘little black dress’ became a wardrobe staple, a symbol of femininity and a byword for chic, with each new silhouette capturing the spirit of its time.

The little black dress remains a blank canvas for broader political and cultural shifts. It can challenge social norms around race, gender and sexuality to reflect evolving ideals of beauty and identity, proving its infinite capacity for reinvention.

Visitors to Beyond the Little Black Dress, which is supported by Baillie Gifford Investment Managers, will discover a century of fashion in a series of themed, immersive displays. Iconic early pieces by Yves Saint Laurent, Dior and Schiaparelli will be juxtaposed with recent looks by ground-breaking contemporary designers and brands like Gareth Pugh, Simone Rocha and Off-White.

A section of the exhibition highlights Black British designers whose work explores both Blackness in terms of identity, and the role the colour black plays in crafting an Afrofuturistic aesthetic.

Elsewhere, the exhibition considers how perceptions of the colour black differ in a global context, while a film from Osman Yousefzada shines a light on the inequities of fast fashion, as well as global concepts of beauty.

A series of garments demonstrate how smart technologies are establishing a blueprint for a more sustainable future. A new commission by designers VIN + OMI incorporates nettles and horsehair sourced from Highgrove, the private residence of The King and Queen, exploring nature-led alternatives to fast fashion.

Georgina Ripley, Principal Curator, Modern and Contemporary Design at National Museums Scotland, said: “Few garments are as iconic as the little black dress, which has often been held up by the fashion industry as the one piece every woman should have in her wardrobe.

“It has evolved dramatically in the century since its creation. From a simple shift dress which helped democratise women’s fashion to a bold political statement, it has moved through various iterations which reflect changing ideals of beauty and body image.

“Displaying classic couture, avant-garde pieces and garments that make a political statement, this exhibition will explore its enduring success, and ask why, in the fickle and fast-paced fashion world, the little black dress has achieved that rare status of being truly above the fray.”

Sam Pattman, Philanthropy Manager at Baillie Gifford Investment Managers said: “We are delighted that our successful relationship with National Museums Scotland continues with our support for Beyond the Little Black Dress.

“This exciting exhibition takes a fresh look at a timeless classic, examining how it has remained in style for nearly a century and displaying a dazzling selection of garments from those worn by royalty to truly avant-garde creations at the cutting edge of the fashion industry.”

National Museums Scotland’s internationally significant fashion and textiles collection comprises around 50,000 objects and is one of the largest in the UK.

The collection includes textiles dating back to the 14th century and clothing and accessories dating from the 16th century to the present day. Beyond the Little Black Dress follows the acclaimed exhibition Body Beautiful: Diversity on the Catwalk.

The exhibition is curated by Georgina Ripley, Principal Curator, Modern and Contemporary Design, National Museums Scotland, Dr Sequoia Barnes, Guest Curator and Carys Wilkins, Assistant Curator Modern and Contemporary Design, National Museums Scotland. It will be accompanied by a programme of events.

The accompanying book Little Black Dress: A Radical Fashion edited by Georgina Ripley, £30.00, is published by NMS Enterprises Ltd – Publishing.

#BeyondLBD

Speaker’s Chair from the Parliament building that never was acquired by National Museums Scotland

The Presiding Officer’s chair from what would have become the Scottish Parliament building in the event of a vote for devolution in the 1979 referendum has been gifted to National Museums Scotland.

It had been intended that the Scottish Assembly, as it was referred to at the time, would sit in the former Royal High School building on Calton Hill in central Edinburgh, and plans were sufficiently advanced for the Debating Chamber to have been furnished.

However, the referendum did not secure the required number of votes to achieve devolution. When the vote for devolution was later carried in 1997, the decision was taken to build a brand-new purpose-built Scottish Parliament building and so the chair was never used for its intended purpose.

Georgia Vullinghs, Assistant Curator of Modern and Contemporary History, said: “We’re very pleased to be able to acquire this object. The furniture represents a key moment in the story of devolution and the history of Scottish politics.

“This large, blocky chair and its futuristic design is emblematic of a confidence in significant political change for Scotland in the late 1970s, but which did not ultimately happen at that time. This generous donation will allow us to better tell the story of that fascinating moment in Scotland’s history through our collections.”

The former Royal High School building is now undergoing a major restoration which will see it repurposed as a world-class centre for music education and public performance for the benefit of the whole of Scotland as the National Centre for Music. The Royal High School Preservation Trust (RHSPT) is leading the project and took possession of the building in March.

William Gray Muir, Chair of the RHSPT said: “We are delighted that this piece of constitutional history will have a fitting home in the national museum, where it can help tell the story of how modern Scottish politics encountered the legacy of the Scottish Enlightenment.

“The significance of the Thomas Hamilton building – the Old Royal High – and its symbolic importance to our national political and social ambitions is indisputable and its past, present and future form a critical part of Edinburgh’s status in the world. The Trust’s aim is that we add a new chapter to that story and the building’s relationship with Scottish heritage and our national museum will continue.”

Although the Scottish Assembly never occupied the building, the site of the Royal High School remained a focal point in the debate over devolution, with images of the building used in campaign material, and a Vigil for a Scottish Parliament was held outside the building for 1,980 days from 10 April 1992 until the 1997 referendum.

The tent from the touring campaign and related material are on display in the National Museum of Scotland. The chair is now at the National Museums Collection Centre in Edinburgh where it will undergo conservation treatment.