Top Award for Botanic Garden’s night light show

Awards - Apr 15

The Night in the Garden event at The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE) has been named as one of the best museum projects in the UK at the Museums & Heritage Awards for Excellence.

The project was a magical combination of light and nature – the first outdoor light experience of its kind to be organised by the Garden – was open to visitors between 30 October and 23 November. It was named as the winner in the Trading and Enterprise category at the Awards, presented by comedian and TV personality Marcus Brigstocke yesterday at the Historic State Rooms of 8 Northumberland Avenue in central London.

Accepting the award, RBGE Director of Enterprise Heather Jackson said: “It is a particular honour to be recognised by our peers. Now, our ambition is to build on the success of that inaugural event and create an evolving annual experience that will showcase the Garden and inspire visitors to support the wider research and conservation work of the organisation.”

The Awards are judged by a panel of senior sector professionals including Bernard Donoghue (Director, Association of Leading Visitor Attractions (ALVA), Diane Lees (Director General, Imperial War Museums), Matthew Tanner (Chief Executive of ss Great Britain), Sam Mullins (Director of the London Transport Museum), Maggie Appleton (Chief Executive, RAF Museum), Diana Owen (Director, Shakespeare Birthplace Trust) and Stephen Duncan (Director of Commercial and Tourism, Historic Scotland).

The judges commented: “This organisation successfully managed to maximise the opportunity to generate additional income during a period which was traditionally quiet, managing to attract crowds to the great outdoors during winter, paving the way for a future programme of revenue-generating events.”DSCF3146Now celebrating its thirteenth year, the annual Awards, created by The Museums + Heritage Show, recognise the leading lights of the heritage sector and celebrate excellence and innovation at museums, galleries and visitor attractions across the UK and Europe.

Hundreds of sector professionals joined together at the ceremony – the ‘Oscars’ of the museums and heritage industry – to celebrate the groundbreaking achievements and spectacular projects taking place in cultural attractions over the past 12 months.

Among the night’s big winners were London’s Imperial War Museum’s WW1 galleries that walked away with the top honour of the ‘Best Permanent Exhibition’ accolade. While Michael Day, Chief Executive of the Historic Royal Palaces received the award for Outstanding Contribution by an Individual to the heritage sector.

Other 2015 winners were Kent Life Wildlife Farm Park for Outstanding Customer Service; The Black Country Museum for Project on a Limited Budget and Renfrewshire District Council took the award for the best restoration project for its work to restore the Grand Fountain in Paisley.

The winner of the International Award was Tinker Imagineers from Rotterdam for the DOMunder archaeological visitor experience, while the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh received the Winstan Bond Trophy for Trading and Enterprise.

Other winners included The National Trust for Scotland in Partnership with Historic Scotland & Designers Bright White Ltd which walked away with the Innovations award; Oxford University Museum of Natural History took the top Marketing award and London’s Historic Royal Palace’ ground-breaking installation, Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red was named as the best Temporary or Touring exhibition.

The winners and highly commended entries (listed below) are a reflection of the industry’s resilience. Each museum, cultural and heritage visitor attraction is recognised for its excellence – whether for an innovative and groundbreaking exhibition or for making a considerable achievement on the smallest of budgets.

2015 WINNERS & HIGHLY COMMENDED

OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION BY AN INDIVIDUAL

Michael Day, Chief Executive, Historic Royal Palaces

CUSTOMER SERVICE AWARD
Sponsored by BDRC Continental

Kent Life Heritage Farm Park: More than a Guest, More than a Vision, More than a Job

Highly Commended: The Lightbox: The Lightbox Front of House Team

INTERNATIONAL AWARD
Sponsored by Martello Media

TINKER imagineers: DOMunder: archaeological visitor experience

Highly Commended: Natura Artis Magistra, Micropia

PROJECT ON A LIMITED BUDGET
Sponsored by Sweett

Black Country Museum: WW1 Greengrocers

Highly Commended: Woodhorn Museum: Stand up for Woodhorn: Making a Case for Comedy in Museums

RESTORATION OR CONSERVATION
Sponsored by FWA Group
· Renfrewshire Council: The Grand Fountain Restoration, Paisley

Highly Commended: Coventry Transport Museum: 1916 Maudslay Subsidy Chassis

WINSTAN BOND TROPHY FOR TRADING & ENTERPRISE
Supported by Association of Independent Museums

Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh: Botanic Lights: Night in the Garden 

INNOVATIONS AWARD
The National Trust for Scotland in Partnership with Historic Scotland & Designers Bright White Ltd: The Battle of Bannockburn Visitor Centre

High;y Commended: Mather & Co on behalf of Manchester City Council: Archives +

MARKETING CAMPAIGN
Sponsored by Volunteer Makers

Oxford University: Museum of Natural History Goes To Town

Highly Cemmended: Imperial War Museums: First World War Galleries

PERMANENT EXHIBITION
Sponsored by Martello Media

Imperial War Museums London and Casson Mann: First World War Galleries

Highly Commended: The National Trust for Scotland in Partnership with Historic Scotland & Designers Bright White Ltd: The Battle of Bannockburn Visitor Centre

EDUCATIONAL INITIATIVE
Sponsored by Arts Award

Imperial War Museums: Transforming Imperial War Museums London Learning Projects – JOINT WINNER

· Shakespeare Birthplace Trust: Shakespeare Week – JOINT WINNER

TEMPORARY OR TOURING EXHIBITION

Historic Royal Palaces: Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red 

Highly Commended: The Royal Air Force Museum: Pilots of the Caribbean

CULTURE PROS PICK
In partnership with The Guardian Culture Professionals Network

People’s History Museum in Manchester

Night magic in the garden

bot1

The ‘Botanics Lights – Night in the Garden’ event has proved to be really popular – it’s now sold out.

I took the trail last night, and while the weather could have been kinder there it was a memorable experience – the Botanics is a mysterious and magical place at night.

Wildlife? Lots of drookit walkers but sadly no bats, badgers, owls or foxes – they wisely stayed indoors!

If you have a ticket for Botanic Lights – which ends on Sunday – you’re lucky; for those who won’t be going this time round, here are a few images:

bot2

bot3

bot4

bot5

Still time to experience Night in the Garden

As darkness falls, see the Botanic Gardens in a magical new light

Botanix lightsNight in the Garden is an after dark, outdoor event which combines incredible light installations with the spectacular beauty of nature, creating an unforgettable experience for visitors.

The lighting for the event has been designed by talented Scottish light artist Malcolm Innes and his colleague Euan Winton. The artists’ vision takes visitors on a magical a one kilometre route full of light and shadow and experience, with interactive stations and a few unexpected surprises along the way.

Some of the Garden’s best loved features, such as the famous Victorian Glasshouses and Pond, have been used backdrops for incredible light effects along the outdoor trail. Visitors can watch ‘the sun’ set inside the Palm House, see a host of sparkling lights suspended over water and enjoy enchanting illuminations that bring the indoors outside. They will also have the opportunity to create their own light show by manipulating some of the installations themselves.

Night in the Garden is an awe-inspiring experience for the whole family. Whether you have been to the Garden before or are a first-time visitor you will not want to miss this magical event!

Tickets for Night in the Garden are on sale at www.rbge.org.uk/botaniclights – telephone 0844 573 8455 – priced £12.50 (adults) and £6.00 (children aged 4 -15), plus booking fee. 

Children under three and essential carers go free.   When purchasing tickets, you will be asked to select a time slot (30 minute intervals). Your walk around the Garden will last approximately one hour.

Night in the Garden runs until 23 November

Shedding new light on the Botanics

Under cover of darkness, in the heart of the City the abundant natural landscape of ‘the Botanics’ will come alive this winter when the gates are opened to visitors at night-time. Who knows how many pairs of little glowing ‘eyes’ will be keeping watch over them as the Garden sheds some light on its after-dark secrets?

botanics LloydSmithThis November, visitors to the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE) will be invited to enter the Garden after dark for a spectacular outdoor event featuring a magical combination of light and nature. It is the first outdoor light experience of its kind to be organised by the Garden.

Night in the Garden, which starts on 30 October and runs until 23 November, has been created by the Botanics and Edinburgh-based Unique Events, in association with Scottish light artist Malcolm Innes and his colleague Euan Winton. The artists’ vision means that night-time visitors will be able to make their way through a one kilometre route full of light and shadow and experience the Botanics in an entirely new manner, with interactive stations and a few unexpected surprises along the way.

The outdoor trail will use the Garden’s favourite features, such as the famous Victorian Glasshouses and Pond, as the backdrop for extraordinary light effects. Visitors can watch ‘the sun’ set inside the Palm House, see a host of sparkling lights suspended over water and enjoy enchanting illuminations that bring the indoors outside. They will also have the opportunity to create their own light show by manipulating some of the installations themselves.

Heather Jackson, RBGE’s Director of Enterprise, explained: “This is a chance for those who know and love the Edinburgh Garden, as well as new visitors of course, to see it in a completely different light – quite literally.

“We have over 700,000 daytime visitors a year and we are often asked if it’s possible to come at night, so we thought we’d come up with something unique to create a truly enchanting experience.

“The planned light installations by Malcolm promise to be spectacular, and by combining the wonder of light with the secrets of the trees and nature we have in abundance, it will certainly be a magical evening to remember for our night-time visitors.”

Malcolm Innes said: “The Garden at night is already a magical place, as some of the most recognisable features softly merge into the darkness.  It is this new reality that we will be manipulating to create installations that span the range from grand spectacle, through romantic and beautiful, to mysterious and tiny.

“The kind of hard edged, simplified geometry we learn at school is seldom discussed in relation to the natural world, but when the two are brought together, the visual effect can be magical. Come and join us and bring the family as we turn the world inside out and make the invisible, visible.”

The event will be open to members of the public with an hour-long experience allowing visitors to participate in something that they have never seen before, with different parts of the route being jaw-droppingly spectacular, some romantic and pretty, and others just a wee bit spooky – although not enough to put the kids off.  Night in the Garden is an event for all the family.

The experience is being delivered by RBGE and Unique Events, Scotland’s leading independent events company; organisers of the capital’s famous Edinburgh’s Hogmanay celebrations and large-scale outdoor festivals and events. ‘Botanic Lights’ installations are designed by Malcolm Innes and Euan Winton of Edinburgh Napier University, and Leith-based Black Light is working with the partners to deliver lighting installation technical support.

Pete Irvine of Unique Events said: “Unique Events is delighted to be involved in this exciting and innovative project.  The Botanics is one of Edinburgh’s best loved places to visit in any season, but we will never have experienced it like this.”

Visitors to Night in the Garden will be required to purchase tickets in advance for a specific date and time slot.  Tickets are now on sale – for details and further informaton about the event, visit www.rbge.org.uk/botaniclights.

And if the Botanics lights experience appeals, you may want to know about this charity event too:

ebchantThe Enchanted Forest, Perthshire’s multi-award winning sound and light show, has announced that it has released an additional 1500 tickets for Thursday 2 October when it will hold a dedicated charity event, the proceeds from which will be split equally between Children’s Hospice Association Scotland (CHAS) and Autism Scotland.

Over 45,0000 tickets went on sale for The Enchanted Forest’s 13th event, elemental, in June and organisers are already predicting a sell-out show this year with demand for tickets already up by 37%. The release of additional tickets will be welcomed by fans of the show and by supporters of the charities alike.

Graham Brown, chairman of the Highland Perthshire Community Interest Company that runs The Enchanted Forest, commented: “The Community Interest Company is, for the first time, in a strong position to give back to the local community and we have selected two charities that are very active in this area.

“It is marvellous to be able to assist Scottish Autism and CHAS with a charity night on the 2nd October and we wish them well and hope that they will benefit greatly from this unique fundraising opportunity.”

Derek Allan, producer of The Enchanted Forest added: “This is an exciting development for the show. As a community based event, we are very committed to giving something back and the two charities chosen both do exceptionally important work to support families and children across Scotland.

“Every year we get very positive feedback from customers whose children are affected by autism, and the profound impact the show has on them. For other families who are facing challenges, such as those supported by CHAS, the show offers an opportunity to enjoy time together and a break from their normal routine. We are proud to be giving both Scottish Autism and CHAS a helping hand.”

forestKaren Wilson, fundraising manager for Scottish Autism said: “We are delighted to be selected as one of the charities to benefit from this event. This is a fantastic opportunity to raise the profile of our services which support people with autism and their families throughout Scotland. We are also looking forward to bringing along some of our service users to enjoy the experience on the night.”

Alison Rennie, CHAS Fundraiser added: “We’re very excited to have been chosen as one of the charities to benefit from The Enchanted Forest’s first ever charity evening. It promises to be a magical event and all the funds received by CHAS will help us to continue to provide vital support to babies, children and young people with life-shortening conditions.”

The 2014 show, elemental, sees the return of the creative team that put together last year’s successful show, with lighting design by Kate Bonney and Simon Hayes, sound design and composition by RJ McConnell, and orchestral compositions by Jon Beales.

The Enchanted Forest takes place from Friday 3 – Sunday 26 October 2014 at Faskally Wood near Pitlochry.

Tickets for the Charity Night on Thursday 2 October are available by visiting www.enchantedforest.org.uk/charity

enchforest