Meet the animals that shaped London in a new immersive world
Introduction
Beasts of London
Museum of London
5 April 2019 – 7 January 2020
Family tickets from £20
The Museum of London is set to open Beasts of London in April 2019; an immersive digital world that will take you on a journey through time where you come face to face with the animals that once called this city home. Beasts of London will be delivered in partnership with Guildhall School of Music & Drama.
It’s hard to imagine a time when animals roamed freely in the city we know today, but Londoners once shared their home with all kinds of animals, whether they were pets, cattle or for entertainment. From exotic beasts imported from all over the world to the humble pigeon, from the majestic lion to pesky fleas, Beasts of London will present a time when the city was once filled with a multitude of animals.
Visitors will begin their journey before the city of London was created, and be guided through to the present day by a variety of animal narrators. Each episode will tell the story of the capital from an animal’s perspective and highlight iconic moments in the city’s history such as the arrival of the Romans and The Plague.
Inspired by objects in the museum’s collection, Beasts of London will be a fully interactive digital installation that will use video projection mapping to immerse the visitor into the world of animals. Working in partnership with the Guildhall School of Music & Drama a vivid new space will be created that is surprising, multi-sensory and visually striking. The exhibition will be led by multi award-winning director, designer and audio visual specialist Dan Shorten who is the video projection lead at the Guildhall School. The School’s most recent projects led by Shorten include Blackout at Tower Bridge’s Bascule Chamber and Waddesdon Imaginarium at Waddesdon Manor.
Lauren Parker, Senior Commissioning Curator at the Museum of London said: “Animals have played a vital and fascinating role in shaping the city we live in and we’re excited to welcome families and adults alike to our new immersive animal kingdom in April 2019. This is the first time the Museum of London and Guildhall School of Music & Drama have worked together in this way and by using cutting edge technology we will be able to create a visually arresting world which will present an alternative and fresh insight into London’s past.”
Dan Shorten, creative director for Beasts of London and video projection lead at the Guildhall School, said: “We are delighted to be working with the Museum of London to bring to life the story of animals throughout history in London and its streets using the latest video mapping technology. Video design is a fast growing area of the Guildhall School’s work, and our production artists are regularly engaged for high profile public facing work. We can’t wait to animate Beasts of London in an immersive and spectacular way.”
Beasts of London is part of the Culture Mile programme.
For further information, visit The Museum of London website.
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