Nottingham Castle Trust 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. Tickets, which include access to the Castle visitor experience as well as “Hello, My Name is Paul Smith”, are on sale from today (24 May 2021).
The castle will be offering a ten per cent discount to Nottingham residents in postcodes NG1 to NG9 and NG11 to encourage people to take advantage of their regularly changing outdoor trails, temporary exhibitions, and activities.
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.
“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.”
Transformational redevelopment and conservation
The three-year period of extensive redevelopment and conservation was supported by £7m from D2N2 LEP (£5million from the Local Growth Fund and £2million from Enterprise Zone business rates income). It also received backing from National Heritage Lottery Fund, Nottingham City Council and Arts Council England, plus fundraising by Nottingham Castle Trust.
Sajeeda Rose, D2N2 Chief Executive, said: “Today’s announcement is another exciting step towards the official opening of Nottingham Castle on 21 June. We are proud to have supported the redevelopment of the Castle with £7m of funding to help transform the historical site into a world-class attraction, supporting the regeneration and growth of Nottingham City Centre and a must-visit destination for those in the East Midlands and beyond.”
Anne Jenkins, Director England, Midlands and East, National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “We are delighted to support Nottingham Castle which, thanks to money raised by National Lottery players, will mean that more people will be able to visit this magnificent national landmark steeped in rich heritage.”
Nottingham City Council Portfolio Holder for Culture, Councillor Eunice Campbell-Clark, said: “As we get ever closer to the day when we reopen our Castle, this is really significant news. Our work to transform the Castle has been three years in the making but it’s been a huge achievement to create this truly world class heritage attraction which will bring tremendous benefits to our City.
A fully immersive experience
Nottingham Castle is a ‘We’re Good to Go’ and ‘Safe Travels’ attraction and will follow all government regulations that are in place at the time of opening in summer 2021.
General admission ticket prices include access to the following highlights:
- Explore! Outdoor trails that use bespoke graphics to place visitors at the point of key events and views, helping them to understand the archaeology of the medieval site and other features now lost to history.
- World-leading exhibition spaces including the Rebellion Gallery and the Creative Galleries
- Treasures of the art world, presented in an interactive and family-friendly way
- Hood’s Hideout, Nottingham’s newest outdoor adventure playground
The opening date and visitor offering is dependent on government guidelines and may be subject to change.
