Work to turn the Derby Silk Mill, thought to be the world’s first factory, into the Museum of Making has reached a landmark with the biggest future exhibit now on site.
The latest phase in this £17 million development is the installation of the Derby-made Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engine, which was winched into the new Museum by a team of specialists earlier this month.
The Trent 1000 Engine powered the Boeing 787 Dreamliner on its maiden flight in 2006.
When the Museum opens it’ll house 50,000 objects but none larger than the Trent 1000, the front of which measures over nine feet across.
Located in the Derwent Valley Mills UNESCO World Heritage Site, the new Museum will tell Derby’s 300-year history of making, celebrating the area’s rich history of innovation and inspiring new creativity.
Visitors will see collections ranging from Derby’s Palaeolithic past and its rich industrial history to the present day, as well as its diverse collections of making and social history featuring archaeology, costume and textiles, ceramics and the decorative arts and illustrating the skills, creativity, innovation, and science prevalent in Derby.
What makes the Museum of Making unique, is that it’s been designed and made by the people and industries of Derby, which so far totals over 28,000 hours contributed by co-production volunteers.
Work began on the transformation of the Derby Silk Mill into the Museum of Making in February of 2018.
D2N2 Involvement
As part of the project, D2N2 has invested £3.7 million from the Local Growth Fund.
D2N2 is the private sector-led partnership of business, local authorities, skills and training providers, and community and voluntary services representatives which promotes economic growth across the area of Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.
Now valued at over £3 billion to the Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire economy and employing almost 52,000 people, the visitor sector is a key driver of economic growth for D2N2.
Once open, the Museum of Making will bring around 140,000 visitors to the area per year and add over £4 million to the local economy.
Media wanting more information about the D2N2 LEP can contact Luke Stott, D2N2 Digital Marketing Officer, on 0115 9578749 or email: Luke.Stott@d2n2lep.org
