Case Study

Derby Silk Mill Museum

Derby Silk Mill Museum

Once a Victorian powerhouse of innovation and engineering, Derby is having a renaissance, led by Derby Silk Mill, thanks to a co-design project by Studio Tilt for client Derby Museums Trust. Studio Tilt worked closely, for six months, with museum staff, the community and volunteers - including highly skilled retired engineers, many of whom had worked at the nearby Rolls-Royce and Bombardier factories - to find a way to bring this beloved institution back to life.

Working with the University of Derby, and funded partially by the Arts Council, the project began with the installation of a workshop space on the ground floor in 2013. Through community workshops and conversations the programme evolved. For Oliver Marlow, Studio Tilt director, the key ingredient was harking back to the 'enlightenment mindset' that once infused the city - the ethos of 'explore and be curious', he says. 'The brief became this element of thinking and testing and presenting, and through that feedback loop we formulated an exhibition design which explores that same level of openness.'

Derby Silk Mill Museum

A display scheme that activates connections and discussions around past inventions and current making emerged. Says Marlow: 'The way things are presented becomes the language you use to understand what it is. You might have something from the archive next to something people are making...you could go into the workshop and see if there was something you would like to do yourself.'

A hands-on making programme kicked off last summer for schools, students, skilled makers and hobbyists, facilitated by in-house experts and volunteers. The museum has since hosted a Museomix 'make-athon' festival of prototyping and invention, and a Mini Maker Fair.

Client: Derby Museums Trust
Co-design: Studio Tilt