Last Wednesday, invited members of the community visited Somerset Coalfield Life at Radstock Museum, to celebrate the launch of the eagerly-awaited new Virtual Reality (VR) simulation, which allows visitors to experience what it was like to travel into the depths of the local coal mines.
After light refreshments, Dr Nick Hall, Chairman of Radstock Museum, gave a brief speech before introducing several speakers. Among those who said a few words were ex-miner, Francis Hillier, VR experience designers and Bath College students, Barry Lewis and Georgina Hill, BAFTA-winning immersive media specialist, Catherine Allen, Roz Bonnet, of South West Museum Development, actor, Patrick Withey of Black Hound Productions, and students from Peasedown St John Primary School.
Roz Bonnet, Programme and Projects Officer, South West Museum Development, said: “As the Museum Development Provider for the South West, we work with accredited museums within the region, and one thing we do is to work with museums to strive them for excellence, but also to make them more sustainable and resilient. One of the ways we do this is via our ‘Small Grant, Big Improvement’ programme. As the name suggests, it is a small grant which we provide to a museum to make changes within the organisation.
“One of the things that drew us to the project here today is the use of new technology to engage with audiences, and also the partnership with Bath College, which is an excellent example of giving new skills to students, but also developing long-term, working relationships.”
Ex-miner, Francis Hillier, who has donated items to the museum, said: “Most of the football fields – Welton Rovers, Radstock, Peasedown – are all ex-Miner’s Welfare fields. We’ve handed them over in trust to local Parish Councils and Town Councils, but if anything goes wrong, we’re the people to step in! Our contributions to this museum will continue for as long as I’m around.”
Catherine Allen said: “This experience here that you’re about to see is exactly what the Virtual Reality industry needs right now. I hope that people will come and experience what has been made, and have a go at creating Virtual Reality themselves, and that it will establish Somerset as a place where really exciting, but also valuable and worthwhile Virtual Reality content is made.”
Barry Lewis, a Bath College student who helped develop the programme, said: “I’d like to thank everyone for coming, and to thank the museum for letting us have pretty much free reign on the content. We would also like to thank Bath College for supporting us. We hope you all enjoy it.”
Members of the Black Hound Productions drama troupe were also present, dressed head-to-toe in clothing representative of the era, and covered in soot and coal-like paint. Following the speeches, attendees were able to experience the simulation through Virtual Reality headsets. The freeexperience is available now at Radstock Museum on weekends.