Sarner appointed by the Science Museum Group to deliver a new groundbreaking immersive experience
Sarner International, in partnership with Figment Productions, have been appointed by the Science Museum Group to design and build a new immersive experience to coincide with the centenary of the world's most famous steam locomotive, Flying Scotsman.
First unveiled in February 1923, Flying Scotsman consolidated its reputation in 1934 when it was clocked at 100mph, becoming the first steam locomotive to have officially reached that speed. It came to symbolise all that is speed and style, not least because it starred in one of British cinema’s first ‘talkies’ in 1929 and the Flying Scotsman train service carried innovations such as a cinema car, cocktail bar, and hairdressing salon.
Aside from telling the incredible story of Flying Scotsman, the new attraction will celebrate engineering brilliance and explore the science behind steam power. It will use a combination of a beautifully themed physical environment delivering an AV preshow, followed by an innovative free-roam VR experience using the latest untethered VR technology.
The multisensory experience will be a trailblazer demonstrating how collections can be brought to life in fresh new ways – educating and entertaining a new generation of museum visitors.
The experience is set to embark on a centenary tour of the UK before being installed as a permanent offer at the newly transformed National Railway Museum in York.
Bradley Wynne, Creative Director, Sarner International: “Flying Scotsman is central to the history of railways in the UK, and it is a great joy to be able to explore this legacy in this new groundbreaking attraction. The design will set a new standard in STEM education through innovative immersive storytelling as well as world class levels of accessibility, ambitions that drive our teams at both Sarner and Figment”.
Simon Reveley, CEO, Figment Productions: “In its day the Scotsman was a celebrity - literally a movie star - and it was an engineering marvel. We think it’s fitting to celebrate its centenary using the very latest technology. We’ll be doing things with this experience that we’ve never been able to do before; exciting new techniques that have unique relevance to the museums and heritage sector. Using our own Hyphen hyper-reality platform, we’ll enable guests to ‘step inside the movie’ – seeing all aspects of Flying Scotsman’s story. It’s no surprise that the Science Museum Group understand the power of VR and how it can be applied to stories of science and history. We’re delighted to be working with our partners at Sarner with their outstanding track record of immersive storytelling in this sector”.
Mark Cutmore, Head of Commercial Experiences, Science Museum Group: “The Science Museum Group is committed to telling authentic stories in innovative ways, and this immersive experience will allow us to share Flying Scotsman’s 100 years of history in a completely unique way. Audiences will be able to get closer to Flying Scotsman than ever before, meet the people involved in its incredible history and understand why this engineering marvel is regarded by many as the world’s most famous locomotive. We’re really excited to be working with Sarner and Figment on the project to create a truly inspiring celebration of the Scotsman, its history, engineering and the science behind steam locomotion.”
The attraction is due to open in 2023 at the National Railway Museum, York and at Locomotion in Shildon, County Durham.
For press enquiries please contact Mollie Bishop [email protected]
