000746 South Asian Exhibition: Build & Design

Tender description

The British Library (BL) and Library of Birmingham (LoB) are seeking to contract a supplier to work with staff from both libraries on the design, production, installation and removal of the Journeys exhibition which is due to take place in the Library of Birmingham Gallery from July 2017 to November 2017. The Journeys exhibition is a partnership between the British Library and Library of Birmingham that brings two significant archival Collections together for the first time. The exhibition will feature papers of figures such as Gandhi and Hanif Kureishi, official records from the East India Company and India Office, classified surveillance files, campaigning materials, recorded oral histories, and photographic portraits and a range of books and other printed materials. As well as historic and unique material, some of which has never previously been on public display, the exhibition will include a substantial amount of more contemporary material and will emphasise impact and influence of South Asian communities on UK and particularly Birmingham. Birmingham is one of the UK’s most culturally diverse cities with more than a third of its citizens having South Asian heritage. Alongside historic content curated by the British Library, the exhibition will also include strong elements of community co-curation, for example, outputs of a mass participation photography project. The exhibition will have broad popular appeal with elements designed to attract new visitors as well as more established library audiences. It should offer points of engagement for very differently positioned audiences including people interested in historical documents, students, families and young people, and those interested in local and cultural history. Relevant to UK as well as local audiences, the exhibition should be designed to also include options for digital engagement and social media sharing.