Sharing Stories - a people's museum for Daventry

The creative project followed the closure of the District Council Museum in 2004 and the relocation of the town council to the new site.

The two museums’ collections had been made partially accessible by Daventry Town Council and the Friends of Daventry Museums. However, the funding was used to increase exhibition space, improve facilities, extend opening times, reach new audiences and raise the museum’s profile.

In line with growing public interest in heritage, Sharing Stories encouraged direct, sustained engagement with local history. Daventry Town Council consulted the community, worked with local partners, recruited and trained up new volunteers, and collected contemporary objects. The new materials enhanced the museum’s existing artefacts, such as town charters, BBC transmitter equipment, archaeological finds and items relating to social history.

Project outputs included: a wall of local faces, an oral history archive, interactive displays, and useful digital tools such as a new website. New partnerships should support ongoing engagement with local heritage, and ensure the museum’s future creativity and sustainability.