Barker Langham

Who was the real Florence Nightingale? Opening next Saturday, the 27th, at Cromford Mills in Derbyshire, Florence Nightingale: A Living Portrait delves into the life of this iconic figure whose visionary ideas have shaped contemporary healthcare practices worldwide. The exhibition explores the many facets of Florence Nightingale through her own perspective and the eyes of changing times, deconstructing her iconic image into four stereotypical labels – angel, hero, feminist, and rebel. It invites visitors to form their own idea of Nightingale, ultimately leading to the creation of a digital ‘living portrait’ that changes according to visitors’ responses. How do our changing social and historical contexts shape the way we perceive historical figures like Florence Nightingale? Go visit the exhibition and find out! More info at: https://lnkd.in/gPyBDX9h. #FlorenceNightingale #HealthcareHistory #LivingPortrait #CromfordMills #Exhibition #NursingPioneer #VisitDerbyshire

The UK’s cultural sector is on the edge. Action is needed now. Darren Barker's brief article in the Museums Association Journal sounds the alarm on the existential crisis facing the UK's cultural sector. Darren highlights the devastating impact of drastic funding cuts, exacerbated by rising costs and a lack of government support, which have pushed cultural organisations to the brink of collapse. Urging for immediate action, he calls for a comprehensive and systemic response from all stakeholders, proposing new ways forward such as a dedicated Culture Funding Taskforce and implementing measures to recognise and capture the immense value of culture in society. Failure to act now, warns Darren, risks irreversible damage to the nation's cultural heritage and underscores the urgent need for transformative change in investment strategies to safeguard the future of the cultural sector. Find out more 👇

📚 Taking place between June 28 and July 7, the Bradford Literature Festival is one of the largest and most diverse literature festivals in the UK and Europe. Last week, representatives from the Islamic Arts Biennale 2025 – Dr Abdul Rahman Azzam (Artistic Director) and Muhannad Shono (Contemporary Art Curator) took part in a panel titled ‘The Art of Enlightenment: Islamic Contributions to Global Culture.’ They were joined by Dr Silke Ackermann (Director, History of Science Museum at Oxford University) in a conversation moderated by Rizwan Ahmad, Barker Langham Head of Research and on the expanded curatorial team of the Islamic Arts Biennale 2025. Ahead of the Biennale's second edition, the panel reflected on its themes and explored how Islamic art serves as a medium to study the global influence and impact of Islamic culture.

It's brilliant to see our landmark Belfast Stories project at the Bank of Ireland site on Royal Avenue continuing to gather momentum. This afternoon, we introduced members of Ralph Appelbaum Associates (RAA) to guests who joined us for the second of 'The Network' events in 2 Royal Avenue. We've appointed Ralph Appelbaum Associates (RAA), the world’s largest practice dedicated to the planning and design of cultural attractions, to deliver the Interpretive Masterplan and Concept Design for the visitor attraction element of our proposed city centre destination. RAA is supported by Barker Langham in the role of Curator and Interpretation Planner. Belfast Stories has now moved into the architecture RIBA Stage 2, also known as the ‘Concept Design' phase, a crucial milestone in the definitive eight-stage ‘Plan of Work’ model pioneered by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), and recognised as the industry standard process of briefing, designing, constructing, and operating building projects of scale. Belfast Stories holds the potential to transform the city centre and contribute significantly to the city’s ongoing regeneration. For more information, visit https://lnkd.in/gCPYU577 or @belfast_stories on Instagram and @Belfaststories on Facebook. #BelfastStories #BRCityDeal #Tourism #VisitorExperience #PublicSpace #CreativeHub

Florence Nightingale is coming home! The Florence Nightingale Museum is bringing its new exhibition Florence Nightingale: A Living Portrait to Cromford Mills in Derbyshire from July 27 to November 3. Set in the beautiful Derwent Valley, where Florence Nightingale spent her childhood, this new exhibition invites audiences to discover new facets of her life and legacy. It expands the understanding of her persona and the profound impact of her iconic image throughout history. The exhibition explores Florence Nightingale’s character through four themed areas—Angel, Hero, Feminist, and Rebel—ultimately ending with new digital images of her created by AI that respond to visitors’ ideas to form a powerful ‘living portrait.’ Darren Barker is a Trustee of the museum, and Barker Langham is delighted to have worked with the museum team to develop the content, design and production for the experience, strengthening our longstanding support for the Florence Nightingale Museum. More information can be found at https://lnkd.in/e-as8Gk6 or https://lnkd.in/exd-VNRg

In 2021, for the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference held in Glasgow, Barker Langham was invited to create a short graphic novel for ‘Reimagining Museums for Climate Action,’ an open-access book bringing together essays and conversations to inspire further climate action within and beyond the museum field. This has now been published in an expanded Korean edition, which includes both the translation of the original text and a number of supplementary essays, conversations, and interviews with Korean curators, artists, thinkers, and some students. The launch event for the book took place at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA) in Seoul on the 24th of May. We are pleased to know that this project, close to our hearts, continues to have an impact on a range of different practitioners and academics in various contexts and countries. The book will shortly be available to download for free on Kyobo and Yes24, alongside the RMCA and Drifting Curriculum websites.  📸 launch event at the @National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul

تعرفوا على فريق القيّمين الفنيين لبينالي الفنون الإسلامية 2025، الذي يتمتع بخبرات عميقة في الحضارة الإسلامية، بما في ذلك الفنون الجميلة والعلوم والفلسفة والحِرف وعلم الآثار، بينهم أفراد من خلفيات ومناطق جغرافية متنوعة. ماسة الكتبي (مدير معرض المدار)، ورضوان أحمد (قيّم فني)، وهيذر إيكر (قيّم فني)، وماريكا سردار (قيّم فني)، وجوانا شوفالييه (قيّم فني معاون)، وأمينة دياب (قيّم فني معاون)، وسارة العبدلي (قيّم فني مساعد)، وبلال بدت (قيّم فني مساعد)، وفي بهبهاني (قيّم فني مساعد)، ووين وين (قيّم فني مساعد). يقود بينالي الفنون الإسلامية بدورته الثانية فريقاً من المدراء الفنيين: أمين جعفر (مدير مجموعة آل ثاني)؛ جوليان رابي (المحاضر السابق في جامعة أكسفورد والمدير السابق للمتحف الوطني للفن الآسيوي التابع لمؤسسة سميثسونيان)؛ وعبد الرحمن عزام (الكاتب والمؤرخ والمستشار الأول لمعرض المدار في بينالي الفنون الإسلامية عام 2023)؛ إلى جانب الفنان السعودي مهنّد شونو قيماً فنياً للبينالي. ‏‎#بينالي_الفنون_الإسلامية_2025 ‏‎#مؤسسة_بينالي_الدرعية ‏‎#جدة Meet the expanded curatorial team of the 2025 Islamic Arts Biennale, hailing from diverse backgrounds and geographies bringing deep expertise in Islamic culture—including fine art, philosophy, crafts, and archaeology—and boasts extensive experience in creating world-class exhibitions with leading institutions globally. Masa Al-Kutoubi (AlMadar Lead), Rizwan Ahmad (Curator), Heather Ecker (Curator), Marika Sardar (Curator), Joanna Chevalier (Associate Curator) and Amina Diab (Associate Curator), Sarah Al Abdali (Assistant Curator), Bilal Badat (Assistant Curator), Faye Behbehani (Assistant Curator) and Wen Wen (Assistant Curator). The Biennale is led by Artistic Directors: Amin Jaffer (Director of the Al Thani Collection), Julian Raby (former lecturer at the University of Oxford and former director of the National Museum of Asian Art at the Smithsonian Institution), Abdulrahman Azzam (author, historian, and Senior Expert Advisor for AlMadar at the Islamic Arts Biennale in 2023), and Contemporary Art Curator Muhannad Shono (Saudi artist). #IslamicArtsBiennale2025 ‎‏#DiriyahBiennaleFoundation ‎‏#Jeddah

How to create a moment that is powerful, poignant and provides a fitting close to one of the biggest stories we have ever told? For the last post in this series, we reach the seventh and final gallery of the Andalusia: History and Civilisation exhibition. Here, narrative and ambience complement and complete each other. Scent and sound combine with lighting, texture and shadow play to manifest the gardens of the Alhambra at dawn in the last days before the fall of the Kingdom of Granada. We wander through the palace and explore its iconic architecture – from its beautiful tilework to its impressive Mocárabe ceilings and calligraphic inscriptions. Calligraphy is a recurring motif throughout the exhibition. We worked with an expert historian and calligrapher to create the gallery title artworks – based on the different styles of calligraphy that characterise the different eras of Al Andalus’ history.  

Members of the Barker Langham team are honoured to attend the opening of the Winston Churchill Education Centre at the British Normandy Memorial in France today. Opened by Their Majesties King Charles and Queen Camilla, the centre houses exhibition galleries that tell the stories of military and civilians who experienced D-Day, capturing these memories for future generations. In 2023, the Normandy Memorial Trust commissioned Barker Langham to develop the vision for the new centre at the memorial site to commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day. Our masterplanning and architecture team, led by Dean Kirkwood, provided full architectural services for the new centre – overseeing the project from concept design through to completion – as well as the interpretative content of the Education Space, outlining the personal stories, strategic impact and legacies of D-Day. A huge effort was made to meet the fast-paced programme while ensuring our approach remained innovative and collaborative throughout the design and construction process. Barker Langham developed the pavilion’s low-energy concept alongside Alan Baxter Ltd and Atelier Ten, before developing a fast-track construction strategy with our partners Eiffage, Savare, Spie batignolles and Polyform Studio. The building was assembled in a matter of weeks using off-site prefabricated panels, with all works from ground-breaking to fit-out completed in only five months. It is with great pleasure that we see it opened for the 80th anniversary commemorations.

Tomorrow, 6 June, marks 80 years since D-Day, the largest and most audacious invasion ever attempted. From the beaches of Normandy, Allied forces battled to take back France, paving the way for Europe’s ultimate triumph over fascism. In honour of this significant anniversary, Their Majesties King Charles and Queen Camilla will tomorrow inaugurate the Winston Churchill Education Centre at the British Normandy Memorial in France. Barker Langham is incredibly proud to have worked on this significant project, leading the architectural design for the new centre. We also delivered the interpretation for the Education Space, which tells the stories of British, French and Allied soldiers and civilians involved in the landings and the Battle of Normandy, as well as the technological innovations that made D-Day possible. It has been an honour to collaborate with the Normandy Memorial Trust to share these stories and honour the memories of those who fought and died for freedom in Europe. https://bit.ly/4c2cpMe