Following our collaboration with The British Museum and Ralph Appelbaum Associates (RAA) on an experimental pilot project, the first to integrate immersive elements into the museum’s permanent exhibits, we sat down with The British Museum’s leading exhibition designers and curators to discuss how together we brought astonishing stories from the ancient Assyrian and Roman worlds to life.
In the following Q&A, Vicci Ward, Dr. Richard Hobbs, and Stuart Frost share insights into the creative process, the challenges of displaying ancient artifacts, and how digital storytelling is shaping the future of museum experiences.
Vicci Ward, Senior Designer at The British Museum
Q: How is The British Museum using digital storytelling to enhance visitor engagement?
A: At The British Museum, we engage audiences through emotional connections, drawing out human stories to bring objects to life. Working with Journey has allowed us to explore digital storytelling, using audio and film to enhance interpretation.
In the Assyrian Gallery, immersive projections reveal the story. For the Vindolanda Tablets, we’ve used voice and character-driven audio to create emotional engagement, making the real people behind them more tangible.
This pilot project tests ways to better engage our audience, particularly intergenerational demographics, by making displays more accessible and immersive. We aim to move beyond just reading and observation—encouraging learning through experience.
Dr. Richard Hobbs, Curator of the Roman Britain Collections at The British Museum
Q: Please give some context on what the Vindolanda Tablets are?
A: The Vindolanda Tablets are a set of wooden writing tablets dating back to around AD 100, roughly 1900 years ago, offering a rare insight into daily life at the Roman Vindolanda fort in Northumberland National Park, England, just south of Hadrian’s Wall.
They are postcard-sized and written with ink in cursive Latin. The tablets have survived only because of the wet, oxygen-free conditions of the archaeological site, which also preserved objects like leather shoes, hair combs, and even a complete sword in its scabbard.
“I think the traditional approach of display cases with objects and labels needs to be supplemented with other ways of drawing people in.”
Q: What makes them intriguing and interesting for audiences?
A: When we learn about Roman history, it’s usually through historians and writers, giving a top-down perspective about emperors and political events. But the Vindolanda Tablets offer something different: a glimpse into the everyday lives of regular Romans.
The tablets include a variety of documents: letters, military records, shopping lists, and even personal correspondence.
One of the first tablets discovered in the 1970s was a letter requesting “some socks, two pairs of sandals, and underpants.” (Tablet 346), a reminder that these Romans were on the northern frontier, in the north of Britain. It gets very cold.
Q: What relevance do these stories have to modern audiences?
A: The tablets talk about things anyone of any age can identify with.
For instance, one shopping list reads:
“…I need you to send me a hundred apples if you can find good ones. Also, if you can get eggs at a fair price, buy some and send them too.” (Tablet 343).
We all understand the idea of a bargain.
One of the most famous tablets is a birthday invitation by the wife of one commander to another, from Claudia Severa to Sulpicia Lepidina:
“I send you a warm invitation to come to us, sister. On 11 September, for my birthday celebrations, to make my day more enjoyable by your presence. Give my greetings to your Cerialis. My Aelius and little son send their greetings.”(Tablet 291).
That’s what makes the tablets so successful. Visitors can empathize with these people and their concerns, even though they’re in the distant past, 1900 years ago.
Q: What are the benefits of using ‘non-traditional’ techniques to convey some of these stories to new audiences?
A: I think the traditional approach of display cases with objects and labels needs to be supplemented with other ways of drawing people in, especially when low lighting and conservation concerns limit how they can be shown.
The Vindolanda Tablets, for example, are written in fragmented cursive Latin, which most people find illegible. This makes it challenging to communicate the wonderfully exciting stories these artifacts can tell.
That’s where digital media, sound, and visuals come in. By incorporating these elements, we can better engage our audience, particularly younger visitors who are used to visual storytelling in their everyday lives.
Stuart Frost, Head of Interpretation at The British Museum
Q: Could you explain your role at The British Museum and the role of the museum more generally?
A: I work on developing new displays and special exhibitions and look after visitor research to help improve the experience at The British Museum.
The British Museum was founded in 1753 as a free museum for interested and curious persons. It opened to the public in 1759 and has always been a place where people can deepen their knowledge of the world, human culture, and two million years of human history.
Q: What did The British Museum want to achieve by introducing digital interventions in the Assyrian and Roman Galleries?
A: These interventions test how digital storytelling can enhance engagement in the permanent galleries, which receive visitors from all over the world.
We ask: ‘Do visitors engage with objects differently after experiencing digital interpretation?’
“It’s important to have robust data about how these things work because we want to take the lessons forward for future displays and ensure that what we’re doing works.”
In the Assyrian Gallery, for example, the Lion Hunt animation has transformed the way people interact with the sculptures. Before, visitors might not have realized they were arranged in a narrative sequence. Now, animated projections bring the story to life.
People stop, watch, and film it on their phones.
I’ve been in there, and there’s been a little round of applause when it’s finished.
It has fundamentally changed visitor behavior, drawing them into the display in a way text alone never could.
Q: Do these innovations attract new audiences who might not otherwise engage with these exhibits?
A: The British Museum welcomes around six million visitors a year, with a diverse audience ranging from first-time international tourists to returning local visitors.
We’ve got hoards of gold and silver coins, the Sutton Hoo ship burial, Parthenon Sculptures, and Egyptian mummies; they attract immediate attention. But others, like the Vindolanda Tablets, which are incredible star pieces but less visually appealing, can be easily overlooked without thoughtful curation and interpretation.
By using digital storytelling, we help ensure visitors pause, engage, and absorb the stories hidden in these artifacts.
Q: How does The British Museum measure footfall and engagement?
A: A key part of these pilot projects is rigorous evaluation. We track visitor movement, time spent, and interactions like photography, filming, and even discussions with friends.
We also gather direct feedback through interviews and surveys.
For the Assyrian display, visitors have been sharing their thoughts, overwhelmingly, the majority of people really love it.
It’s important to have robust data about how these things work because we want to take the lessons forward for future displays and ensure that what we’re doing works.
Q: How might this develop in the future at The British Museum?
A: There is huge potential for more Journey-style interventions in the permanent galleries. With 80 rooms and an extensive collection, visitors can sometimes feel overwhelmed.
Digital media and innovative displays help provide focus, guidance, and deeper engagement, especially for first-time visitors. For those spending more time in specific galleries, like Roman Britain, these approaches add depth, immersion, and new layers of interpretation.
Ultimately, the goal is to make the museum experience more interactive, engaging, and accessible to all audiences.