Innovation Every Day (360G-Wellcome-206149_Z_17_Z)

On the eve of its 20th anniversary, the Thackray Medical Museum is proposing a major development to inspire people with the passion and purpose of medicine and healthcare, by transforming its public spaces into a venue for discovery and debate, fit for an inquisitive, 21st century audience. The £4.4m masterplan proposes a new layer of investment in both the museum experience and its home, the Grade II listed Leeds Union Workhouse, to create a sustainable, resilient organisation. In summary, the full masterplan will: Reinterpret collections and refurbish galleries; Create a level-access science and activity learning centre; Create a more accessible visitor entrance; Increase access to the Resource Centre and its collections; Improve the use of collections, including major loans requiring GIS standards; Secure the fabric of the Grade II listed building. By re-conceptualising the public galleries and learning spaces, this project will transform the Thackray Medical Museum, better enabling it to engage audiences with the history of medicine and medical innovation. It will create two contrasting operating theatres - one Victorian and one contemporary - to act as spaces for active engagement, developing inclusive, facilitator-led programmes that encourage dialogue, debate and participation. In addition, by building on our existing strengths, developing new skills and capacities, and nurturing strong relationships with leading organisations, we will encourage investigation and offer enjoyment to at least 85,000 visitors, and with stretch targets extending to a potential 120,000 visitors, per annum from across Yorkshire, and further afield, every year.