Happy Birthday Blog
Happy Birthday to Us!
Since we opened our newly imagined exhibition on 28 July 2021, we have welcomed over 10,000 visitors to the museum.
Visitors can now follow Livingstone’s life from his birth right here, to his death in Chitambo, Zambia. There are many interactives along the way, offering insight to mill work, methods of exploration, textiles, and more. The museum introduces the people who made Livingstone’s accomplishments possible: his crew, his wife, and the communities of Sub-Saharan Africa, before reflecting on Livingstone’s legacy through animated stories and interviews.
We’ve been overwhelmed with the incredible feedback from our visitors:
"So glad I visited. This was well worth the money and one of the best museums I've been too in a long time.”
"Absolutely LOVED my visit today!... What a fantastic renovation/update. Incredibly interesting commentary boards and a brilliant video on tableaux at the end showing different perspectives on David Livingstone’s impact on the African communities he visited. You’ve done an amazing job in portraying a very balanced view on Livingstone. Well done to everyone involved in this project.”"
"Brilliant exhibition, friendly staff and fab cafe and shop, lovely grounds too. Definitely worth visiting!"
“We enjoyed our visit hugely, and they have done a wonderful job in telling the story of this very great Scotsman."
"It was excellent. Well worth a visit."
(Some reviews have been edited for length and clarity.)
Since opening, our Learning Team have engaged with hundreds of school pupils both online and on site. The Learning Programme offers a varied selection of learning resources and workshops which cover Curriculum for Excellence Experiences and Outcomes and links with the Sustainable Development Goals. Our in-person and virtual sessions cover topics including gender equality, anti-racism, the natural world, sustainability, and much more.
We’ve hosted over 60 activities and events on site, which welcomed over 4,000 participants! We’ve worked with various organisations and individuals to host these events, including the RSPB, Conservation Volunteers, Jambo! Radio, National Museums Scotland, and lots of incredible artists and musicians. We’ve also gone offsite, visiting youth groups, schools, local organisations, seminars, and even hosting a stall at COP26! We’re always planning more activities and events, so make sure you follow us on social media and keep an eye on www.david-livingstone-birthplace.org
We will continue to research and develop, doing so by working with numerous partners and organisations, including (but nowhere near limited to!): South Lanarkshire Council, Scottish Malawi Partnership, Scottish Museum Federation, the Motherwell Congolese community, WSREC, Thistles and Dandelions (Empowering Women for Change), McGregor Museum in South Africa, The House of Culture in Tanzania, Livingstone Museum in Zambia, Museums Galleries Scotland, and UNYIMEOBONG (Inspiring Families).
We’d like to thanks all of our supporters and partners, and our key funders:
- National Lottery Heritage Fund Scotland
- Historic Environment Scotland
- Scottish Government
