Gunnersbury Park Hits Funding Target for Sci Fi Exhibition
Autumn display will highlight work of creative talent in TV and film
Original Doctor Who villians would feature
July 27, 2023
Over 100 people have donated to a crowdfunding campaign by Gunnersbury Park Museum to raise the money to put on a Sci-Fi themed exhibition this autumn.
The support allowed the venue to raise the £16,000 it needed ahead of schedule for the free-to-enter show ‘Set to Stun: A celebration of Sci-Fi film and television design’, which will feature the work of West London creatives who brought many of the best known futuristic TV shows and films to life.
With the match funding provided from the Art Fund, Gunnersbury Park Museum will have over £32,000 to help launch the exhibition.
Supporters were able to pick from a selection of rewards ranging from Sci-Fi inspired tote bag to a reading and Q&A with David Learner, aka Marvin the Paranoid Android of BBC’s The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.
‘Set to Stun’, which will open in October 2023, will be Gunnersbury Park Museum’s first large-scale exhibition since gaining NPO status in April 2023 and its biggest one in its history. The museum will be building on its previous s exhibitions celebrating everything from Women’s Football to the Acton Top Quilt.
Having surpassed the target, visitors to the exhibition are promised an engaging and interactive showcase of the costumes, sets, work and imagination that goes into building their favourite Sci-Fi moments. This will include original daleks, cybermen and other well-known villains plus interactive mirrors, community curated art, smoke machines and more can be expected. Sci-Fi fans, families, and new adventurers should all find something to appreciate in the many activities planned.
Professor James Knowles, Chair of Gunnersbury Museum and Park Development Trust said, “We’re absolutely delighted to have reached our funding target! It’s been inspiring to watch our local communities get behind our exhibition, and we can’t wait to welcome you all when we open in October. I’d also like to thank Art Fund, in particular, for their support for our campaign and for match funding the money raised. All the sums will contribute towards creating a dynamic, galaxy-crossing celebration of Sci-Fi and local creativity for everyone to enjoy."
Jenny Waldman, Director of Art Fund, said, “Huge congratulations to Gunnersbury Park Museum for reaching their fundraising target through Art Happens, our dedicated crowdfunding platform for museums and galleries. Thanks to donations from over 100 generous supporters, matched with funding from Art Fund’s members and donors, Gunnersbury Park Museum will be opening their largest ever exhibition this October, celebrating the local community whilst delighting sci-fi enthusiasts from West London and beyond.”
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