Engaging young visitors at Bletchley Park through gamification
Engaging young visitors at Bletchley Park through gamification
Engaging young visitors at Bletchley Park through gamification
By Tim Deakin
October 13, 2023
Summary
With a brief to reanimate a number of buildings at Bletchley Park and attract a more inter-generational audience, Emily Scott-Dearing and Erica Munro were part of a wider-team tasked with showcasing what life was like for those who worked at the Bletchley Park during its busiest years.
Breaking the code of what visitors want The Intelligence Factory is the culmination of a four-year project to strengthen the offering at Bletchley Park after the rescue of a number of derelict buildings on the site 10 years ago.
She identified early that putting visitors in the shoes of Bletchley Park and gamifying tricky processes would be the right approach to distil and present information in a way that suited the target intergenerational audience.
"When planning the exhibition, there were standout moments where we thought we'd get the most bang for our buck in terms of visitors being at the heart of the 'doing' at Bletchley Park. But, throughout the exhibition we had to relate back to the individual. For example, the silhouettes of staff appear throughout the space, it's all part of a continuum to help individuals really imagine that they are part of the workforce at Bletchley Park.".
Blending technology, gamification and analogue The Intelligence Factory features two digital interactive exhibits, created in collaboration with Ay-Pe. On paper, gamifying the work that happened at Bletchley Park could seem frivolous and at odds with the historical and technical detail that loyal Bletchley Park enthusiasts value.
The strongest draw of Bletchley Park to visitors is the building itself and the actions undertaken within it.
Emily agrees, commenting, "You could easily be nervous and think this content is too complex or too nuanced - that by taking it from its authentic source into gamification you would be leaving those who expect the rigour and authenticity from Bletchley Park a little cold.
Reference
Deakin, T. (2023, October 13). Engaging young visitors at Bletchley Park through gamification. MuseumNext. https://www.museumnext.com/article/engaging-young-visitors-at-bletchley-park-through-gamification/