June 23 2005
The spirit of pioneering Victorian engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel will be flying high today with the announcement by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) of a grant of £980,000 to a Bristol based project to celebrate the 200th anniversary of his birth.
Brunel 200, which will be managed by The Bristol Cultural Development Partnership, aims to highlight Brunel’s impact on Bristol and how the city has developed, as well as putting his legacy into a contemporary context to show Bristolians why he is still relevant today.
Brunel’s influence on Bristol is everywhere from the iconic landmarks of the Clifton Suspension Bridge to the SS Great Britain, the biggest ship in the world at the time of its launch. This celebration of his life and legacy, starting with the anniversary of Brunel’s birth in April 2006, will include a major joint exhibition at At-Bristol and the SS Great Britain , additional exhibitions at the City Museum and Temple Meads, and a community play involving young people to mark the turning on of the new lights for Clifton Suspension Bridge.
A map of Victorian Bristol will also be produced, highlighting current walks and trails to enable people to explore the Bristol that Brunel knew, and free bus and ferry transport will be available linking Brunel 200 sites for exhibition goers. Schools activity packs will be developed to explain why the achievements of the past are still relevant today, and Jules Verne’s Around the World in 80 Days will provide the basis for a Great Reading Adventure to demonstrate innovations in Victorian transport.
The extensive range of events, activities and learning opportunities will greatly enhance people’s understanding and appreciation of the city by getting them actively involved in its wealth of heritage.
Nerys Watts, South West Manager of the Heritage Lottery Fund said; “Over the last ten years HLF has put more than £300 million into a huge range of projects in the South West, and Brunel 200 is one of the most dynamic and innovative schemes that I have seen in that time. It will raise the profile of local heritage with people in Bristol and beyond, and really emphasise the continued importance of Brunel’s legacy in the contemporary environment.”
Andrew Kelly, Director of Brunel 200, said “I am absolutely delighted and thrilled with this support. Brunel was the greatest engineer of the nineteenth century and what he did continues to inspire us today. This investment means that we can bring to public attention the full range of the work of the great man and his contemporaries and ensures that we will have a wonderful programme of celebration and education in 2006.”
The Bristol Cultural Development Partnership comprises Arts Council England, Business West, and Bristol City Council. The Brunel 200 group – part of BCDP – brings together the Brunel organisations, universities, schools and companies involved in engineering and other areas. It is made up of SS Great Britain Trust, Clifton Suspension Bridge Trust, Bristol Industrial Museum, British Empire and Commonwealth Museum, University of Bristol, Bristol Ferry Boat Company, Bristol Tour Bus Company, Arup consulting engineers, Bristol Tourism and Conference Bureau and Osborne Clarke lawyers (Brunel’s lawyers in the 1830s), among others.