The 18th century debtors’ prison had never been open to the public before. Its two upper floors were transformed into a new flexible archive and exhibition space, and made accessible with a new lift. To commemorate the centenary of the First World War, the museum recruited and trained volunteers to uncover the stories locked away in its stored collections and archives.

The space’s first interactive four-year exhibition, 1914: When the World Changed Forever, was aimed at families, and engaged all of the senses. Visitors tasted trench cake, heard poignant stories brought to life by trained volunteers and touched objects from the past at six designated ‘hands on here’ family learning zones. Local schools worked with film-makers to create new films and animations inspired by Film Archive footage and the unique story of the nearby Rowntree chocolate factory, which sent a Christmas gift to every Yorkshire soldier in the trenches.

Four community spaces enabled local groups to share their own wartime research, offering visitors ever changing new perspectives on the conflict. Many of the groups had never curated an exhibition before so worked with the museum and local university students to ensure visitors got the most out of their experience. It proved so popular that the rooms were booked up to three years in advance.

Outreach activities throughout the city helped people learn about Yorkshire’s role in the conflict. These included performance summer schools featuring music and dance inspired by the exhibition, creative writing courses inspired by conscientious objectors and family research and photography sessions.