Display & Exhibition

As an accredited member of the Association for Heritage Interpretation, Wessex Archaeology’s Studio team of experienced in-house designers, can create all you need for exhibitions and displays, for both indoor venues or on-site information.

Our heritage specialists can help you with the research and writing of informative text tailored to suit your audience. Our Studio team designs public information boards and prepares print-ready artwork. Whether you require an onsite permanent information panel to meet your planning requirements, or an open day to tell the local community about discoveries found on your site, we will streamline the process from start to finish.

Heritage information panels 

Increasingly as part of the planning consent process, Planning Authorities require developers to install a permanent information panel as a legacy product. Whether you have a planning requirement or you would just like to encourage public engagement through your site’s heritage assets, our team of experts can help. 

Permanent information panels come in many forms and we work closely with our clients to find the best design to fit with each site. Most basic display panels contain static text and images, and can be attached to walls or set in the ground on a stand. We also offer popular digital display panels which are equipped with a solar panel. These installations provide an offline WiFi link and can serve up images, video, text, and audio files to users’ mobile devices within range of your site.

3D reconstructions can be used on interactive touch screen displays which include informative text, and allow the audience to explore the site and how it changed through time.

Community events and exhibitions

Many clients share the discoveries they have made with the local community, building links and goodwill with key stakeholder groups. By having an open day on site, a launch in a new building, or an event in a local community hall, the developer can create stronger links with the existing community and ensure that people are kept aware of site developments. As part of an open day or event, Wessex Archaeology’s Studio can create either a single or a series of display panels to present information in an engaging way. 

On many sites, moveable or travelling exhibition are popular as elements can be reused at other sites, such as local schools, libraries, in show-homes or as a display in your  offices. Roller banner displays are ideal for this as they are simple to put up and take down, as well as easy to transport. They are also modular making it is possible to build up a series of matching banners as the site progresses. This allows the story to grow especially on a big site where excavation work might go over many years, and a series of events is programmed.

Heritage Interpretation 

Whether you are looking for a temporary display at a community event, or a more permanent on-site information panel, we have a team of people ready to help. 

We are skilled at distilling complex information down into engaging, informative text tailored to your target audience. Our Studio team creates a range of visual interpretations, from informative maps and plans to captivating reconstructions. Using both traditional and modern techniques, our reconstruction images help to engage diverse audiences and bring the past to life. 

We pride ourselves on the quality of the products we create and work hard, in partnership with our clients, to ensure both the imagery and information provided are as accurate and engaging as possible. 

Display panel artwork

Exhibitions and information panels can be produced in many materials, and our team is experienced in creating artwork for all types, from full colour printed onto metal or encapsulated Glass Reinforced Plastic (GPR), to monochrome designs cut out of wood, etched into glass or steel plaques. 

Printing and installation is a highly specialised service, and although we do not have the capability to provide this for you in-house, we can work with a production company of your choice, or we can recommend a company that we trust and have worked with many times before. We work alongside exhibition companies and museums to create content for galleries across the UK and abroad.

We can also offer heritage advice on the best place to site your permanent display panel or plaque, as there will be restrictions if the monument is scheduled or the buildings are listed.

Temporary archaeological display panels and signage 

Wessex Archaeology has its own large format printer and can print on most materials, including waterproof and light fast banner materials, up to A0 width. This allows us to create onsite temporary display panels to keep the public informed during excavation work. 

These displays typically explain what we are hoping to find or what we have found so far, as well as promoting the developer and what they are building. This is most useful on sites in urban areas where there is a high level of footfall, with people passing who are often interested in what has be found and what the archaeologists are looking for. Some rural sites also benefit from this kind of informational panel, especially if the site is on or near a recognised footpath or a regular dog walking route. 

Our large format printer is also used to create temporary signage for open days and events, to ensure people not only find the site, but are able to navigate around the venue.

Reaching a wide audience

We have an in-house Education and Community Engagement team, a Media team and a Press Officer, all helping you reach as wide an audience as possible. 

Find out more about our Heritage Interpretation Services here.