Visual Guide to Our Story with David Attenborough

Overview

This experience lasts for 50 minutes. It takes place in our Jerwood Gallery which is one large room, which you enter through a dark corridor.

We also run relaxed viewing sessions on the first Wednesday and Saturday of the month. These sessions have reduced capacity along with lighting and sound adjustments.

Entry space

You enter through one of three archways with colourful illuminated images. The entry space is well lit and there’s an atmospheric soundscape playing that doesn’t have any loud or sudden noises. A trailer about the experience and how it was made is available to watch in the entry space.

Ticket desk

The ticket desk is inside the entry space. Our staff, who will be wearing purple tops, will be there to scan your ticket if you bought one online or you can buy a ticket from them at the desk.

Viewing space

From the ticket desk you’ll enter the viewing space through a doorway via a dark corridor. There’s time before the immersive experience starts to find yourself a seat.

There’s a range of seating, with a mix of cushioned podium benches without backs, benches with backs and straight-backed benches with armrests. As you enter the space, two rows of benches with backs are located on the right-hand side. The back row of these benches is accessed via a step.

You’re welcome to move around during the experience, but be mindful of other visitors, as the experience is designed to be viewed from all angles. If you need assistance at any point, go back to the entry space where a staff member wearing a purple top will be able to help you.

Visuals will be projected onto all four walls as well as onto the floor of the large room. The show does contain high contrast, bright lights and in some parts moving patterns and loud sounds that may cause discomfort for people with photosensitive epilepsy, sensitivity to loud sounds or other similar medical conditions.

Throughout there’s narration spoken by Sir David Attenborough, which is subtitled. There’s also music throughout.

There are low levels of light during most of the experience, with some moments of bright light. The space has firm flooring and is on a single level apart from the seating areas.

The experience has a maximum capacity of 95 people.

Exiting

There are two exits in the far wall at the opposite end of the room from where you entered.

Each exit leads into a single dark corridor which takes you out into a light corridor, turn left to enter the Images of Nature Gallery or right to enter the Mammals Gallery. Once the experience ends and you have exited the viewing space you won’t be able to re-enter.