Scarborough
Art Gallery

Scarborough, UK
The gallery houses Scarborough's permanent fine art collection which reflects the eclectic mix of the community and the cultural heritage of the area. The gallery also has a lively, regularly changing, exhibition space.
The exhibition "Fears, Foes and Faeries" looks at the history behind superstition, charms and bygone British folklore.
It is the culmination of a three year project that is part of the Precious Cargos, Stories of the World - one of the key projects of the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad. It has involved Scarborough Museums Trust working with young people from its youth engagement group Cultiv8; Scarborough Maritime Association and students from Hull University.
At the heart of the exhibition is the intriguing collection of charms and amulets collected by one of Scarborough's curators William James Clarke.

ROLE:
Working in collaboration with Hive Manchester, my role was to program and animate three unique touchscreen exhibits, each exploring a different theme relating to the charm collections. Each exhibit gave the visitor important information about the charms through engaging gameplay and informative puzzles.
The gallery houses Scarborough's permanent fine art collection which reflects the eclectic mix of the community and the cultural heritage of the area. The gallery also has a lively, regularly changing, exhibition space.
[+ view]
Heartlands
Cornwall, UK
The Heartlands Project is a new visitor attraction in Cornwall based at the site of the Robinson’s Shaft. The derelict tin mining area has been brought back to life with a huge multi million pound grant from the Big lottery fund, it’s part of the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape World Heritage Site and is of great historic significance.
The project is a community led scheme to transform the cultural landscape and create an inspirational hub in the heart of the area.

ROLE:
The two interactive exhibits produced for the site concentrate on teaching the visitors about the history of the once thriving mining industry. One touch screen piece elaborates on the different pumping engines used at the site and compares them with others from the same era.
The second exhibit focuses on physical objects housed in the exhibition space. Each object has an on screen option allowing the user to interact and learn more about its personal story and how it was used.
The Heartlands Project is a new visitor attraction in Cornwall based at the site of the Robinson's Shaft. The derelict tin mining area has been brought back to life with a huge multi million pound grant from the Big lottery fund.
[+ view]
Catalyst Science Discovery Centre has collaborated with The Royal Society of Chemistry North West Trust and Chemistry with Cabbage to create a DVD of simple science experiments for primary school teachers to use as a resource. This was then distributed to schools UK wide with the intention of awakening the fascination and fun of Chemistry teaching to primary school students.

ROLE:
I developed the interactive dvd and linked together visual resources.
Catalyst Science Discovery Centre has collaborated with RSC NW Trust to create a DVD of simple science experiments for primary school teachers to use as a resource.
[+ view]
Laing Gallery
Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
The Laing is home to an impressive collection of art and sculpture and its exhibition programme is renowned for bringing the biggest names in historic, modern and contemporary art to the North East. The Northern Spirit, is part of a major new £1.06 million development in the gallery. The permanent exhibition celebrates the achievements of artists, manufacturers and makers from the North East of England.

ROLE:
I created three touchscreen programs which pull in information about the works and the artists from a database. This database was also fully updateable. The display also showcases local people’s films and stories.

A fourth exhibit on a 52" touchscreen table allows the visitor to zoom into a map to see photographs, submitted by locals, associated with the various locations, also updateable with new submissions.
The Laing is home to an impressive collection of art and sculpture and its exhibition programme is renowned for bringing the biggest names in historic, modern and contemporary art to the North East.
[+ view]


Rachael Burns

I am a developer and programmer making interactive media predominantly for galleries, museums, art exhibitions and global visitor attractions. Museum development is my speciality, and although my base is Manchester, I develop touch screen software on a freelance basis for many leisure heritage sites in the UK and around the world.  I am very interested in interactive spaces, and love to develop screen based software as well as digitally immersive environments. I enjoy working for clients in the heritage industry and brands who require interactive content, digital exhibits and installations for trade shows and other displays.

I work in a variety of software packages and programming languages including Director Lingo, Flash AS2/AS3, HTML, CSS and all associated programs. I am also constantly generating ideas for personal projects: interactive exhibitions, art projects and collaborations. I like to experiment with new technologies, combining arduino and electronics with my other passions, music, crafts and art. You can keep up to date with my scheming over at my blog.


I am always interested in hearing about potential new projects or collaborations, so if you would like to consider me for any work or just talk to me about your project please do get in touch. Please feel free to take a look at my projects page for examples of the work i've completed and the clients i've worked with.

I am based in the UK but available and eager to work Internationally. If you have an idea for a collaboration or you just fancy saying hello i'd love to hear from you.

+44 (0) 7738 740 220
contact@rachaelburns.co.uk
@rachael_burns