Museum of Land Speed – Community Engagement and Exhibition Development: Pendine’s History

The Museum of Land Speed, located in Pendine, is embarking on an ambitious project to further deepen the interpretation of local heritage, by extending its existing celebrated exhibition dedicated to land speed records. This tender brief seeks to appoint a Heritage Interpretation Consultant with proven experience in audience consultation and public engagement for museums and heritage sites. The successful consultant will support the museum team to explore and shape the theme for a new permanent exhibition, focusing on Pendine’s wider history.

Although the task of developing the detailed exhibition content and design lies outside the scope of this tender, the goal for the subsequent exhibition is that it will be developed in close collaboration with the public, local communities, and target audiences. This will ensure that it complements and sits alongside the current land speed record exhibition, while strengthening Pendine’s identity both as a museum destination and a focal point for community life. This project represents the first essential step in achieving that ambition, seeking to engage audiences in identifying the context and key narratives for the new exhibition.

Pendine is a village with a rich and layered history. While the land speed records are internationally known, there is a wealth of social, cultural, and environmental heritage to be explored, documented, and presented. The Museum of Land Speed’s existing exhibition powerfully tells one part of the village’s story; this new exhibition strives to illuminate lesser-known histories and their continued legacy. Potential themes to be considered include Carmarthen Bay, Ice Age Coygan Cave, Amy Johnson and Jim Mollinson, natural history, and a social history of Pendine.

This consultation phase is an important preliminary step prior to any exhibition development activities, designed to provide a foundation for future exhibition designers to build upon. The next step will be subject to funding and the timing of this commission will be determined by the Welsh Government Capital Transformation Grant timetable.
The museum team is small and includes the on-site visitor services team (2.59 FTE staff) and the general staff that work across all museums operated by the CofGâr service. These include Museums and Arts Development Manager, Learning and Exhibitions Manager, Collections Manager, and Commercial Operations Manager.  

This commission is not solely desk-based and requires the appointed consultant to undertake in-person and on-site activity in Pendine as needed, including conducting interviews, UX observation, arranging meetings, and facilitating focus groups or workshops. The objective is to provide opportunities for public engagement from concept to delivery.

Research, in consultation with the museum team and community, potential themes and interpretative approaches for a new permanent exhibition exploring Pendine’s history.

Find ways to make more of the museum’s exhibition-related collections accessible, both onsite and online.

Explore the potential for engaging with contemporary themes (for example, sustainability, climate, biodiversity).

Engage the full spectrum of target audiences, ensuring their voices and experiences shape the exhibition’s chosen theme, content and form.

Identify opportunities to extend the reach and impact of the museum, embedding it further into village life while strengthening its appeal as a tourist destination.

Ensure the exhibition theme complements and enhances the existing land speed exhibition without duplicating content.

The appointed consultant will be expected to:

Conduct a thorough review of the Museum’s Interpretation Plan to identify opportunities for expanding, adapting, and refining strategies for the new exhibition. 

Gather information by consulting museum staff and reviewing materials supplied to the consultant for the purpose of identifying the stories, objects, themes, and oral histories relevant to Pendine’s past and present. 

Coordinate and run in-person engagement activities (for example but not limited to focus groups, workshops, interviews) for the purpose of identifying what a future exhibition must provide to meet the needs of our communities, and thematic preferences for target audiences. At least one event should be collections-based, for example: story collecting days inspired by selected material from the museum collection.

Conduct user experience (UX) observations and surveys at various times, ensuring different audience groups are present, to gather insights into the effectiveness, accessibility, and enjoyment of existing interactives and proposed exhibition options, and to capture the full spectrum of audience interactions.

Identify mechanisms, based on examples in other museums or equivalent, used to collect and share community memories, considering how these might be integrated into the exhibition and wider museum practice.
Identify material in UK museum collections related to the selected theme.

Make recommendations for the most compelling and appropriate narratives, working with the museum collections to bring hidden stories to light and to identify any other material in UK museums that expands the narrative.

Document any proposals for renewing the land speed exhibition that emerge throughout this process.

Provide clear, evidenced recommendations for the museum team in a written report.

- Hyper-local visitors and residents: strengthening the museum’s roots in the village and building ongoing relationships.

- Older adults: with a particular emphasis on celebrating community memories and harnessing their knowledge as a living resource.

- Schools: with explicit reference to the Welsh Curriculum, creating opportunities for pupils to engage with their local heritage.

- People with physical and/or sensory needs: drawing on recommendations from the recent access audit and actively testing design proposals with these users.

- Families and small groups: referencing guidance from 'Creating Family Friendly Exhibitions – Kids in Museums' to shape shared experiences and activities.

- Tourists and visitors to Pendine: ensuring their experience is welcoming, informative, and enriches the local offer.

The project is anticipated to commence in September 2025 and be completed by the beginning of January 2026, with the following provisional milestones:

Inception and familiarisation with the museum’s context and team: September 2025

Desk review of existing interpretation plan, background reports and collections: September 2025

Stakeholder mapping and engagement planning: September-October 2025

Delivery of engagement activities (workshops, drop-ins, interviews, etc.): October-November 2025

Preparation of options and recommendations: December 2025

Final report and presentation to museum team.
The intention is to include this with a stage 2 application to Welsh Government Capital Transformation Fund before 12 January 2026: 5 January 2026

Exact timings to be confirmed at contract initiation in consultation with the successful consultant.

The successful consultant or consultancy will demonstrate:

Experience in heritage interpretation and exhibition development, with a strong portfolio of relevant projects.

Expertise in community engagement, consultation, and co-creation, particularly in heritage or museum settings.

Familiarity with current best practice in accessibility and engagement of diverse audiences.

Demonstrable understanding of the Welsh heritage and cultural context; Welsh language ability is desirable.

Excellent communication and facilitation skills, with an ability to lead in-person activities independently and sensitively.

Capacity to work collaboratively with a small museum team and integrate feedback at all stages.

The maximum available budget is £16,000 excluding VAT, representing in the region of 35 consultancy days. This sum is inclusive of travel, materials and expenses

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Consultants are invited to submit a clear and costed proposal, outlining all anticipated fees and expenses. The budget should include:

- Time allocation (in days/half days) for all stages of the project.

- Estimate cost of travel and subsistence for in-person engagement.

- Materials and resources for consultation activities.

Consultants are invited to submit:

• A statement of interest, outlining relevant skills and experience
• Proposed methodology and approach to meeting the brief
• A preliminary work plan and timeline
• Details of key personnel to be involved
• Examples of previous relevant work
• Contact details for two references
• Full budget breakdown

Please submit proposals by 26 August 2025 to Morrigan Mason at info@cofgar.wales. Interviews (in person or online) will form part of the selection process.

Proposals will be assessed against the following criteria:

• Relevant experience and track record
• Quality and creativity of proposed approach
• Understanding of project aims and audiences
• Value for money
• Commitment to accessibility and co-creation
• Capacity for in-person engagement
• Capacity to complete the project within the available timeframe.

For an informal discussion about the brief or to arrange a site visit, please contact Eloise Chapman at ecchapman@carmarthenshire.gov.uk. The Museum of Land Speed is committed to promoting equality, diversity, and inclusion in all aspects of its work.

We look forward to receiving your proposal and working together on an engaging, accessible, and deeply rooted project that celebrates Pendine’s remarkable story.