Moat Brae, Scotland’s National Centre for Children’s Literature and Storytelling, in Dumfries, re-opened its doors at the weekend and welcomed Ukrainian families as the first visitors to its brand-new exhibition of beloved children’s stories featuring award-winning art from the MinaLima Classics book series, with each child receiving a book from Moat Brae’s Adopt a Book initiative.
Enchanted Journeys: Adventures in Storytelling, created by Studio MinaLima, the graphic designers of the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts films, breathes new life into some of children’s best-loved tales, bringing them uniquely to life with an immersive experience for all the family. The project was led by Studio MinaLima’s experiential designers, Robin Stapley and Eddie Newquist, who have a rich history of creating successful experiences for the Walt Disney Company, Universal Studios as well as notable museums and cultural, public and retail spaces around the world.
The stories in the exhibit include: Alice’s Adventure in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll; The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen; The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum; Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi; and Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie.
Visitors are greeted by dynamic colours and characterisations that are the hallmark of Studio MinaLima’s work and are pulled into an extravaganza of imagery and sound as they step into an enchanted world. There, they are invited to take a seat at Carroll’s Mad Hatter’s tea party; walk along Baum’s yellow brick road; bring Collodi’s Pinocchio to life by pulling the puppet’s strings; manifest themselves as a mer-person like the Little Mermaid in Andersen’s fairy story; and find Tinkerbell in the Darling house and hear her magical bells.
Robin Stapley and Eddie Newquist, the creative leads for Studio MinaLima, said:
“We are thrilled to bring these classic stories to life in a uniquely interactive way with our partners at Moat Brae. This one-of-a- kind, larger-than-life experience will enthral, entertain and educate families – children and adults alike!”
Each element of Studio MinaLima’s Enchanted Journeys exhibition is designed to invite visitors to enter into the scene and to experience each classic story afresh, creating a truly memorable family experience.
Miraphora Mina and Eduardo Lima, the creative founders of MinaLima, said:
“Our first foray into illustrating children’s classic tales was the captivating world of Peter Pan – we have since reimagined eight other fairytale lands – so it is fitting that we should create our inaugural interactive exhibition at Moat Brae, the home of children’s storytelling.”
Joanna Lumley, Patron of the Moat Brae Trust, said:
“To have a brand new exhibition from the inimitable Studio MinaLima come to Moat Brae this summer is an absolute dream come true. What it offers for book lovers — young and old, from near and far — is a chance to explore these classics of children’s literature in a completely unique and truly exhilarating way and to create precious memories to stand the test of time, just as the stories have themselves.”
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