Ad Gefrin announced the loan of Anglo-Saxon treasures from the British Museum and Shakespeare Birthplace Trust
Ad Gefrin announced that Anglo-Saxon treasures loaned from the British Museum and the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust would return to the North East. The objects will form part of a new visitor experience opening in February 2023, curated to tell the untold story of the 7th century Royal Court at Ad Gefrin.
Flint Culture was briefed by Ad Gefrin to lead the communications campaign for the loaned objects announcement of September 2022. As Sutton Hoo famously revealed the richness of the Anglo Saxons in death, Ad Gefrin will tell the story of a Royal Court in life, and the people that defined the Golden Age of Northumbria. Objects such as the Castle Eden Claw Beaker, a regular feature of the British Museum’s exemplar pieces of the time, will return to the North East for the first time in 32 years.
Our operational remit comprised communications strategy development, media relations consultancy, the development and distribution of assets. Stakeholder outreach and spokesperson development was also implemented to leverage the profiles of the loaning museums in positioning Ad Gefrin as a significant national cultural institution.
Our campaign realised 25 pieces of coverage, with campaign highlights including an exclusive print feature in The Guardian (UK) and The Guardian (USA), and online coverage in Museum Crush (UK), Discover Britain (UK) and Museum + Heritage Advisor (UK).
“Rare Anglo-Saxon treasures from the British Museum are ‘returning home’ to the north-east of England to help tell the story of a royal court in Northumbria’s golden age. There are also important loans from Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, all going to an ambitious heritage venture in north Northumberland that hopes to be the ‘Sutton Hoo of the north.’” – Mark Brown, North East Correspondent, the Guardian
