The Sensational Museum radically re-thinks the role of senses in museums – using what we know about disability to enhance museums for everyone. It uses ‘sensory gain’ – the concept that engaging multiple senses both enriches experience and enhances inclusion for all. The project focuses on collections and exhibitions, with co-creation with disabled and non-disabled museum staff, academics and practitioners embedded throughout.

A core component of the project was the creation of a multisensory interpretation toolkit, which supports museums to work with disabled, neurodivergent and d/Deaf people to co-create exhibits where no one sense is necessary or sufficient for engagement.

Seven museums around the UK – including the Roman Baths, Shakespeare Birthplace Trust and the University of Cambridge’s Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology – piloted the toolkit process. At each museum, pan-disabled community co-creators defined the stories – and then collaborated with Barker Langham to translate these into inclusive ‘sensational’ interventions installed within the museums.