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RAF MUSEUM NEW EXHIBITION
‘AGE OF UNCERTAINTY’
Financial penalties levied on banks
involved in the LIBOR lending rate-fixing
scandal are to benefit the RAF Museum
in North West London over the next
two years.
In the Autumn Statement, the
Chancellor Philip Hammond announced
that the RAF Museum will receive £3m
LIBOR funds for its 2018 RAF Centenary
Programme. The money will specifically
support the development of a new
exhibition and a dedicated Learning
Centre – both of which are part of the
Museum’s wider RAF Centenary
Programme which celebrates and
commemorates 100 years of the RAF
in 2018.
The new exhibition will explore the
impact of the Royal Air Force on world
events, society and technology since the
Cold War through its many roles during
the past 40 years – during an ‘age of
uncertainty’. As part of the Museum’s
contemporary collecting strategy, it is
actively seeking out inspiring objects
and stories that will engage visitors with
the RAF’s recent history, to display in
this innovative new gallery.
The dedicated Learning Centre will
underpin the Museum’s Science
Technology Engineering and Maths
(STEM) programme along with hosting
both formal and lifetime learning
activities in history, literacy, art and
design.
Chief Executive of the RAF Museum
Maggie Appleton said ‘It’s wonderful to
be given such a high level of support
from the Chancellor of the Exchequer for
the Museum’s RAF Centenary
Programme. The stories we want to
share reflect the bravery, ingenuity and
dedication of RAF men and women
working in today’s complex and
challenging environment with space for
our visitors to reflect on and join in the
discussion from their own personal
perspectives.’
The RAF Museum’s RAF Centenary
Programme is a £23.5m project which
will transform the site in North West
London making it more accessible and
welcoming to a new generation of
visitors. Work has already begun for a
completion date of summer 2018 and
the new grant of £3m means that the
Museum is now in the final stretch of
fundraising.
To find out more on the Museum’s
RAF Centenary Programme for 2018,
visit www.rafmuseum.org.uk or
telephone 020 8205 2266.
DIANA: HER FASHION STORY TO
OPEN IN FEBRUARY 2017
From her first public appearances in
1981, Diana, Princess of Wales,
captivated the world’s attention as a
princess, as a trendsetter and as a patron
and advocate of charities. Twenty years on
from her death, a new exhibition and
temporary garden celebrating her life will
be opened at Kensington Palace, her
home for over 15 years.
Opening in February, the exhibition
‘Diana: Her Fashion Story’ will trace the
evolution of the Princess’s style, from the
demure, romantic outfits of her first public
appearances, to the glamour, elegance and
confidence of her later life. From her
earliest royal engagements, everything
Diana wore was closely scrutinised, and
the exhibition will explore how she
navigated her unique position in the
public eye: learning to use her image to
engage and inspire people, and to
champion the causes she cared about.
‘Diana: Her Fashion Story’ will display
exquisite and celebrated outfits from
throughout the Princess’s public life and
bring together an extraordinary collection
of garments, ranging from the glamorous
evening gowns worn on engagements in
the 1980s, to the chic Catherine Walker
suits that made up Diana’s ‘working
wardrobe’ in the 1990s.
Conservator works on 'Travolta' dress
at Kensington Palace.
t h i s i s l o n d o n m a g a z i n e • t h i s i s l o n d o n o n l i n e