Mather & Co.

Mather & Co. Museum Exhibition Design Agency. Elevating museum experiences through cutting-edge design.

Crafting unforgettable exhibitions that captivate, educate, and inspire ✨

When everyone has a stake in the story, who decides what actually makes it into the exhibition?Museums and visitor exper...
03/09/2026

When everyone has a stake in the story, who decides what actually makes it into the exhibition?

Museums and visitor experiences can involve curators, historians, communities, funders, local authorities, designers and people with a personal connection to the story – all bringing different knowledge, priorities and perspectives.

The challenge is turning all those voices into one clear, engaging experience that works for the visitor. Our latest blog looks at how strong content development brings those perspectives together without losing sight of the bigger story.

Read more here: https://www.matherandco.com/news/when-everyone-has-a-stake-in-the-story

It’s five years this month since we completed the ‘At Home with the Pankhurst Family’ exhibition at the Pankhurst Centre...
26/08/2026

It’s five years this month since we completed the ‘At Home with the Pankhurst Family’ exhibition at the Pankhurst Centre in Manchester – the very house where the first meeting of the Women’s Social and Political Union took place in 1903.
This was always going to be a project where the place itself did some of the storytelling.

Our job was to build on that authenticity, creating an experience that felt rebellious, youthful and full of the energy of the women whose actions helped change British history.

We created the illusion of an Edwardian family home, but looked for ways to make visitors question what they were seeing. Domestic objects reveal unexpected stories of protest, Emmeline Pankhurst’s desk explores the different roles she balanced as a mother, working woman and activist, while an immersive AV experience puts visitors right in the middle of the debate around women’s suffrage.

Five years on, it remains a brilliant example of what can happen when interpretation works with the history and character of a building rather than competing with it.

And, as proud Northerners ourselves, bringing Manchester and its influence firmly into the story made this one particularly special. Take another look at the project here: https://www.matherandco.com/projects/the-pankhurst-centre

It’s At Mather & Co, we take as much pride in showcasing our finished projects as we do in designing them.Good photogra...
19/08/2026

It’s

At Mather & Co, we take as much pride in showcasing our finished projects as we do in designing them.

Good photography does more than document a completed space - it captures the atmosphere, the detail and the creativity behind the design. From the bigger picture of how an exhibition comes together to the smaller touches that visitors might only notice once they’re there.

Our projects are designed to be experienced, so when we photograph them, we want people to get a real sense of what it feels like to step inside.

Here are a few of our favourite shots from projects over the years.

05/08/2026

Ten years ago, we completed the transformation of Norton Priory.

Looking back, what stands out is the challenge we were asked to solve. Norton Priory is Europe's most excavated monastic site, with hundreds of remarkable artefacts, yet many of those stories were hidden away in storage, while visitors only saw a fraction of what the collection could reveal.

The brief was to rethink the visitor experience, increase display space by more than 60% and help tell 900 years of history in a way that felt engaging, accessible and memorable.

It was fantastic to return to Norton Priory recently and see visitors still enjoying a museum designed to stand the test of time.

Good storytelling doesn't have an expiry date.

29/07/2026

Meet Iona, our Senior Content Developer.

Every museum, exhibition and visitor attraction starts with a story. Iona's job is making sure visitors experience those stories in a way that's engaging, memorable and meaningful.

Working closely with clients, she develops the themes, narratives and interpretation that guide visitors from the moment they arrive to the moment they leave. From selecting the stories to tell and the objects that bring them to life, to writing the content that appears on exhibition panels, Iona helps shape every stage of the visitor journey.

"The creativity it allows you to have is what I love most. You get to explore stories, learn so many new things, and end up with these wonderfully niche pockets of knowledge that you'd never expect. Every project is an adventure in discovery."

It's that curiosity, creativity and passion for storytelling that transforms collections and ideas into experiences that people remember long after they've left.

As Glasgow welcomes athletes from across the Commonwealth this week, the spotlight is rightly on sporting excellence, de...
22/07/2026

As Glasgow welcomes athletes from across the Commonwealth this week, the spotlight is rightly on sporting excellence, determination and achievement.

But the stories behind sport don't end when the medals are awarded.

We're proud to have designed the National Paralympic Heritage Centre – a museum dedicated to preserving the history of the Paralympic movement and celebrating the athletes who have transformed perceptions of disability through sport.

From world records to personal triumphs, it's a reminder that great museum design isn't just about displaying history – it's about helping future generations understand why it matters.

With more than 3,000 athletes competing across 215 medal events over the next two weeks, we wish everyone taking part in the XXIII Commonwealth Games the very best of luck.

Discover the National Paralympic Heritage Centre:
https://www.matherandco.com/projects/national-paralympic-heritage-centre

15/07/2026

We went back to Gretna Green - and experienced how visitors see the space years later. It's famous around the world, but its story is often only partly understood.

The challenge was never simply telling the history - it was making that history feel relevant, emotional and engaging for today's visitors.

The best visitor experiences are measured by how people interact with them years later - and seeing visitors still connecting with the story at Gretna Green is a reminder of why we love what we do at Mather & Co.

Read more here: https://www.matherandco.com/projects/gretna-green-experience

Museum design is the intersection of storytelling, conservation, learning, accessibility, architecture and visitor exper...
08/07/2026

Museum design is the intersection of storytelling, conservation, learning, accessibility, architecture and visitor experience. Every decision has to balance the needs of the collection with the needs of the visitor.

That's why designing a successful museum takes a very different skill set to designing retail, hospitality or commercial environments.

In our latest article, we look at why museum design is such a specialist discipline, what goes into creating exhibitions that connect with people, and why experience matters just as much as creativity.

Read the full article here:
https://www.matherandco.com/news/why-museum-design-is-a-specialist-skill

As Wimbledon gets underway this week, we're reminded of a milestone of our own. Earlier this year marked 20 years since ...
01/07/2026

As Wimbledon gets underway this week, we're reminded of a milestone of our own. Earlier this year marked 20 years since Mather & Co first created the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum.

Over the past two decades, millions of visitors have walked through its doors, experiencing the history, traditions and stories behind one of the world's most recognisable sporting events.

Great museums are designed to remain relevant for years afterwards. It's easy to create something that feels exciting when it's brand new, but the real challenge is creating an experience that still connects with visitors years, or even decades, later.

That means thinking beyond today's technology or exhibition trends and understanding how people learn, what captures their imagination and how stories can continue to resonate with new generations of visitors.

As this year's Championships begin, we're proud that the museum continues to help visitors experience Wimbledon beyond the Centre Court. Twenty years on, it's a reminder that the best visitor experiences are built to stand the test of time.

Read more here: https://www.matherandco.com/projects/wimbledon-lawn-tennis-museum

People don't visit museums for objects - they visit for the stories.Five years ago we helped transform the R&A World Gol...
24/06/2026

People don't visit museums for objects - they visit for the stories.

Five years ago we helped transform the R&A World Golf Museum in St Andrews, creating an experience that brought the history of golf to life for visitors from around the world. Great visitor experiences aren't built around collections - it’s the stories that connect people emotionally with a subject.

Read more here:: https://www.matherandco.com/projects/r-a-world-golf-museum

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