01/08/2003

A virtual fairground museum: the project “A Peep behind the Scenes”

PRESS RELEASE


A Peep behind the Scenes


In September 2001 an application for financial support for the project “A Peep behind the Scenes: a virtual exhibition on travelling fairs and showmen in Europe from the middle ages till now” was sent to the DG Education and Culture of the European Union. The project Coordinator (also the applicant of the project), “The municipal museum Het Markiezenhof at Bergen op Zoom (Netherlands)” is responsible for the realisation of the project.. The other partners involved in this project are the European Federation for the Education of Children of Occupational Travellers (EFECOT), the Schaustellermuseum (Germany), the Museo Nazionale della Giostra e dello Spettacolo Popolare (Italy) and the National Fairground Archive of the University of Sheffield (England). The project proposal was approved by the DG Education & Culture in September 2002

From 26 August 2003, there will be a fully developed, project website on line. Herein, the origins and history of the fair will be presented in an attractive and accessible way to the European Public. The website also presents several cultural phenomena that originated at the fair: the circus, the zoological garden, the anatomical museum, the waxworks, the theatre, the cinema.

The timeline of the website allows visitors to get information regarding the origins of the fair in different time periods.

The emphasis of the website will be on the International, European character of the fair. Therefore, the website is multilingual (Dutch, English, French, German & Italian) and includes a lot of illustrations and audio materials.

The site includes also an educational part, which allows schools to teach 9 till 13 aged children this interesting subject.

On the Internet, there is little information available regarding the history of the fair. The collaboration of the project partners have led to this unique website, which not only promotes the work of the partners involved in the project (the fairground museums, the National Fairground Archive, EFECOT), but also the fairground in general. Therefore this website increases the knowledge of the virtual visitor regarding the fair.

The website will be launched on 25 August 2003 during a presentation/press conference at the occasion of the biggest International fair ‘Schoeberfouer’ in Luxemburg City. At this presentation the representatives of the musea and the representatives of the European showmen’s Union and EFECOT, will welcome you !

From 26 August 2003, you can visit the website on-line using one of the following urls/domainnames: www.kermiswereld.net
www.allafiera.net
www.Jahrmarktwelt.de
www.fairsarefun.net
www.ViveLaFoire.net


For more information, please contact Evalien van Loon, email: e.vanloon@bergenopzoom.nl