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British Museum and Samsung announce 35,000 places for SDDC virtual visits

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samsung digital discovery centre british museum

The British Museum and Samsung have reopened the new Samsung Digital Discovery Centre, also announcing a digital learning programme for teenagers, and 35,000 places for school children across the UK to virtually visit.

The upgraded Samsung Digital Discovery Centre (SDDC) has expanded its ‘Virtual Visits’ programme, which allows school pupils to experience the museum’s collection remotely.

The SDDC, based at the British Museum, was created to provide a technological hub for children and young people to learn about and interact with the collection.

The British Museum and Samsung have created 35,000 places over the next five years for pupils to take part, giving virtual visitors from the UK access to the attraction.

British Museum expands its ‘Virtual Visits’ programme

samsung digital discovery centre british museum

Virtual Visits sessions include those on prehistory Britain, Roman Britain, and the Indus Valley, while new sessions on ancient Egypt and Greece are in development.

Each session is tailored to the needs of the class, with pupils able to interact directly with British Museum staff and high-res digital assets, including 3D digital objects.

The British Museum and Samsung are also developing an innovative new strand of programming for teenagers.

The museum will work directly with teenagers to shape the programming, in order to meet the needs of their age group.

SDDC’s technological hub for children and young people

samsung digital discovery centre british museum

Director of the British Museum, Hartwig Fischer, said: “Pupils from Andover to Aberdeen and Brecon to Belfast can now experience some of the museum’s incredible treasures from their own classroom, potentially sparking a lifelong curiosity in the history of the world.

“The advances in digital technology have enhanced the learning opportunities within – and now outside – the museum, and the SDDC has been at the very forefront of our efforts to share the collection more widely,” he added.

“We are grateful for the longstanding and continued partnership with Samsung for making it possible.”

Francis Chun, President and CEO of Samsung Electronics UK & Ireland, said: “Our collaboration with the British Museum for the past ten years has allowed us to constantly trial new technologies that engage children and young people in innovative ways to not only help them learn about lessons in history, but enable them to better understand the present and prepare for the future.

Developing a new strand of programming for teenagers

samsung digital discovery centre british museum

“By extending this long-standing partnership for a further five years to 2024, we stand beside the British Museum as we together navigate the ways in which emerging technologies can further enhance the way we learn.”

Images: British Museum/Samsung

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Bea Mitchell

Bea is a journalist specialising in entertainment, attractions and tech with 10 years' experience. She has written and edited for publications including CNET, BuzzFeed, Digital Spy, Evening Standard and BBC. Bea graduated from King's College London and has an MA in journalism.

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