Written By Olena Riznyk
STRATHROY - Visitors can dance, play games, listen to old radio jingles and press buttons as they explore Strathroy’s history at the Museum of Strathroy-Caradoc’s newest exhibit.
Created through a partnership between Strathroy-Caradoc Museum, Holy Cross Catholic Secondary School and BluHeron Interactive, a digital arts studio and research agency, Strathroy Immersed was designed and built by more than 100 local high school students over several months.
Visitors can press buttons, solve challenges, listen to stories, trigger projections and interact with each station as they explore the exhibit. It explores the places, stories and sounds that shaped Strathroy, including the railway, the Clock Tower, local music and the First World War.
For museum curator Michelle Wright, one of the most rewarding parts of the project is seeing what the students accomplished.
“It wasn’t what I expected, but I’m so thrilled with what they created,” she said. “I hope people leave thinking, ‘That was created by local high school students.’”
Wright said the Clock Tower display stands out because of the craftsmanship behind it, while the interactive radio has become one of her favourite interactive displays.
The project grew from an earlier interactive installation, Living Room Jam Sesh, but soon became something much bigger.
“Normally you learn local history from a book or a website,” said Holy Cross teacher Brad Laking. “Here you get to play, discover and naturally learn through the experience.”
Laking said one of his favourite displays is the vintage-style radio, where visitors can press buttons to hear familiar Don Wright jingles that many local residents will recognize.
Visitors can also explore Strathroy’s railway history through an interactive game or take on a dance challenge that unlocks another piece of local history.
“We didn’t really know what the final exhibit would look like when we started,” Laking said. “It took many versions and a lot of people working together before everything finally came together.”
Students worked on every part of the exhibit. Some built the wooden displays, while others created artwork, learned coding, wired electronics or tested each interactive station before opening day.
“None of us were experts in electronics,” Laking said. “We had to learn electronics, soldering and coding ourselves before we could teach the students.”
The museum provided historical research, photographs and artifacts, while BluHeron Interactive developed the exhibit’s digital features and interactive technology.
Strathroy Immersed will remain on display through the end of September. Admission is free during regular museum hours.
