Disrupt the Archives – Make an escape room
A Library Van Transforms into an Interactive Heritage Adventure
November Club is thrilled to announced that we have been commissioned by Northumberland Archives to create a unique, mobile escape room—set inside a repurposed library van!
This exciting project, funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, is being co-created with young people aged 12–17 from Hexham and the surrounding area, offering an immersive experience that brings history to life.
Once finished, the escape room will be available for the public to play during the May half term and beyond – keep an eye out for tour dates coming soon. This innovative initiative offers an exciting and interactive way to connect people with archival material and historical storytelling.
Creative Development: Young Minds at Work
The project is also equipping young people with valuable skills in storytelling, problem-solving, digital, collaboration and teamwork, through workshops held at Queens Hall Hexham.
Nineteen young people have already taken part in participation sessions with Artistic Director and Chief Executive of November Club, Joe Hufton to work on character development, plot and jeopardy. The group have also visited an escape room to see how they work in real life, getting a behind-the-scenes insight into the mechanisms of puzzles and clue finding. Owner and builder of Escape Key Newcastle, Martin Ashburn has been on hand to guide the young people in the process.
During February Half Term, they will start to visualize the escape room with set designer Amy Watts and Joe Hufton. Drawing inspiration from archival material and real-life escape experiences, they will craft intricate puzzles, narratives, and challenges for players to solve.
“It’s been fantastic working with young people to develop characters, narratives, and high-stakes challenges for their escape room. They’ve explored behind-the-scenes at Escape Key Newcastle to understand the mechanics of a great escape experience and have been creatively linking puzzles, designing treasure hunts, and refining their storytelling skills.”
Set and costume designer Amy Watts, a North East native with over a decade of industry experience, is bringing her expertise back to the region. Having started her career designing escape rooms, she is excited to collaborate with November Club once again following their successful partnership on The Unlocked Door.
Testing, Building and Refining
Following the development phase, Amy will physically transform the mobile library to bring the young people’s designs to life. The escape room will then travel to various youth groups across the county for playtesting, ensuring a fully immersive and engaging experience. Their feedback will help refine the escape room before it opens to the public.
For more information and updates on how you can play the escape room, keep checking our website.