THE first phase of the £3.2m project to revamp the Museum of Oxford starts this week.

The long-awaited plan will be completed by Oxford City Council’s company, Oxford Direct Services (ODS).

ODS will remove a dividing wall and strip out set dressing that is covering the original walls and windows. That should be completed later this year.

Funding for the revamp has come from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the city council and the museum’s development trust.

Work to create new galleries, learning spaces, a welcome area and a gift shop should be completed by autumn 2020.

Mary Clarkson, cabinet member for culture and city centre, said: “This redevelopment will see the museum transformed to be a fitting space for the story of this world-famous city and its people.

“It’s exciting to see the work beginning on the building phase, after a huge amount of work to secure funding, public consultation on the project, and establishing the charitable trust that oversees the development.

“The new museum will be able to offer better services to the local community, including improved schools workshops, community projects, family activities and events, to create a museum that puts the people of Oxford at the heart of all it does.”

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The museum has been partially closed since 2011. Oxford Town Hall currently hosts a micro museum in its gallery.

Ian Batchelor, the director of construction and building services at ODS, said: “We are delighted to have been appointed as principal contractor on this key project to work on a Grade II* listed building, our highly skilled teams are looking forward to the extra challenge this presents.

“Once again we have partnered with Blackbird Leys social enterprise RAW, who will use their specialist skills in reclaiming and recycling wood for the project to ensure maximum social value and environmental benefit to the community.”

The new galleries will increase the museum’s size for visitors.

Similarly, the number of objects on display will increase from 286 to about 750.

The council said the increase will ‘create the opportunity for fun family activities amongst open storage of objects.’

Earlier this month, the museum said it wanted help from Oxford residents to prepare a forthcoming exhibition on the city’s gay community.

Queering Spires will start on September 7 at Oxford Town Hall.

The museum is already being helped by Oxford Pride, the Tales of Our City project and members of Oxford’s gay community.

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Curators want objects that have a story to tell – whether that could be a ticket to an event in the past or something bigger that fits into the city’s history.

Anyone who wants to help out with the exhibition should email the city council’s community engagement and exhibition officer at mlomza@oxford.gov.uk.