Black Country Living Museum to feature in TikTok marathon

A museum in the Black Country where actors take visitors back to industrial Britain will take part in the first "museum moment" on TikTok.

The Black Country Living Museum (BCLM) in Dudley became the app's most followed museum in December.

With more than 870,000 followers, it has viral video hits including advice from a 1920s "yam yam" grandfather.

It will join museums from around the world on Tuesday for a live "museum marathon" on the social platform.

TikTok said the live digital event would "take users on a tour of the world's best cultural institutions" featuring 23 museums across 12 countries.

Among those taking part will be the Metropolitan Museum of Art in the USA, the Palace of Versailles, the V&A and the Musee d'Orsey.

BCLM joined TikTok in August after having to close to visitors due to the pandemic.

The museum's communications manager Abbey Bird created short videos with the site's actors playing historical characters.

"Since posting our first video back in August 2020, we've found TikTok to be the perfect avenue to fire up people's imaginations about the past by telling the real stories of real people in new and creative ways," Ms Bird said.

"We're absolutely delighted to be part of the #MuseumMoment and to continue to show off our museum to a global audience."

The open air museum, set across 26 acres, features shops, houses and industrial areas which represent the Black Country's story at the heart of the Industrial Revolution.

It has gained a fan base in recent years after being used as a filming location for the BBC's Peaky Blinders series, based on Birmingham's gangs in the 1920s.

Since January, it has also been acting as a Covid-19 vaccination centre.

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