BELFAST’S SS Nomadic has been shortlisted for the Association for Heritage Interpretation’s (AHI) 2015 Discover Heritage Awards.

The last remaining White Star Line vessel in the world is the only attraction from Northern Ireland shortlisted for the national awards which mark excellence in cultural and natural heritage interpretation in Britain and Ireland.

The SS Nomadic was submitted by Tandem, Holywood, who developed all aspects of the interpretation scheme from concept to delivery, which included narrative, artefact and image research through to design elements, art direction of AV and management of the fit-out.

It beat off stiff competition from a record number of entries to become one of the three shortlisted for the prestigious museums and historic properties or sites award.

The SS Nomadic and the work carried out by Tandem was chosen by a team of interpretation experts from around the UK and Ireland and will be visited anonymously over the summer by AHI site judges, with the final announcement being made at the gala award ceremony in Newbury in November.

Bill Bevan, AHI Vice-Chair said “The number and quality of entrants into the AHI 2015 Discover Heritage Awards made short-listing an exceptionally tough process. The shortlist represents some of the best recent heritage interpretation projects in Britain and Ireland. We are delighted that the shortlist ranges from small to large projects. It is an international badge of excellence whether a site wins, or is shortlisted or commended in one of the categories.”

Andrew Todd, Director of Tandem said: “We are delighted that SS Nomadic has been recognised as one of the leading projects for interpretation. It was an extremely important project for us at Tandem to work on, helping to preserve and interpret a significant part of our local heritage, which has international reach and significance. Our interpretive approach was developed with the visitor in mind to create an engaging, immersive experience, and we are thrilled that it has been so enthusiastically received.”

Kerrie Sweeney, CEO of Titanic Foundation Limited, the heritage trust who recently acquired SS Nomadic, commented, “SS Nomadic is one of our most unique, authentic assets and the experience it offers to locals and visitors contributes significantly to the success of Titanic Quarter as a leading maritime heritage destination. Being shortlisted for the Discover Heritage Awards further endorses the quality of what we offer here and we would encourage everyone to come and experience SS Nomadic and Titanic Quarter for themselves.”

The SS Nomadic brings the ship’s rich history to life from a tender to the RMS Titanic and many other luxury liners, transporting passengers such as Elizabeth Taylor and Charlie Chaplin to serving in both World War I and II.

The operation of the SS Nomadic was recently taken over by Titanic Belfast, the world’s largest Titanic visitor attraction. It is open to the public with a full programme of events – for more information visit www.nomadicbelfast.com.