This spring, Tatton Park adds a new dimension to its cultural programme with See Me Appear, an immersive artwork that uses technology to reimagine the voices of women whose stories were largely left out of the history books.
Tatton Park has long been known for its sweeping parkland, historic mansion and beautiful gardens. But this spring, visitors will find something rather different tucked within the estate’s cultural programme, a new immersive artwork that brings history to life in an unexpected way.
Launching during Women’s History Month, See Me Appear is a striking new installation by the London-based female-led design collective Studio Peut-Porter. Rather than simply presenting historical artefacts, the project uses immersive technology, including augmented reality, virtual performance capture and atmospheric soundscapes, to reimagine the voices of women connected to Tatton Park’s past.
The artwork focuses on three women linked to the estate between 1680 and 1799: Beatrix, Hester and Elizabeth Egerton. While their names appear in the historical record, their personal stories remain largely undocumented, a familiar pattern in many historic archives where male figures often dominate the narrative.
Through a collaboration between historians, writers, actresses and creative technologists, See Me Appear imagines the perspectives and ambitions these women might have held, giving visitors the opportunity to encounter them in a vivid and contemporary way.
The result is an installation that feels both historical and modern at the same time, a reminder that heritage spaces are constantly evolving in how they tell stories.
The project forms part of Tatton Park’s wider exhibition Beyond the View: Canaletto, which explores the estate’s connection to Venice and the travels of former owner Samuel Egerton. While that exhibition focuses on the artistic and cultural world he experienced abroad, See Me Appear deliberately shifts the perspective back to the women around him whose lives were rarely documented with the same attention.
Tatton Park’s General Manager, Carole Hyde, describes the work as an important step in expanding the stories told within the estate’s history, particularly at a time when heritage organisations are increasingly exploring new ways to present overlooked voices.
For visitors, the installation also offers something slightly different from a traditional exhibition. Rather than simply observing the past, you’re invited to step into an imagined conversation with it, using modern creative tools to fill the gaps history sometimes leaves behind.
Set against the backdrop of Tatton Park’s grand architecture and landscape, See Me Appear adds a thoughtful, contemporary layer to the visitor experience, one that encourages us to think about whose stories are told, and whose are still waiting to be heard.
See Me Appear can be experienced as part of the Beyond the View: Canaletto exhibition at Tatton Park from 28 March to 1 November on selected dates.
More information and tickets are available at tattonpark.org.uk/canaletto.
