Dippy long-term loan application

Dippy in the nave of Norwich Cathedral

Dippy in Norwich Cathedral. Image © Bill Smith / Norwich Cathedral

Dippy in Coventry: The Nation’s Favourite Dinosaur

The Herbert Art Gallery & Museum has been selected to host Dippy for an initial period of three years from February 2023.

The Natural History Museum is seeking a new partner to host their iconic diplodocus cast, Dippy, for a long-term loan.

Apply before 15 July 2022 to be in with a chance of seeing Dippy in your region.

Dippy is available to loan from 2023. The Museum is encouraging venues with an indoor space big enough to house the Diplodocus cast to apply, telling us how Dippy would benefit their audiences, venue and region.

Applicants do not have to be a traditional museum and requests from other publicly accessible spaces and institutes are welcome, as are organisations applying in partnership.

The loan is for an initial term of three years with the potential to extend for a following three years after a review.

Benefits of hosting Dippy

  • An iconic museum object: a free long-term loan of the Museum’s most famous dinosaur
  • A way to engage your community with climate and environmental issues- 71% of tour visitors said their trip had made them think more about the natural world
  • A strong economic impact: £35,587,593 of income was added to the venues and local economies as a result of hosting Dippy

For more on the benefits of hosting, visit the Successes of Dippy on Tour page.

How to apply for the loan

1. Download the application form, guidance and FAQ (DOC 70KB)

2. Submit your application by 15 July 2022.

3. Shortlisted venues will be contacted in August 2022. These venues will then have a visit from the Museum team before a final decision is made.

For further guidance, download the application form or view the FAQ section below.

For general enquiries about the application process, email: lendusdippy@nhm.ac.uk

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the next steps?

Applications are due 15 July 2022. If you have a general query, please contact: lendusdippy@nhm.ac.uk

We will shortlist between July-August 2022. There will be one application stage but once the venues have been shortlisted, a member of the NHM team and potentially Arts Council England’s National Security Advisor will want to visit your venue in August or September to assess its suitability to host Dippy.

We will ask all venues that reach this stage to complete a Facilities Report and not to reveal that they have been shortlisted, NHM will support the completion of these forms. When the final selection is made there will be an announcement to the public towards the end of 2022.

Who can apply and how will NHM chose where Dippy goes?

We are keen to see applications from a wide range of venue type and organisation, but applicants must be an existing indoor venue. Differing from the Tour, venues that charge for entry will be considered but only if they are a charity or not-for-profit organisation and do not add an additional charge to see Dippy.

Venues will be prioritised based on the following criteria:

  1. Eligibility: can your venue display Dippy safely in terms of space, environmental conditions, and security?
  2. Impact: how will the loan support you to engage with audiences, support engagement with the planetary emergency and leave a legacy for audiences, the host venue, and the region?
  3. Additional information: If venues can respond to the above areas, a number of other factors will be considered eg: when can your venue take Dippy from January 2023, which region is your venue located, do you have the ability to reach wide and diverse audiences as well as the accessibility of the venue.

Can I work with other venues?

If your venue does not have adequate space for the Diplodocus, you can submit a joint application with a partner with a larger display area.

We are keen to see how the loan can have the widest possible impact, working in partnership with other venues across the region is encouraged e.g., other museums, cultural venues, local scientists, universities, nature groups, community organisations etc.

How long is the loan for?

The loan will be offered for an initial three years with the potential to extend by another three years.

A review after the first three years will take place, also allowing us to update any T&Cs and insurance valuations and aligning with the term of Government Indemnity Scheme certificates (also three years). (GIS is a scheme which provides an alternative to commercial insurance for the provision of access to cultural objects on loan to UK institutions).

What about funding?

We are able to fund the operational costs to get Dippy to you (including transport and conservation). Any programming costs would need to be supported by the venue, but we would be happy to support any local fundraising campaigns.

As this loan period is much longer than the Tour, we would not expect venues to programme activity to the level of intensity that might occur for a temporary exhibition

NB External funding or sponsorship affiliated with the loan of Dippy must be aligned to the NHM’s mission to secure a future where both people and the planet thrive.

What will the Natural History Museum provide for the loan?

The Diplodocus cast, 26 metres long, 4.3 metres wide and 4.25 metres high, plus plinth.

  • Crating and transportation of the Diplodocus and display plinth
  • A supervisor to oversee the install and de-install of Dippy at the host venue to ensure the safety of the cast
  • Installation team (4 x Technicians, 2 x Conservators)
  • Communications support from NHM press team
  • Conservation checks over the initial three-year period
  • A suite of tried and tested learning resources and support for public programming to be determined with the venue
  • Dippy handling skull - 3D printed replica of Dippy skull

What will we expect venues to provide?

  • Security (as defined by the NHM and the National Security Advisor at Arts Council England)
  • Brief outline of programming and communications / marketing plans
  • Visitor statistics on the display and associated programme as well as other information relating to the impact of Dippy eg, economic impact
  • A local installation team to provide manual handling support, help move large crates, secure the space, and provide installation support as requested by NHM staff
  • Protective flooring for your venue along the route the crates will take to reach the display space and throughout the build area. If your display space cannot be closed to the public during the build a protective hoarding may be required.
  • Potential storage for transport crates (to be defined and discussed with you).
  • Opportunity for NHM conservation team to visit on an annual basis

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