A new Channel 4 history TV show, where ordinary people from one street in towns and cities across the UK investigate and curate a museum about their road, is coming to Aberystwyth.

The show, Museum of Us, is described as a “detective story meets design challenge” and wil be presented by actor Sir Tony Robinson, known for his role as Baldrick in the BBC television series Blackadder.

Museum of Us sees ordinary people from one street in towns and cities across the UK have a week to investigate and curate a museum about the history of their ‘ordinary’ residential road, in Aberystwyth’s case the team, including Sir Robinson, desginer Lucy Malone and Amgueddfa Ceredigion, will be looking at the history of Portland Street.

But forget the image of museums as lofty and remote, Museum of Us brings communities together to celebrate their stories in new and immersive ways, bringing history right to their doorsteps.

Each week, Tony Robinson leads a team made up of a historian, a designer and a curator to a different street in the UK where the residents are challenged to create their very own pop-up museum. Guided by Tony and the team, the local residents uncover, piece by piece, the story of their street. As they begin with their own personal connections, they then gather evidence that tells the story of their street through time and learn how it fits into Britain’s national history.

The locations featured across the four-part series are in Birmingham, Aberystwyth, Norwich and Bristol.

The team will be in Aberystwyth, at the site of the pop-up museum on 11 Terrace Road, from this Wednesday, 13 April until Saturday, 16 April.

Residents of Aberystwyth are being asked to help set up the exhibition from Wednesday to Friday, and then to visit the final museum on Saturday.

Producer Aida Fatemi said: “It doesn’t necessarily have to be art, it could be a photograph or object of some kind that is nostalgic to them personally. One example is, we had this lovely lady who was a Jamaican origin. She displayed for us the suitcase she used when was 17 to carry with her things with her to England. It meant a lot to her because it is her only piece of evidence of that time in her life.

“The memory doesn’t necessarily have to be of value or expensive, but it’s priceless to them.”

“With this exhibition, we cover maritime history, but the overriding theme is the really special Welsh word, Hiraeth. So we want to amek sure any objects or stories included all have a slight nod to hiraeth, even if it’s only subtle.”

Tony Robinson said: “Museum of Us will be celebrating the lives, the histories and the ingenuity of ordinary people, and bringing communities together to make something wonderful. I’m thrilled to be involved.”

David Olusoga, Executive Producer for Uplands TV, said: “Tens of thousands of streets across the UK have fascinating histories hidden behind their front doors. We are delighted to be working with local residents and local museums to bring their untold stories to More4.”

Kate Thomas, commissioning editor for More4, said: “Museum of Us is a fascinating and beautiful series. With the inimitable Tony Robinson at the helm and a brilliant team of experts, I know the individual museums built will capture the imaginations of us all and make us wonder about the history to be found on our own doorsteps.”

Museum of Us is a 4x60’ series made at Uplands’ Bristol base for More4. It was commissioned by Kate Thomas, commissioning editor, Daytime and Features and Jasper Hone, assistant editor, Daytime and Features. The executive producers for Uplands are David Olusoga, Mike Smith and Mary Crisp. The exhibitions are supported by Art Fund and The Space on behalf of Arts Council England, with the participation of Birmingham Museums Trust, Museum of Norwich, M Shed, and Ceredigion Museum.