Visitors to Ipswich Museum will be able to find out about proposals for a £23 million makeover of the building at a special exhibition, starting tomorrow.

The exhibition showing what is proposed for the I-AM (Ipswich Arts and Museum) project opens tomorrow and runs until Saturday week, February 28 at the museum in High Street. The exhibition then moves to the Town Hall from March 3 to 7.

I-AM is aimed at attracting thousands of visitors from all over the country and boost the economy by bringing the town’s history and visual and performing arts projects under one roof.

Existing buildings will be connected for the first time and new display and performance spaces will be created. A cafe and shop are also proposed. If the funding for the project can be secured, then the project will be complete in 2019.

Fundraisers are currently drawing up plans to raise the money needed for the development – and the council is preparing a £4.8 million bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund.

The project would link the museum with the High Street Exhibition Gallery, the Ipswich Art School and the Wolsey Studio Theatre to create a new cultural centre under the banner I-AM.

It hopes that the project would enable the museum’s exhibits to be shown off in a less-cluttered atmosphere giving visitors a better opportunity to see the collection.

The project would increase public access to one of the most important collections of Anglo-Saxon treasures in the country.

At present only about 10% of the museum’s collection is on show. If the project is completed, the public will have access to 60% of the collection – with 30% on show at any one time.

Ipswich Borough Council wants to know what people think of the plans – to find out more visit: www.facebook.com/iamipswich