How a museum understood the TikTok assignment

Beamish created tote bags for fans of their TikTok star Ian Bean

A living museum has gone "viral" with a 21st century TikTok trend.

Beamish Museum near Stanley, County Durham, received more than one million likes on a video which saw its 1900s town engager, Ian Bean, take viewers on "Gen Z-ified" tour of the site.

During the tour, Mr Bean points to a tram and says "slay", ending with: "Beamish will always understand the assignment."

Digital communications manager Cat Cox-Field said the museum "wanted to make people smile" and hoped it would encourage younger generations to visit.

The communications team worked with Gen Z staff and volunteers to script the TikTok, based on the already viral trend.

Ms Cox-Field, who is 29, said: "I'm just outside of it [Gen Z].

"That was research to make sure everything meant what it meant, and we weren't saying anything we didn't want to be saying."

Beamish's 1900s town engager, Ian Bean, took viewers on a Gen Z tour of the museum

Mr Bean first volunteered at Beamish Museum when he was 20 years old.

Ms Cox-Field said he was "really keen to get involved" and help the team.

She said the popularity of the TikTok had been a "shock".

"Ian's absolutely loving it and I know a couple of people have approached and said 'slay' to him or something like that," Ms Cox-Field said.

The museum also starting selling tote bags with Mr Bean's likeness on them, online and in their gift shop.

"It's really lovely that we've managed to reconnect with our audience, or find a new audience that isn't in our locality," Ms Cox-Field said.