The keys for the redesigned and extended Manchester Jewish Museum are now in the hands of chief executive Max Dunbar after the handover from the builders.

A large team of specialist organisations and contractors have been involved in the £6 million building programme. After two years of closure, the revamped building opens on July 2.

Mr Dunbar said the project had been eight years in the making. “Reaching this major milestone has been no mean feat, especially in the middle of a global pandemic. But the challenges and stresses make the final  results all the more rewarding, a true labour of love. We cannot wait to share it with everyone this summer.”

Meanwhile, curator Alex Cropper has been interviewing former congregants of the Sephardi synagogue in which the museum is set and which closed in the 1980s. A selection will be featured in an exhibition exploring the themes of journeys, communities and identities.

She said it had been “fascinating to explore how the synagogue and the community first came to life and what both have brought to the city as a whole”.

It has also been announced that Turner Prize-winning artist Laure Prouvost will unveil a major work at the museum as part of the Manchester International Festival.

Ms Prouvost’s immersive installation will transform the ladies’ gallery in the former synagogue and will include a film shot inside the museum and in the surrounding Cheetham Hill area.

The artist has mined the museum’s extensive collection to discover the stories of past congregants, unearthing details  of the women who found comfort and community within its walls.