Image: Art Fund Museum of the Year "St Fagan's National History Museum" Image by Marc Atkins © Marc Atkins / Art Fund 2019
Art Fund has today launched a new campaign for UK museums and announced plans for a special edition of its annual Museum of the Year prize.
The winner of Art Fund Museum of the Year 2020 will be announced on Monday 12th October, kick-starting a weeklong celebration dedicated to the UK museum sector. This year’s prize fund has been increased by 40% and now totals £200,000, which will be divided equally between five shortlisted institutions.
Immediately following the award’s presentation, a week of Art Fund “events, debates and social activity” will ensue – all with the aim of promoting the exceptional work of museums across the country and highlighting their potential to stimulate a national recovery from the Covid-19 crisis.
“It’s exciting that we can begin to visit our inspiring museums again, but just because the doors are reopening it doesn’t mean they are ok. They can’t survive long-term with a fraction of visitors and they’re continuing to navigate the huge challenges of Covid-19,” notes Jenny Waldman, director of Art Fund.
“This exceptional edition of Art Fund Museum of the Year will shine a spotlight on the incredible value museums bring to communities across the UK.”
Funding and resources worth over £2 million to organisations throughout the sector have been announced by Art Fund since the pandemic began. The organisation is also seeking to unite its members behind the #TogetherforMuseums fundraising campaign, which welcomes donations to support venues in dire need.
While this year’s edition will not be the usual Art Fund Museum of the Year, one thing that will remain unchanged is its partnership with the BBC. Details regarding coverage of the 2020 ceremony will be revealed soon.