By Adrian Murphy. Main Image: Tamalie Newbery, Brooklands Museum Director & CEO, picks up the Permanent Exhibition Award
The Museums + Heritage Awards for Excellence 2018 was concluded last night (May 16) with the winners being announced by English musician, journalist and Church of England priest Reverend Richard Coles at the Historic State Rooms of 8 Northumberland Avenue in central London
Now celebrating its 16th year, the annual awards organised by the sector’s largest event, The Museums + Heritage Show, recognise the innovators and leaders of the UK and international museums, galleries and visitor attractions.
One of the big winners on the night was Brooklands Museum, which picked up the 2018 Permanent Exhibition Award for its new Aircraft Factory and Flight Shed.
The judges said that the new exhibition, which opened in November, had it all: “It’s immersive, creative and people-focused. It is astonishing in its risk-taking, has great volunteers at its heart, and challenging in the way it has so brilliantly brought its collection alive.”
On the night Diane Lees, Director-
“Giving the fundraising challenges we all face, they resolutely continue to support us both through their funding and by campaigning on behalf of the sector through reports such as Why Collect?” she said.
Collecting the award, Paul Ramsbottom, chief executive of the Wolfson Foundation, said one of the joys and one of the peculiarities of funders, is that their achievements and successes are only achievable through partnership with others.
“Our success is only possible because of your success and you really are a remarkable sector,” he said. “Philanthropy is probably more important to the sector now than ever. Our constant message is that philanthropy works alongside government funding and doesn’t work if it replaces government funding. Which is why the recent report Why Collect? calls cleary and unequivically for more public funding for your sector.”
The 2018 Museums + Heritage Awards Winners, Highly Commended and Shortlisted
Project on a Limited Budget
Winner: Grant Museum of Zoology, UCL, The Whale Weekender
Highly Commended: Heritage Learning with Ferens Art Gallery, Explore Art (Under 5s and Families Gallery)
Shortlisted:
- The Natural History Museum at Tring, Dodos: Old Bird, New Tricks
- Bailiffgate Museum & Gallery, Illustrating Harry Potter
- Maidstone Museums, Research & Display of Mummified Remains for ‘Ancient Lives’
Supported by Arts Council England
Temporary or Touring Exhibition
Winner: The Salisbury Museum, Terry Pratchett: His World exhibition
Highly Commended: Science Museum, London (as part of the Science Museum Group), Robots: The 500-Year Quest to Make Machines Human
Shortlisted:
- People’s History Museum, Never Going Underground: The Fight for LGBT+ Rights
- National Trust, Prejudice & Pride
- Ditchling Museum of Art + Craft, Eric Gill: The Body
- Victoria and Albert Museum, You Say You Want a Revolution?
- National Museums Liverpool / Arts Council Collection, Coming Out: Sexuality, Gender & Identity
Sponsored by Displayways
The International Award
Winner: Holland Open Air Museum and Kossmann.dejong, The Canon of Dutch History
Highly Commended: The Museum of Islamic Art in the Pergamon Museu, Berlin State Museums, The Syria Initiative – Museum as Mediator of Shared Heritage
Shortlisted:
- Vardemuseum in co-operation with Tinker imagineers, TIRPITZ – hidden stories on Danish west coast
- Denis Byrne Architects (Architects/Project Leaders) Thirty Three Trees Landscape Design, Derrigimlagh: The Marconi Station / Alcock & Brown Landing Site
- Museum of South East Demark, Vikingeborgen/The Viking Fortress
- Canadian Museum of History, Canadian History Hall
Volunteers of the Year Award – Team
Winner: Scottish Football Museum, Football Memories Volunteer Network
Highly Commended: Holocaust Survivors’ Friendship Association (HSFA) HSFA survivor speakers
- Old Royal Naval College, Painted Hall Conservation Volunteers
- National Trust – Buckland Abbey, Buckland Abbey Art Ambassador Volunteers
- Century of Stories – Leicestershire County Council, Bosworth Tommies
- Ripon Museum Trust, The Refurbishment Team
In Partnership with Association of Independent Museums
Volunteer of the Year Award – Individual
Joint Winners:
- Miss Jessica Arnold – The Mid Hants Railway (the Watrecress Line) Ltd
- Museum of London, Claire Madge
Shortlisted:
- Canal & River Trust, National Waterways Museum, Barry Green
- National Football Museum, Allan Maull
- Cornwall’s Regimental Museum, Jenny Simmons
In Partnership with Association of Independent Museums
Innovation
Winner: Museum of London Archaeological Archive
Highly Commended Science Museum Group, Space Descent VR with Tim Peake
Shortlisted:
- Tate, Preloaded and HTC VIVE, Modigliani VR: The Ochre Atelier
- Canal & River trust, National Waterways Museum and Jam Creative Studios, Boats of Every Description: An Interactive Journey
- National Gallery with Van Gogh Museum, Neue Pinakothek, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Seiji Togo Memorial and Facebook, #SunflowersLive
Sponsored by The Hub
Permanent Exhibition
Brooklands Museum, The Brooklands Aircraft Factory & Flight Shed
Jointly Highly Commended:
Cartwright Hall Art Gallery, Bradford Museums & Galleries, The David Hockney Gallery
The Natural History Museum, Hintze Hall
Shortlisted:
- National Army Museum, National Army Museum Permanent Galleries
- National Science and Media Museum, part of the Science Museum Group, Wonderlab
- Haley Sharpe Design (hsd) on behalf of The Postal Museum, The Postal Museum and Mail Rail
- Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford, The Ashmolean Story
Best Shop under £500k
Winner: Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery, Exeter, The Shop at RAMM
Highly Commended: Brontë Parsonage Museum, Brontë Parsonage Museum Shop
Shortlisted:
- National Museums Liverpool (NML Trading Ltd), World Museum’s Newly Redeveloped Shop
- Bury Art Museum, Bury Art Shop
- Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre, The University of Manchester, Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre Shop
Best Shop over £500k
Winner: Tower Bridge, Tower Bridge ‘Gift Shop Redesign’The Hepworth Wakefield
Shortlisted:
- Enterprises Ltd, The Hepworth Wakefield
- Yorkshire Sculpture Park (YSP), YSP Shop
- British Library, British Library Retail
Educational Initiative
Winner: UCL Museums and Collections, Museums on Prescription
Highly Commended: Leeds Museums and Galleries, Exceed Expectations … with objects and artworks
Shortlisted:
- Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, Sharing Shakespeare’s Story
- The Royal Parks, Speak Up! The Hyde Park Debating Challenge
- Yorkshire Sculpture Park (YSP), Summer Club
- Chiltern Open Air Museum, Literacy Theme Days for Primary Schools
Sponsored by Volunteer Makers
Marketing Campaign
Winner: The Postal Museum, Launching The Postal Museum and Mail Rail
Highly Commended: Victoria Art Gallery, Here Be Dragons marketing campaign
Shortlisted:
- Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, Coming Out: Sexuality, Gender & Identity
- Oxford University Gardens, Libraries & Museums, Mindgrowing Campaign
- Bristol Aero Collection Trust, Aerospace Bristol
Sponsored by BDRC
Fundraising Initiative of the Year
Winner: Haslemere Educational Museum, Museum in a Million
Highly Commended: Gairloch + District Heritage Co Ltd, Our Land, Our People, Our Story
Shortlisted:
- Friends of RvCP + The Royal Victoria Chapel, Raise the Roof
- National Museums of Scotland, Save the Galloway Hoard
- Watts Gallery – Artists’ Village, #YayNotNeigh
Restoration or Conservation
Winner: The Royal Parks, Brompton Cemetery Conservation Project
Highly Commended: Norfolk Museums Service – Norwich Castle Museum & Art Gallery, Nelson & Norfolk
Shortlisted:
- National Museums Liverpool, Murillo’s Virgin and Child in Glory Conserved
- Royal Museums Greenwich, Armarda Portrait of Elizabeth I
- London Mithraeum Bloomberg SPACE, London Mithraeum
Sponsored by Each Art Unique
