Latest news with #ArtFundMuseumoftheYear
STV News
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- STV News
Scots attraction shortlisted for Museum Of The Year Award and £120,000 prize
Five UK attractions have been shortlisted for the Art Fund Museum Of The Year Award 2025 with a chance to win its £120,000 prize. Beamish, The Living Museum of the North in County Durham, Chapter in Cardiff, Compton Verney in Warwickshire, Golden Thread Gallery in Belfast, and Perth Museum have all been nominated for the award, with the winner being announced on June 26. The winner will be announced at a ceremony in Liverpool, the first time the award has been presented outside London, with the four losing finalists receiving £15,000 each. Beamish, The Living Museum of the North is an open air museum, looking at life in the north east of England in the 1820s, 1900s, 1940s and 1950s, while Chapter is a Welsh arts centre made up of a gallery, artist studios, theatres, cinemas, a cafe bar, and community garden. PA Media Beamish, The Living Museum of the North is among the museums shortlisted. PA Media Compton Verney is an art gallery with six installations, Golden Thread Gallery is a Northern Irish contemporary art gallery and Perth Museum looks at 10,000 years of Scottish and world history through a local lens. Art Fund director Jenny Waldman, who will chair the judging panel, said: 'This year's finalists are inspiring examples of museums at their best – deeply connected to their local communities, responsive to the world around them, and alive with energy and ideas. 'Each one offers a distinctive experience, showing the endless creativity and care that goes into making museums inspiring and exciting spaces for everyone. PA Media Chapter in Cardiff has been nominated. PA Media 'Art Fund is proud to celebrate their work and support their ambition through Art Fund Museum of the Year. 'We hope people across the UK will be inspired to visit these remarkable places and museums in their local area to discover the powerful role they can play in our lives.' The award aims to recognise inspiring projects and activity from autumn 2023 through to winter 2024, looking at the overall achievements of the organisation, impactful projects, staff and volunteers, and community engagement. The prize is funded by Art Fund members who buy a National Art Pass. STV News is now on WhatsApp Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News
Leader Live
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Leader Live
Five UK attractions shortlisted for Museum Of The Year Award and £120,000 prize
Beamish, The Living Museum of the North in County Durham, Chapter in Cardiff, Compton Verney in Warwickshire, Golden Thread Gallery in Belfast, and Perth Museum have all been nominated for the award, with the winner being announced on June 26. The winner will be announced at a ceremony in Liverpool, the first time the award has been presented outside London, with the four losing finalists receiving £15,000 each. Beamish, The Living Museum of the North is an open air museum, looking at life in the north east of England in the 1820s, 1900s, 1940s and 1950s, while Chapter is a Welsh arts centre made up of a gallery, artist studios, theatres, cinemas, a cafe bar, and community garden. Compton Verney is an art gallery with six installations, Golden Thread Gallery is a Northern Irish contemporary art gallery and Perth Museum looks at 10,000 years of Scottish and world history through a local lens. Art Fund director Jenny Waldman, who will chair the judging panel, said: 'This year's finalists are inspiring examples of museums at their best – deeply connected to their local communities, responsive to the world around them, and alive with energy and ideas. 'Each one offers a distinctive experience, showing the endless creativity and care that goes into making museums inspiring and exciting spaces for everyone. 'Art Fund is proud to celebrate their work and support their ambition through Art Fund Museum of the Year. 'We hope people across the UK will be inspired to visit these remarkable places and museums in their local area to discover the powerful role they can play in our lives.' The award aims to recognise inspiring projects and activity from autumn 2023 through to winter 2024, looking at the overall achievements of the organisation, impactful projects, staff and volunteers, and community engagement. The prize is funded by Art Fund members who buy a National Art Pass.
Powys County Times
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Powys County Times
Five UK attractions shortlisted for Museum Of The Year Award and £120,000 prize
Five UK attractions have been shortlisted for the Art Fund Museum Of The Year Award 2025 with a chance to win its £120,000 prize. Beamish, The Living Museum of the North in County Durham, Chapter in Cardiff, Compton Verney in Warwickshire, Golden Thread Gallery in Belfast, and Perth Museum have all been nominated for the award, with the winner being announced on June 26. The winner will be announced at a ceremony in Liverpool, the first time the award has been presented outside London, with the four losing finalists receiving £15,000 each. Beamish, The Living Museum of the North is an open air museum, looking at life in the north east of England in the 1820s, 1900s, 1940s and 1950s, while Chapter is a Welsh arts centre made up of a gallery, artist studios, theatres, cinemas, a cafe bar, and community garden. Compton Verney is an art gallery with six installations, Golden Thread Gallery is a Northern Irish contemporary art gallery and Perth Museum looks at 10,000 years of Scottish and world history through a local lens. Art Fund director Jenny Waldman, who will chair the judging panel, said: 'This year's finalists are inspiring examples of museums at their best – deeply connected to their local communities, responsive to the world around them, and alive with energy and ideas. 'Each one offers a distinctive experience, showing the endless creativity and care that goes into making museums inspiring and exciting spaces for everyone. 'Art Fund is proud to celebrate their work and support their ambition through Art Fund Museum of the Year. 'We hope people across the UK will be inspired to visit these remarkable places and museums in their local area to discover the powerful role they can play in our lives.' The award aims to recognise inspiring projects and activity from autumn 2023 through to winter 2024, looking at the overall achievements of the organisation, impactful projects, staff and volunteers, and community engagement.
Time Out
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
The five finalists for Art Fund's UK Museum of the Year 2025 have been revealed – and none are in London
Art Fund Museum of the year is basically the Oscars of the museum world. With £120,000 up for grabs, it's one of the most coveted awards that a UK gallery or attraction can get. Each year, judges look for places that have delivered brilliant projects or exhbitions and embraced community spirit, spotlighting a 'wide range of remarkable people'. Last year the top gong was won by London's Young V&A. This year, Art Fund has picked five museums across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland that stood out between autumn 2023 and winter 2024. Jenny Waldman, the director at Art Fund said: 'This year's finalists are inspiring examples of museums at their best – deeply connected to their local communities, responsive to the world around them, and alive with energy and ideas. Each one offers a distinctive experience, showing the endless creativity and care that goes into making museums inspiring and exciting spaces for everyone.' Here's everything you need to know about each contender for this year's grand prize. Spoiler: not one of them are in London. The five museums shortlisted for Art Fund Museum of the Year 2025 Beamish, The Living Museum of the North (County Durham) This open-air attraction takes visitors through northeast England's history, from the Georgian era to the 1950s with live actors and immersive exhibits. It made the shortlist this year for its Remaking Beamish project, which involved over 32,000 community members, 14,338 schoolchildren, and 35,000 volunteer hours to create 31 new exhibits within the museum. It also opened the aged miners' homes to tell the story of retired miners in the region and this year, it'll also host the Festival of Transport to celebrate 200 years of the National Railway. Chapter (Cardiff) Cardiff's international centre for contemporary arts has been commended by Art Fund for prioritising 'social and cultural equity, connection and shared purpose'. Chapter recently started offering free studio spcae through an artist residency programme, launched Wales' largest festival of D/deaf-led creative activity and expanded its 'pay what you can' pricing and free community ticketing scheme. A highlight in its upcoming programme is screening of Steve McQueen: Grenfell, which will be playing from May 10 to June 15. Compton Verney (Warwickshire) Compton Verney boasts six art collections, a sculpture park and a cafe that ArtFund says 'offers enriching experiences for a wide range of audiences'. 2024 was the year that it unveiled its Scultpture in the Park exhibition with works by artists like Sarah Lucas, Permindar Kaur, Larry Achiampong and Helen Chadwick. It also won recognition for its commitment to breaking down barriers to cultural careers for young people with disabilities. Golden Thread Gallery (Belfast) Belfast's Golden Thread Gallery, a contemporary art hub, reopened in August 2024 after a year hiatus. It's grand reopening revealed two large new gallery spaces, a a community participation hub, and the Northern Ireland Visual Art Research Library and Archive, the first of its kind in Northern Ireland. Perth Museum (Perth & Kinross) Sat in the former Perth City Hall, Perth Museum showcases 10,000 years of Scottish, UK and global history. There, you'll find the Stone of Destiny (an important ancient symbol of the Scottish monarchy), Shakespeare's First Folio and loads of medieval treasures. It opened in March last year after a huge £27 million renovation of the building. ArtFund notes that it has given a significant boost to the local economy, with Perth and Kinross Council reporting an average city centre footfall increase of 68 percent since opening. When is the winner announced? The winning museum will be revealed in a ceremony at the Museum of Liverpool on June 26. Previous winners The very first Museum of the Year prize was awarded to London's William Morris Gallery. Here's a roundup of all the winners since then. 2024 – Young V&A, London 2023 – The Burrell Collection, Glasgow 2022 – Horniman Museum and Gardens, London 2021 – Firstsite, Colchester 2020 - Aberdeen Art Gallery; Gairloch Museum; Science Museum; South London Gallery; and Towner Eastbourne. 2019 - St Fagans National Museum of History, Cardiff 2018 - Tate St Ives 2017 - The Hepworth, Wakefield 2016 - Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A), London 2015 - Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester 2014 - Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Wakefield 2013 - William Morris Gallery, London
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'Inspiring' Museum of the Year nominees all outside London
The nominees for the 2025 Art Fund Museum of the Year have been announced, with all five finalists being located outside of London for the first time in four years. Beamish, The Living Museum of the North in County Durham is up for the £120,000 prize-winning pot alongside Cardiff's Chapter and Compton Verney in Warwickshire. Belfast's Golden Thread Gallery and the Perth Museum in Perth and Kinross round off the shortlist. The winner will be announced on Thursday 26 June at a ceremony at the Museum of Liverpool, marking the first time the event has ever been held outside of the UK capital. Art Fund director Jenny Waldman said that this year's finalists "are inspiring examples of museums at their best" and "deeply connected to their local communities, responsive to the world around them, and alive with energy and ideas." "Each one offers a distinctive experience, showing the endless creativity and care that goes into making museums inspiring and exciting spaces for everyone," she noted, speaking on behalf of the award judges. Let's take a closer look at the nominees for this year's prize, which are all now guaranteed to receive at least £15,000. Beamish, The Living Museum of the North in County Durham is an open-air museum which reflects life in north east England in the 19th and 20th centuries. It brings Georgian, Edwardian and war-time history to life through immersive exhibits where visitors engage with costumed staff and volunteers. Judges praised Beamish for continuing its "long-standing commitment to preserving local heritage" and its "exceptional visitor experience". In the past year the museum has completed its Remaking Beamish project, which saw the recreation of a 1950s town developed with community input, as well as the opening of the aged miners' homes (AMH), which tells the story of welfare provision provided for retired miners. This year, as part of the National Railway 200 celebrations, it will also host the Festival of Transport (24 May-1 June). Chapter is an international centre for contemporary arts in Cardiff, which includes a gallery, artists' studios, theatres and cinema screenings. In recent years, the centre has commissioned fourteen exhibitions by diverse international artists - including Adham Faramawy, Ntiense Eno-Amooquaye and Abi Palmer - which have explored themes from climate crisis to materiality. The Arts Fund noted how Chapter "continues to co-create exceptional programmes that enrich Cardiff's cultural landscape", from printmaking to music. It offers "pay what you can" pricing and free community tickets, and also recently introduced an artist residency programme with free studio space, and launched Wales' largest festival of deaf-led creative activity, Deaf Gathering Cymru. Compton Verney in Warwickshire has six art collections, a sculpture park and café, set within a Grade I-listed 18th Century mansion. The gallery was described as "a vibrant cultural destination committed to making art accessible to all by connecting people with art, nature, and creativity". Last year, it unveiled its Sculpture in the Park exhibition featuring works by artists such as Sarah Lucas, Permindar Kaur, Larry Achiampong, Helen Chadwick and Erika Verzutti. The venue invites artists and communities to reimagine its 18th Century facade, and its exhibitions have also explored the legacies of the likes of Capability Brown, Louise Bourgeois and Chila Kumari Singh Burman. More than 6,000 schoolchildren have visited and participated in early creative projects, while recent initiatives have also included a monthly dementia café and an upcoming large-scale multimedia exhibition of work, reflecting on life and death, by Emma Talbot (5 July-5 October). The jury noted the museum's commitment to "breaking down barriers to cultural careers for young people with disabilities." Contemporary arts space Golden Thread Gallery in Belfast features two large galleries, a community participation and engagement hub, and Northern Ireland's first visual art library and archive. After closing in 2023, the gallery reopened last year at a new Queen Street address in the city centre, presenting exhibitions by artists including Charlotte Bosanquet, Rob Hilken, Graham Fagen, Susan Hiller and Claire Morgan. Since reopening it has welcomed more than 23,000 visitors. The gallery partnered with Translink NI to help produce a public sculpture by Kevin Killen incorporating local narratives and community stories at the redeveloped York Street station. This summer it will host the video and photographic works of Sophie Calle with her exhibition Beyond the Gaze - Shared Perspectives (21 June-27 August). Perth Museum serves as the new home of the Stone of Destiny, one of Scotland's most cherished treasures, which has returned to Perthshire after more than 700 years. The civic museum opened last year following a £27 million development at the former Perth City Hall, by Dutch architects Mecanoo, enabling it to tell the story of Scottish history. The Stone of Destiny experience uses immersive modern technology to frame the contested object within the story of the medieval boy king of Scotland, Alexander III. A new exhibition exploring the history and legacy of Macbeth is now underway (25 April-31 August 2025). The museum has been building partnerships with 10 primary schools, helping students, teachers and communities to connect with their heritage. Since its opening, Perth Museum has attracted around 250,000 visitors, boosting the local economy. The Art Fund is the national charity for museums and galleries. The last time its main prize shortlist totally overlooked London - where many of the nation's biggest museums were historically located - was in 2021, when the award was ultimately won by Firstsite in Colchester, Essex. Waldman added she hoped this year's award would "inspire" people to visit some "remarkable places" in their local region and help them "discover the powerful role they can play in our lives." Whichever one of the five museums wins will succeed last year's winner, the Young V&A in London.
