PRESS RELEASE May 17th, 2012

WINNERS ANNOUNCED! Prestigious industry accolades awarded to leading lights of the Museum and Heritage sector

Visitor attractions from across the UK have been recognised for their remarkable achievements at the Museums + Heritage Awards for Excellence 2012.

The winners and runners-up in each of the 11 categories were announced by broadcaster and comedienne Sue Perkins yesterday (May 16th) at 8 Northumberland in Central .

Now celebrating its tenth year, the annual Awards created by The Museums + Heritage Show, recognise projects of excellence ranging from groundbreaking achievements of national institutions to those crafted with limited resources and budget or those championing sustainability.

Among the big winners of the Awards was the Heritage Lottery Fund which walked away with the 2012 Outstanding Contribution to the Sector accolade.

Introducing the Award, Matthew Tanner, Director of Brunel's ss Great Britain, said: “Since its inception in 1994, the Heritage lottery Fund has been one of the most dominant forces for good in the heritage sector. It has supported 33,000 projects and awarded £5 billion – a truly staggering investment that has had an overwhelming and unprecedented impact on our cultural heritage and the lives of people in every town in the UK.”

Accepting the award on behalf of the HLF, Trustee Kathy Gee, said: “This is simply great news. The Heritage Lottery Fund has been privileged to invest in the UK’s heritage for 18 years; from museums and parks to archaeology, the natural environment and our cultural traditions, the impact of Lottery funding has been transforming and to have our ‘outstanding contribution’ recognised like this is wonderful. We’re delighted to receive this award on behalf of the extraordinary people and projects we support all around the UK.”

Hundreds of industry professionals joined together at the ceremony – the ‘Oscars’ of the museums and heritage sector - to celebrate the considerable achievements and spectacular projects taking place in cultural attractions across the UK and Europe.

Amongst the 2012 winners were: The Ironbridge Gorge Museum, which fought off strong competition to win the much-coveted Classic Award for its continued growth, development and sustained interest from visitors both regionally and nationally. The winners of the International Award were Bolton Museum for Quest for Immortality and Mallinson Architects & Engineers for the Children’s Centre for Civilisation and Creativity in Cairo. The Permanent Exhibition Award, sponsored by Service Graphics, - the most hotly contended category – was shared between two attractions, the National Museum Scotland for the Transformation of the National Museum of Scotland and the Holburn Museum in Bath.

Matthew Tanner MBE, a member of the Awards judging panel, added: “In such times it is more important than ever that we celebrate the excellence of our museums, galleries, culture and heritage. The preservation of our cultural heritage is important, not only to local and national economies, but also to the education of this nation. These Awards celebrate the finest collections, exhibitions, innovation and entrepreneurship; each a reflection of the passion and commitment to excellence within this sector.”

The winners, highly commended and shortlisted entries (listed below) are a reflection of the industry’s growing diversity. Each museum, cultural and heritage visitor attraction is recognised for its excellence - whether for an innovative and groundbreaking exhibition or for making a considerable achievement on the smallest of budgets.

Following the glittering ceremony, Sue Perkins said: “I was delighted to host the Museums + Heritage Awards for Excellence again this year. It is wonderful to see that despite the difficult economical climate, our amazing cultural sector remains as diverse and inspiring as ever!”

The Awards are judged by a panel of the sector’s leading lights including: Diane Lees, Director General, Imperial War Museums; Bernard Donoghue, Director, Association of Leading Visitor Attractions (ALVA) and other leading sector professionals.

The Museums + Heritage Awards were launched in 2003 by the organisers of The Museums + Heritage Show – the sector’s biggest trade event for museum and heritage/cultural visitor attraction professionals. The Museums + Heritage Show is an annual event and took place at Earls Court, London on 16 and 17 May, 2012.

For more information about the Awards or the Show, please visit www.museumsandheritage.com or call 01905 724 734.

ENDS

Note to Editors:

Photo caption: (l-r) Matthew Tanner MBE with Virginia Tandy from the Heritage Lottery Fund, Sue Perkins and Kathy Gee from the Heritage Lottery Fund. Photo credit: Chris Sharp

Press enquiries: For further details about any of the shortlisted, commended or winning entries or photography from the Awards Ceremony, please call Steff on 07891246064 or email [email protected].

www.museumsandheritageshow.com

WINNERS & SHORT-LISTED ENTRIES 2012

CLASSIC AWARD WINNER The Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust: Ironbridge Gorge Museum HIGHLY COMMENDED National Museums Liverpool: World Museum ALSO SHORT-LISTED Harrogate Borough Council: The Mercer Art Gallery Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums: Sunderland Museum & Winter Gardens Transport Museum: Museum of British Road Transport Trust (Coventry) Ltd EDUCATIONAL INITIATIVE WINNER Historic Royal Palaces, London: All the King's Fools, Hampton Court Palace JOINTLY HIGHLY COMMENDED Science Museum, London: Science Museum Live on Tour Woodhorn Museum and Northumberland Archives: Time Travel Northumberland ALSO SHORT-LISTED The National Archives, Surrey: The National Archives Virtual Classroom Epping Forest Open Spaces, City of London Corporation: Discovering Epping Forest (DEF) INNOVATION AWARD WINNER Grant Museum of Zoology, London - QRator: Visitor Participation Through Social Interpretation SHORT-LISTED PinPoint Visualisation Ltd, Ascot, Berkshire: Exhibita Pro The Public Catalogue Foundation, London: Your Paintings Victoria & Albert Museum, London: Five Truths Life: Riverside Museum INTERNATIONAL AWARD JOINT-WINNER Bolton Museum, United Exhibits Group: Quest for Immortality: Hidden Treasures of Ancient Egypt, Taiwan Mallinson Architects & Engineers, London: Children's Centre for Civilisation & Creativity, Cairo ALSO SHORT-LISTED Heritage Without Borders, London: Heritage Without Borders, Bosnia and Herzegovina Chameleon 3 Ltd, London: Mougins Museum of Classical Art, France , London: Port 24/7, HET ScheepVaart Museum, Netherlands MARKETING CAMPAIGN WINNER The Barber Institute of Fine Arts, : Court on Canvas HIGHLY COMMENDED The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge: Vermeer's Women: Secrets & Silence ALSO SHORT-LISTED National Museums Liverpool: National Museums Liverpool , London: Grayson Perry Historic Scotland: Stirling Castle Palace Project Marketing Campaign

PERMANENT EXHIBITION JOINT-WINNER National Museums Scotland: The Transformation of the National Museum of Scotland The Holburne Museum, Bath: Re-Opening and Re-Display of the Holburne ALSO SHORT-LISTED The Museum: Living Worlds Glasgow Life: Riverside Museum City Council: Royal Albert Memorial Museum (RAMM) 's Museums, Galleries and Archives: M Shed PROJECT ON A LIMITED BUDGET WINNER The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery, Stoke: Once Upon a Time HIGHLY COMMENDED Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery: Draw Me a Story: The Art of Illustration for Children ALSO SHORT-LISTED Grant Museum of Zoology, London: Kingdom in a Cabinet: The relocation of the Grant Museum Warrington Museum: Bringing the Wow Factor to Warrington Museum RESTORATION OR CONSERVATION WINNER Friends of Windmill Gardens, London: Brixton Windmill JOINT HIGHLY COMMENDED ZMMA Watts Gallery: Surrey Salford Community Leisure: The Extraordinary Ordsall Hall ALSO SHORT-LISTED Harwell Restoration, Oxford: Fire Damage Restoration of 12,000 objects for Dean Heritage Centre, Forest of Dean Historic Royal Palaces, London: White Tower Conservation and Repair SUSTAINABILITY WINNER National Museums Liverpool: Museum of Liverpool Garden Museum, Lambeth, London: Championing Sustainability in Heritage Traineeship Programme ALSO SHORT-LISTED Durham Heritage Coast Partnership: Gateway Welcome Initiative The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge: Gallery I The Dudson Museum, Stoke-on-Trent: Application and Award of Staffordshire Environmental Quality Mark TEMPORARY OR TOURING EXHIBITION WINNER Natural History Museum, London: Sexual Nature JOINT-HIGHLY COMMENDED Derby Museums & Art Gallery: Down the Back of the Sofa : Dickens and London ALSO SHORT-LISTED Soldiers of Oxfordshire Trust: Children and War Great North Museum, Newcastle: Hancock - Pharaoh: King of Egypt The National Army Museum, London: War Horse: Fact or Fiction WINSTAN BOND TROPHY FOR ENTREPRENEURIAL MUSEUM OF THE YEAR Winner: Heritage Trust - From Carriers to Coffins: Jute in the 21st Century Highly Commended: Turner Contemporary: Artworks ALSO SHORT-LISTED National Museums Liverpool: Museum of Liverpool OUSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO THE SECTOR Winner: Heritage Lottery Fund