Latest news with #ArtFundMuseumoftheYear
Euronews
27-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Euronews
Beamish: Unique open-air attraction named UK's Museum of the Year
A unique open-air museum located in County Durham, UK, has won the prestigious Art Fund Museum of the Year 2025 award. Beamish, the Living Museum of the North, was founded in 1970 by Dr Frank Atkinson CBE, a British museum director and curator. Inspired by Scandinavian folk museums he'd visited in the early '50s, Atkinson wanted to document the vibrant (and fast-declining) industrial communities of North East England. Having received a record number of visitors during 2019 to 2020, the museum managed to survive the impact of its COVID-19 closures by launching online activities and other educational local initiatives. Displaying various replicas from the area's past and brought to life by costumed staff, it's an immersive portal of nostalgia that cradles its community's stories. One of its most impressive and innovative projects is 'Remaking Beamish', which saw tens of thousands of locals assist in recreating a 1950s parade of establishments, including a cinema, toy shop and record store. Awarded £120,000 (€140,676) at a ceremony at the Museum of Liverpool on Thursday, the Art Fund's judges described Beamish as 'a joyous, immersive and unique place shaped by the stories and experiences of its community.' Jenny Waldman, director at Art Fund, added: "The judges were blown away by the remarkable attention to detail of its exhibits across a 350-acre site and by the passion of its staff and volunteers. "With three quarters of adults in the North East of England saying museums make them proud of where they live, Beamish is a shining example of how museums enrich and celebrate local communities." The other four finalists will each receive £15,000 (€17,580), and include Chapter in Cardiff, Golden Thread Gallery in Belfast, Perth Museum in Perth & Kinross, and Compton Verney in Warwickshire. Rebranded to the Art Fund Museum of the Year in 2013, it is one of the world's largest (and most lauded) museum prizes, recognising creative excellence while supporting the sectors' integral contributions to community engagement. Previous winners include London's Horniman Museum in 2022, Glasgow's Burrell Collection in 2023 and the Young V&A in 2024. In response to this year's winner, UK culture secretary Lisa Nandy said the award "recognises the extraordinary contribution that Beamish has made to celebrate the heritage of the North East'. Despite funding cuts significantly impacting museums everywhere, they continue to be sacred spaces for preserving education, cultural identity and social connection. In 2024, independent museums generated an estimated £497 million in direct spending in the UK, according to a report. For International Museum Day on 18 May, the Euronews Culture team selected some of our favourite, lesser-known museums across Europe. It's a reminder of the endlessly creative spirit at the heart of curated attractions - and that if you can't visit Beamish any time soon, there's always the Icelandic Phallological Museum instead... Check out our list here.
The Herald Scotland
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
Beamish, The Living Museum Of The North wins Museum Of The Year award
The £120,000 prize was presented to Rhiannon Hiles, chief executive of Beamish, by comedian and prize judge Phil Wang, at a ceremony held at the Museum Of Liverpool. Beamish offers immersive exhibits (David Levene/Art Fund/PA) Wang, 35, said: 'Beamish is a worthy winner of this year's Art Fund Museum of the Year award. Our visit was one of the most fun days I've had in years. 'An unbelievable level of commitment from staff, and a jaw-dropping amount of detail ran through everything. They had to drag me kicking and screaming out of there!' Jenny Waldman, director of Art Fund and chairwoman of the judges for Art Fund Museum Of The Year, added: 'Beamish is a museum brought to life by people – a joyous, immersive and unique place shaped by the stories and experiences of its community. 'The judges were blown away by the remarkable attention to detail of its exhibits across a 350-acre site and by the passion of its staff and volunteers.' In the past year Beamish has completed its Remaking Beamish project, which has seen the recreation of a 1950s town and 1950s farm. Beamish, The Living Museum Of The North, is an open-air museum in County Durham (David Levene/Art Fund/PA) In 2024 they opened a 1950s cinema, toy shop and electrical shop, as well as a Georgian tavern. The museum, which celebrates its 55th anniversary this year, was in a list of finalists that comprised Chapter in Cardiff, Compton Verney in Warwickshire, Golden Thread Gallery in Belfast and Perth Museum in Perth and Kinross. Art Fund annually shortlists five outstanding museums for the prize and the 2025 edition recognises activities that took place from autumn 2023 to winter 2024. The judges were tasked with identifying impactful projects and looking at the overall achievements of the organisations.
Western Telegraph
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Western Telegraph
Beamish, The Living Museum Of The North wins Museum Of The Year award
The open-air museum, in Country Durham, bring north-east England's Georgian, Edwardian and 1940s and 1950s history to life through immersive exhibits. The £120,000 prize was presented to Rhiannon Hiles, chief executive of Beamish, by comedian and prize judge Phil Wang, at a ceremony held at the Museum Of Liverpool. Beamish offers immersive exhibits (David Levene/Art Fund/PA) Wang, 35, said: 'Beamish is a worthy winner of this year's Art Fund Museum of the Year award. Our visit was one of the most fun days I've had in years. 'An unbelievable level of commitment from staff, and a jaw-dropping amount of detail ran through everything. They had to drag me kicking and screaming out of there!' Jenny Waldman, director of Art Fund and chairwoman of the judges for Art Fund Museum Of The Year, added: 'Beamish is a museum brought to life by people – a joyous, immersive and unique place shaped by the stories and experiences of its community. 'The judges were blown away by the remarkable attention to detail of its exhibits across a 350-acre site and by the passion of its staff and volunteers.' In the past year Beamish has completed its Remaking Beamish project, which has seen the recreation of a 1950s town and 1950s farm. Beamish, The Living Museum Of The North, is an open-air museum in County Durham (David Levene/Art Fund/PA) In 2024 they opened a 1950s cinema, toy shop and electrical shop, as well as a Georgian tavern. The museum, which celebrates its 55th anniversary this year, was in a list of finalists that comprised Chapter in Cardiff, Compton Verney in Warwickshire, Golden Thread Gallery in Belfast and Perth Museum in Perth and Kinross. Art Fund annually shortlists five outstanding museums for the prize and the 2025 edition recognises activities that took place from autumn 2023 to winter 2024. The judges were tasked with identifying impactful projects and looking at the overall achievements of the organisations.
Rhyl Journal
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Rhyl Journal
Beamish, The Living Museum Of The North wins Museum Of The Year award
The open-air museum, in Country Durham, bring north-east England's Georgian, Edwardian and 1940s and 1950s history to life through immersive exhibits. The £120,000 prize was presented to Rhiannon Hiles, chief executive of Beamish, by comedian and prize judge Phil Wang, at a ceremony held at the Museum Of Liverpool. Wang, 35, said: 'Beamish is a worthy winner of this year's Art Fund Museum of the Year award. Our visit was one of the most fun days I've had in years. 'An unbelievable level of commitment from staff, and a jaw-dropping amount of detail ran through everything. They had to drag me kicking and screaming out of there!' Jenny Waldman, director of Art Fund and chairwoman of the judges for Art Fund Museum Of The Year, added: 'Beamish is a museum brought to life by people – a joyous, immersive and unique place shaped by the stories and experiences of its community. 'The judges were blown away by the remarkable attention to detail of its exhibits across a 350-acre site and by the passion of its staff and volunteers.' In the past year Beamish has completed its Remaking Beamish project, which has seen the recreation of a 1950s town and 1950s farm. In 2024 they opened a 1950s cinema, toy shop and electrical shop, as well as a Georgian tavern. The museum, which celebrates its 55th anniversary this year, was in a list of finalists that comprised Chapter in Cardiff, Compton Verney in Warwickshire, Golden Thread Gallery in Belfast and Perth Museum in Perth and Kinross. Art Fund annually shortlists five outstanding museums for the prize and the 2025 edition recognises activities that took place from autumn 2023 to winter 2024. The judges were tasked with identifying impactful projects and looking at the overall achievements of the organisations.
Glasgow Times
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
Beamish, The Living Museum Of The North wins Museum Of The Year award
The open-air museum, in Country Durham, bring north-east England's Georgian, Edwardian and 1940s and 1950s history to life through immersive exhibits. The £120,000 prize was presented to Rhiannon Hiles, chief executive of Beamish, by comedian and prize judge Phil Wang, at a ceremony held at the Museum Of Liverpool. Beamish offers immersive exhibits (David Levene/Art Fund/PA) Wang, 35, said: 'Beamish is a worthy winner of this year's Art Fund Museum of the Year award. Our visit was one of the most fun days I've had in years. 'An unbelievable level of commitment from staff, and a jaw-dropping amount of detail ran through everything. They had to drag me kicking and screaming out of there!' Jenny Waldman, director of Art Fund and chairwoman of the judges for Art Fund Museum Of The Year, added: 'Beamish is a museum brought to life by people – a joyous, immersive and unique place shaped by the stories and experiences of its community. 'The judges were blown away by the remarkable attention to detail of its exhibits across a 350-acre site and by the passion of its staff and volunteers.' In the past year Beamish has completed its Remaking Beamish project, which has seen the recreation of a 1950s town and 1950s farm. Beamish, The Living Museum Of The North, is an open-air museum in County Durham (David Levene/Art Fund/PA) In 2024 they opened a 1950s cinema, toy shop and electrical shop, as well as a Georgian tavern. The museum, which celebrates its 55th anniversary this year, was in a list of finalists that comprised Chapter in Cardiff, Compton Verney in Warwickshire, Golden Thread Gallery in Belfast and Perth Museum in Perth and Kinross. Art Fund annually shortlists five outstanding museums for the prize and the 2025 edition recognises activities that took place from autumn 2023 to winter 2024. The judges were tasked with identifying impactful projects and looking at the overall achievements of the organisations.
