Latest news with #museum
BBC News
a day ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Museum of the Year 2025: Beamish, The Living Museum of the North named top attraction
Do you have a favourite museum that you like to go to?Perhaps there is a museum you visited abroad that you love, or are you a big fan of one based in your home town?It comes after an open-air attraction in north-east England picked up this year's Museum of the Year The Living Museum of the North, allows visitors to travel back in time to parts of the 19th and 20th century through a number of interactive forget to let us know what your favourite museum is in the comments below. Beamish Museum is located near the town of Stanley in County Durham. Its aim is to preserve an example of everyday life in urban and rural north-east England from the 1820s through to the museum allows visitors to travel back in time to look around replica towns, villages and working landscapes, meeting costumed staff to experience stories of what it was like to live in those said history was "brought to life" by staff, volunteers and the thousands of objects donated from across the region to recreate life from years gone by. The other shortlisted museums for the award were Chapter (Cardiff), Compton Verney (Warwickshire), Golden Thread Gallery (Belfast) and Perth Museum (Perth & Kinross).So, we want to know what YOU you have a favourite museum you like going back to time and time again? If so, what makes it so special?Perhaps there was an exhibition you once visited which you loved? Maybe you learnt an amazing fact?Or have you previously managed to get up close and personal with an interactive experience that was lots of fun?Whatever it is, let us know in the comments below.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Princess Diana Museum Curator Falls to the Floor After Securing Royal's Caring Dress at Auction for $520,000
Renae Plant, who runs a virtual Princess Diana museum, also scored some other items from the royal's wardrobe.
BBC News
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Beamish: Open-air attraction in County Durham wins Museum of the Year
An open-air museum in County Durham that features faithful recreations of old homes, shops, farms and a colliery has won the annual award for the UK's museum of the The Living Museum of the North, brings the history of the region from the 1820s to the 1950s to life through a series of immersive museum, which opened in 1972 and aims to preserve local heritage, will receive £120,000 prize Fund director Jenny Waldman, the chair of the judges, described Beamish as "a joyous, immersive and unique place" that had been "a jewel in the crown of the North East for 55 years". The museum allows visitors to travel back in time to look around replica towns, villages and working landscapes from bygone days, meeting costumed staff and volunteers to experience stories of everyday the past year, the museum has completed its Remaking Beamish project, which saw the opening of a 1950s town, developed with input from local people who had first-hand knowledge of that recreated town includes a milk bar, pub, a photographer's studio, transport such as trams and old cars, and shops including a confectioner's. The project saw 32,000 local residents and 14,000 schoolchildren contribute to 31 new past 12 months have also seen the museum open a string of miners' cottages, which tell the story of the pioneering welfare provision for retired workers in County had more than 830,000 visitors last Secretary Lisa Nandy said the award "recognises the extraordinary contribution that Beamish has made to celebrate the heritage of the North East". Waldman 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."Fellow judge and comedian Phil Wang said the panel's visit to the venue "was one of the most fun days I've had in years".Beamish chief executive Rhiannon Hiles was presented with the £120,000 prize at a ceremony at the Museum of Liverpool on Thursday. The other shortlisted museums were:Chapter (Cardiff)Compton Verney (Warwickshire)Golden Thread Gallery (Belfast)Perth Museum (Perth & Kinross)Each finalist will receive £15, Art Fund Prize was launched in 2008, becoming Museum of the Year in 2013. Last year's winner was the Young V&A in east London.
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
‘Joyous, immersive' Beamish wins Art Fund museum of the year award
Beamish, the Living Museum of the North, has won the prestigious Art Fund museum of the year award, the largest such prize in the world. Awarding it the £120,000 prize, judges called Beamish a 'joyous, immersive and unique place shaped by the stories and experiences of its community'. The open-air museum in County Durham, which is celebrating its 55th anniversary, brings north-east England's Georgian, Edwardian, 1940s and 1950s history to life through immersive exhibits. Visitors engage with costumed staff and volunteers and experience regional stories of everyday life. The museum has a longstanding commitment to preserving local heritage. The prize was presented on Thursday night to Rhiannon Hiles, the chief executive of Beamish, by the comedian Phil Wang, a judge for the awards, at a ceremony at the Museum of Liverpool. 'Beamish is a worthy winner of this year's award,' Wang said. '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, the Art Fund director and chair of the judges, called the museum 'a jewel in the crown of the north-east' and said 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'. She added: '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.' In 2024, Beamish welcomed more than 838,630 visitors and remains the region's most visited attraction. It recently completed its Remaking Beamish project, which included the recreation of a 1950s town developed with community input. The project involved more than 32,000 community members, 14,338 schoolchildren, and 35,000 volunteer hours to create 31 new exhibits. The aged miners' homes also opened in the past year, telling the story of the pioneering welfare provision for retired miners in County Durham. The museum has been commended for its exceptional visitor experience, receiving the travellers' choice award and the national visitor welcome award at the 2024 Museums + Heritage awards. It provides innovative educational programming for 40,000 schoolchildren annually. The Horrible Histories author Terry Deary recently said he was a huge fan of Beamish. Back in the 1980s when he was working as an actor, Deary said he would take schoolchildren there and perform educational theatre to teach them 'what war was about' – including stories of bewildered soldiers returning home, and deserters. Beamish was one of five finalists. The other shortlisted museums were Chapter (Cardiff), Compton Verney (Warwickshire), Golden Thread Gallery (Belfast), Perth Museum (Perth & Kinross), which will each receive £15,000. The museums were commended for their deep connection with their local communities and areas. The culture secretary, Lisa Nandy, said the award recognised 'the extraordinary contribution that Beamish has made to celebrate the heritage of the north-east and to showcase this to the world through thousands of visitors every year'.
BBC News
2 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Wiltshire Museum move a step closer with £350k funding boost
A museum's bid to relocate to a new site has moved a step closer, following the allocation of a further £350,000 in council funding towards the Museum has received the money from Wiltshire Council's Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) fund to move from its current home on Long Street in Devizes, to the Assize Court building on Northgate project aims to bring one of the town's "most significant heritage buildings" back into use, as part of a centrepiece for the wider regeneration of the Helen Belcher said: "We are proud to support this ambitious and visionary project." The Grade II* Listed Assize Court, which is owned by the Devizes Assize Courts Trust (DACT), is currently on the Historic England Heritage at Risk museum has already secured £300,748 in development funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF) to prepare a detailed project plan. It intends to submit a major funding bid to NLHF in the summer, seeking a further £8m towards the total estimated £14m project cost. The money allocated from the CIL fund will be used to strengthen the museum's business case to secure that further Council has already committed to support the project with up to £2m, but only if the fundraising falls short. 'A fantastic opportunity' Ms Belcher, the cabinet member for economic development, regeneration and assets, said that move is "a fantastic opportunity to create a first-rate museum in the heart of the town, while saving a landmark building of national importance."Caroline Kay, chair of trustees at Wiltshire Museum, called the investment a "timely and generous commitment", adding that it would provide "a real boost for the future heritage of our county and the museum's continuing and growing work."
