Seven Stories Shortlisted for International Children in Museums Award 2016
Each year Hands On! International recognises an exceptional museum for its work to engage children and young people in its exhibits and programme with its prestigious Children in Museums Award.
Seven Stories, The National Centre for Children’s Books in Newcastle upon Tyne in the UK is thrilled to be amongst the shortlist for the 2016 award.
The Children in Museums Award is a joint venture between Hands On! International and the European Museum Academy. This is the 5th year of the award, and is important because it is an international award that recognises and sets high standards of practice and engagement in museums for children. It is judged by experts and peers in the field.
Kate Edwards, Chief Executive of Seven Stories says: “We have the greatest respect for Hands On! International, and the work it does to share learning and best practice and its advocacy for museums to be safe and inspiring places where all children and young people can learn, play, experiment and be creative. Most importantly, Hands On! believes that museums should be places where children and young people are able to ask questions, explore issues that matter to them and to shape their ideas and values as future citizens and leaders. Seven Stories wholeheartedly believes in this ethos and is honoured that our work has been recognised by being shortlisted for the prestigious Children in Museums Award 2016.”
Seven Stories is the only UK museum shortlisted and no UK museum has ever won. The winner, Geo Fort in The Netherlands took the prize at the ECSITE conference in Graz in Austria on Thursday evening, 9 June 2016.
The Award is judged by a panel of international experts experienced in many disciplines within the museum field who all contribute their time as volunteers.
The judges are looking especially for museums, exhibitions and programmes and museum environments which:
- Display creativity and innovation
- Encourage children’s curiosity and stimulate their imagination
- Have well-researched and conceived content which is appropriately targeted and meaningful to the relevant age-group
A link to Hands On! Press release is here www.hands-on-international.net/winner-announced-children-in-museums-award-2016/
BACKGROUND OF THE AWARD
The Children’s Museum Award was established in 2011 by the European Museum Academy and Hands On! International for the recognition of excellence in the specific sector of international children’s museums. In 2014 the name of the Award was changed to the Children in Museums Award, to reflect the wider range of provision for children in today’s museums. Applications are welcomed from children’s museums and from education, children and youth departments in museums and science centres, both long-established and recently opened.
SHORT-LISTED MUSEUMS MUZEIKO
- America for Bulgaria Children’s Museum, Sofia, Bulgaria
- Mathematikum Giessen e.V., Giessen, Germany
- Dutch Resistance Museum, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- NEMO Science Museum, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- GeoFort, Herwijnen, The Netherlands
- National Museum in Warsaw, Poland
- Museum of World Culture, Gothenburg, Sweden
- National Museum of Science and Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
- Seven Stories, National Centre for Children’s Books, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK
PREVIOUS WINNERS OF THE AWARD
- 2012 Tropenmuseum Junior, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- 2013 Please Touch Museum, Philadelphia, USA
- 2014 National Gallery of Denmark (SMK), Copenhagen, Denmark
- 2015 Lifetime Achievement Awards: Boston Children’s Museum, USA and ZOOM Children’s Museum, Vienna, Austria
For more information visit www.hands-on-international.net www.sevenstories.org.uk
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Media Contact: Kathryn Row, Marketing and Programming Manager
E: Kathryn.row@sevenstories.org.uk
T: 0845 271 0777 ext 209