You know I’m never one to turn down the chance to wax lyrical about our wonderful capital city. But you can bet your bottom dollar that I’ll be taking the opportunity in spades today, as three London museums are officially in the running to be named the best family friendly museum in the country.
That’s right, folks – London is back up to its old overachieving tricks, having made three appearances on the recently revealed shortlist for the highly-coveted Family Friendly Museum Award.
The awards are run by the Kids in Museums charity, who scope out the most welcoming, fun and accessible UK family-friendly museums and cultural spaces each year. Hundreds of families from across the country then vote for their favourite venue on the website. And an expert panel of children, young people, and accessibility experts then whittle down to the nominations to the shortlist – that’s just been revealed.
Spread across four categories, the shortlist shines a light on the best and brightest in the world of family-friendly museums. Two London museums earned themselves a comfortable spot in the ‘Best Large Museum’ category, and another London museum found itself shortlisted in this year’s brand new category. The ‘Best Museum Youth Project: Social Justice’ category celebrates the museum’s that have given young people meaningful opportunities to explore social justice issues.
The London museums that made the shortlist
The London Transport Museum and the Horniman Museum and Gardens were the two spots that were shortlisted for the ‘Best Large Museum’ category. Brixton‘s beloved Black Cultural Archives earned itself a place under the new ‘Best Museum Youth Project: Social Justice’ category. Each museum on the list was praised for providing memorable, inclusive, and free cultural experiences for families of all shapes and sizes.
What happens next?
Over the summer holidays, a selection of ‘undercover family judges’ will head to each of the shortlisted museums to experience them first-hand, and see if they live up to the ‘Kids in Museums Manifesto’ (a set of guidelines, outlining what makes a great family-friendly museum’.
The judge’s findings will then decide a winner for each category, and an overall winner. The chosen champions will be announced in October at a big, fancy awards ceremony that will be held at London’s Young V&A (who snapped up the prize last year).
Photo: © David Parry
Vanessa Eke, Chair of Kids in Museums, said: “During a time of squeezed museum budgets and families still struggling with the cost of living, this shortlist is a testament to the hard work and dedication of venues creating welcoming, memorable experiences for their family visitors. It’s great to see how many venues are going the extra mile to provide free and low cost opportunities for families to spend time together, have fun and try something new. The Family Friendly Museum Award is a great opportunity to recognise this ambition and dedication on a national level.”