2009 Short List: What the Judges said

The Centre of New Enlightenment at Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, Glasgow
This ground-breaking programme offers young people a new way to explore the great treasure house of Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum.

Combining a cinematic and hand-held computer tour, it poses a series of challenges designed to help teenagers discover their own character strengths and build their self-confidence through close encounters with objects.

The Judges were impressed by the way gaming and interactive technology had been married to old fashioned values of exploration and discovery to create something new.

They felt TCoNE represented a genuinely innovative approach to reaching a challenging age group by offering the opportunity for independent engagement with a museum collection, and was a valuable test-bed for a concept with potential for other museums.

Orleans House Gallery, Twickenham
The redevelopment of Orleans House Gallery, culminating in 2008, has seen the transformation of former stables into generous new spaces for exhibitions and education and a major expansion of its activities.

It is now a thriving and inspirational community hub for heritage, arts and learning. The Judges were hugely impressed by the diversity of the audience which the Gallery is reaching through its activities. These range from its lively exhibition programme - covering both contemporary and historical themes and offering a showcase for local artists of all ages - to artists’ residencies, work with vulnerable young people and placements for Creative and Media Diploma students.

The Judges felt that this was an example of sterling achievement on a relatively modest budget and commended the imagination, commitment and genuine passion of the Gallery’ team.

Ruthin Craft Centre: The Centre for the Applied Arts
A beautiful new building has dramatically increased the exhibition space at this major contemporary crafts venue and has provided, the first time, dedicated education space and craft studios.

The development represents a major enhancement of the Centre’s role in bringing work of national and international stature to North Wales, and touring many of the exhibitions it produces around the UK and abroad. It is also a jewel in the crown of an historic market town of just 5,000 people whose economic sustainability is strongly reliant on cultural tourism.

The judges were hugely impressed by the new building, by the quality and ambition of the Centre’s exhibitions programme, its excellent range of original publications and, not least, by the expertise, enthusiasm and commitment of its small team.

The Wedgwood Museum, Stoke-on-Trent
The new Wedgwood Museum tells the story of one of the world’s most iconic and recognisable consumer brands, and its galleries present an opulent array of wares from across the 250-year history of the company, enhanced by a wide variety of supporting material including audio recordings and archive film footage. The new building incorporates flexible space for education and state-of-the-art facilities housing what is one of the largest industrial archives in the UK, consulted by people from all over the world.

The Judges felt that the Museum represented a collection of international importance, beautifully and intelligently displayed, yet with its roots firmly in its place and community.

They were particularly impressed by the Museum’s commitment to ensuring that its rich resources are used to make an active contribution to local education and skills-training at all levels.