Long List 2009

These were the ten museums and galleries chosen by the Judges to form the 2009 long list announced on 27 February.

The Braid: Arts Centre and Mid-Antrim Museum Ballymena, Co Antrim The Braid, Ballymena’s £20 million new arts and civic centre and venue for the new Mid-Antrim Museum is a radical innovation in cultural provision for the north-east region of Northern Ireland.

The Centre of New Enlightenment at Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, Glasgow A ground-breaking new programme at Glasgow’s flagship museum which aims to improve young visitors’ confidence and help them find the hero inside themselves.

‘Scotland: A Changing Nation’ at National Museums Scotland, Edinburgh Scotland: A Changing Nation is a major, new permanent exhibition, opened in July 2008, which provides a thought-provoking exploration of what it has meant to live and work in Scotland from the First World War up to the present day.

‘Outside the Box’ at the Museum of Reading One of the country’s oldest museum loan services – which takes objects to people beyond the confines of the museum – has been revitalised and extended in a four-year project involving a unique partnership with 20 other museums and heritage organisations across the Thames Valley.

National Trust Museum of Childhood, Sudbury Hall, Derbyshire Housed in the 19th century servants’ wing of Sudbury Hall, the National Trust’s Museum of Childhood re-opened in 2008 following a two–year rejuvenation project and now offers a bigger, more engaging and enjoyable museum for all ages, interests and abilities.

Orleans House Gallery, Twickenham Orleans House Gallery is nominated for its major redevelopment programme which culminated in 2008, a transformation which has enabled the Gallery to realise the potential of its whole site and create a thriving community hub for creativity and education.

Rotunda – The William Smith Museum of Geology, Scarborough The unique character of an early 19th century, purpose-built museum has been preserved in the process of creating a modern museum which tells the story of Scarborough’s role in the history of geology and its connections with William Smith,‘the Father of English Geology’.

Ruthin Craft Centre: The Centre for the Applied Arts, Denbighshire Ruthin Craft Centre, established 25 years ago, is the foremost contemporary craft venue in Wales. In the summer of 2008 it reopened in a stunning new building which has dramatically expanded the Centre’s gallery space and facilities.

The Sackler Centre for Education at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London The new Sackler Centre at the V&A is one of the most innovative museum education spaces in the world, with facilities including a digital studio, an auditorium and design and practical art studios. It more than doubles thespace available for educational use within the Museum.

Top