The Guardian has awarded the Herbert Art Gallery and Museum in Coventry the accolade of being the most family-friendly museum of the year. The prize for the museum is 500 activity sheets illustrated by Quentin Blake.
The Guardian Family Friendly Museum awards began in 2004, driven by the journalist Dea Birkett, who was horrified to be turfed out of the Royal Academy’s Aztec exhibition when her son pointed at a scary exhibit and shouted: “Monster!”. Now every year, undercover trips are made to a number of museums by a team of judges with their children.
The Herbert beat a shortlist that included the Great North Museum, in Newcastle, the National Trust’s Beningbrough Hall and Gardens, in York, the Highland Folk Museum, in Newtonmore, the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery, in Stoke, and the St Nicholas Priory, in Exeter.
The Herbert has eight permanent galleries exploring local history, from Lady Godiva to the Blitz, natural history and art. Apparently, “It’s meeting families on an equal footing at the museum door that won the Herbert this award.”
Previous winners include the Killhope mining museum, in County Durham, some Oxford museums, the Falmouth Art Gallery and Weston Park, in Sheffield.
Ludo Keston, the chief executive of the Herbert, declared the win a vindication of the museum’s efforts to be as welcoming to families as possible.
Well done The Herbert! I will definitely be adding it to the main site when it is up and running again.
Tags: 2010, award, Coventry, Family Friendly, Herbert, museum
