Regional Heritage Awards 2019 – How to Enter

Museum Development East Midlands would like to invite you to enter one or more categories of the Regional Heritage Awards 2019.  This year’s awards will, once again, celebrate all the wonderful work taking place in museums, historic houses and heritage sites across the region and reward best practice.  Any projects entered for the awards should have been completed between 1^st May 2017 and the 30^th June 2019.

Please find below all the information you will need to enter this year’s awards, the closing date for submitting your entries is Tuesday 30^th July.

The Awards will be presented at an evening ceremony at the National Civil War Centre, Newark on Tuesday 24^th September.  The evening will begin with a Drinks Reception at 5.45pm followed by the Awards Ceremony at 6.30pm.

This year’s award categories are:

• Behind the Scenes at the Museum
• Best Project on a Shoestring (under £1,000)
• The Sky’s the Limit
• Partnership Working
• Heart of the Community
• Reaching New Audiences
• Museum/ Heritage Site of the Year

To enter this year’s Regional Heritage Awards, you will need to complete the application form for the category that you are entering.  These are available below, simply click on the relevant title.

All applications and supporting information should be emailed to Laura Hughes, Museum Development Project Officer at laura.hughes@leics.gov.uk by 5.00pm on Tuesday 30^th July.  Please put the words ‘Regional Heritage Awards Entry’ in the email title.  Laura will acknowledge receipt of your application.  If you do not receive an acknowledgement, please call 0116 305 3118 to check that it has arrived safely.

Entries will be assessed on the information supplied on the application form and any supporting materials.  Please ensure you make it as easy as possible for the judges to gain an understanding of your organisation and the project you are entering into the awards.

You can submit the following supporting information:

• A maximum of 6 photographs. Please ensure that you only supply images which you have permission to use or are free of copyright.  These images will be shared with the judges and may be used during the Heritage Awards Ceremony.
• Other supporting information such as press releases, publicity material, feedback from users, visitors, partners, volunteers etc.

 Regional Heritage Awards 2019 – Additional Information for Entrants

1. Behind the Scenes at the Museum

This award celebrates behind the scenes work with collections.  Entries could include conservation or restoration, documentation projects, digitisation, storage and more.  The judges will be particularly interested in entries that have extended access to collections and/ or have improved standards of collections care over time.  They will also be interested to learn about how the skills and knowledge of staff/ volunteers have developed as a result of the work.

2. Best Project on a Shoestring (under £1,000)

This award will recognise a project that has achieved excellence within a limited budget of no more than £1,000.  The project can be in any area of museum activity.  The judges will be looking for an innovative approach to maximising the limited resources available; who was involved in developing and delivering the project – including any project partners; the target audience and how effectively they were engaged; the aims of the project and how they were met and how the project was promoted.

3. The Sky’s the Limit

This award will recognise excellence in any project, behind the scenes or with the public that demonstrates innovation, creativity and ambition.  This category recognises achievements in all areas that demonstrate an original approach that inspires others.

4. Partnership Working

This award will recognise effective partnership working between your museum/ heritage site and another organisation.  This could be an internal or external partner.  The judges will be interested in how this has led to long term benefits for both you and your partner and how an effective partnership enabled you to achieve something that might otherwise have been challenging.

5. Heart of the Community

This award will recognise new projects and activities that have engaged a community with your organisation.  This could include a project that has helped to embed your organisation at the heart of your local community or it may be a community of specialists or enthusiasts who are interested in the subject of your site.  Entries should demonstrate how the project has made a positive difference to both your organisation and the community you have been working with.  The long term impact of the project should be described.

6. Reaching New Audiences

This award will recognise successful projects and activities that have enabled museums and heritage organisations to reach and engage new audiences.  The judges will be interested in any feedback that you have had from new user and entries must demonstrate a positive legacy for the organisation.

7. Museum/ Heritage Site of the Year

This category will be selected from all of the entrants to the categories above.  The judges will select the organisation that demonstrates excellence in a broad range of categories, especially those that reflect the impact their work has had on both the museum itself and the wider community.  The judges will also recognise organisations which are working to leave a legacy for future generations and contribute to local and regional sustainability.

From the whole of the MDEM team, Good Luck!