The Streetlife Museum in Hull has been shortlisted for the esteemed Kids in Museums Family Friendly Museum Award. This recognition highlights the museum’s dedication to creating an inclusive and welcoming environment for families. The award, which has been running since 2004, is unique in the UK as it is judged by families themselves, making it a true reflection of public opinion.
Kids in Museums, a charity committed to making museums accessible to all children, young people, and families, organizes this annual award. Between late March and early June, families across the UK cast their votes for their favorite heritage attractions on the Kids in Museums website.
From these votes, a panel of museum experts narrowed down hundreds of nominations to a shortlist of 18 heritage attractions, including the Streetlife Museum.
Competing for Best Accessible Museum
The Streetlife Museum is vying for the title of Best Accessible Museum, a category that honors museums making significant efforts to include families with children or young people who have special educational needs and disabilities. This recognition underscores the museum’s commitment to accessibility and inclusivity, ensuring that all visitors can enjoy and benefit from their exhibits and activities.
Shortlisted museums will receive feedback on how to further enhance their offerings for families, providing an opportunity for continuous improvement and innovation in family engagement.
Celebrating the Achievement
Jane Avison, Hull Museums Manager, expressed her delight at the nomination:
“We are delighted to have been shortlisted for the Kids in Museums award. To have been nominated by visitors to the Streetlife Museum is a real credit to the team who deliver accessible family friendly events and activities throughout the year.”
The Streetlife Museum, located amidst beautiful museum gardens, boasts extensive transport and social history collections. It also features a dynamic program of community exhibitions. The museum is a bustling hub of activity, hosting school visits, sessions for under-fives and over 55s, visits from day centers, and a variety of events and activities during weekends and school holidays.
Undercover Judging and Upcoming Ceremony
Over the summer holidays, undercover family judges will visit the shortlisted museums to evaluate them against the Kids in Museums Manifesto. This set of guidelines outlines what makes a great museum visit for all ages. The judges’ experiences will determine the winners of each award category and the overall winner of the Family Friendly Museum Award 2024. The results will be announced at an awards ceremony in October.
For updates on the Family Friendly Museum Award, follow @kidsinmuseums on social media and use the hashtag #FamilyFriendlyMuseum.
Supporting Accessibility in Museums
The Family Friendly Museum Award is made possible through funding from Arts Council England, highlighting the importance of supporting accessible and inclusive cultural experiences for families across the UK.
About Kids in Museums
Kids in Museums is an award-winning charity dedicated to making museums open and welcoming to all children, young people, and families. They support and champion family-friendly organizations through a variety of initiatives, including the Family Friendly Museum Award and Takeover Day. Heritage organizations are encouraged to sign up to the Kids in Museums Manifesto, which provides simple guidelines for making museums accessible to all ages. For more information, visit www.kidsinmuseums.org.uk.
