Manchester Museum clinches the 2025 European Museum of the Year title!
The Manchester Museum has been honored with the European Museum of the Year Award for its commitment to fostering deeper community connections and intercultural dialogue. The prestigious accolade was presented during the EMYA2025 Conference in Poland at the Sybir Memorial Museum in Białystok.
The Museum, a part of the University of Manchester, was established in 1867, boasting an extensive collection of approximately 4.5 million artifacts from every continent. The Museum houses archaeological and anthropological artifacts, as well as a vivarium featuring live amphibians, including the critically endangered harlequin toad, known for its striking colors.
The award was given in recognition of the Museum's efforts to enhance accessibility, create new spaces for dialogue, and address its complex colonial history. The Museum has redefined its role by acknowledging and addressing the legacies of its past and reimagining its mission.
In practice, this transformation is evident in the Museum's emphasis on highlighting the perspectives of indigenous peoples and allowing them to curate and tell their own stories. The exhibit "Anindilyakwa Arts: Stories from our Country" is a testament to this approach, featuring the culture and traditions of the Anindilyakwa People, the Traditional Owners of the Groote archipelago in Australia.
Moreover, the Museum has demonstrated a commitment to righting historical wrongs by returning 174 cultural heritage items to their country in 2023. The award ceremony was held at the Sybir Memorial Museum, winner of the Council of Europe Museum prize for its contributions to upholding human rights and democratic citizenship.
The Museum Prize for Welcoming, Inclusion, and Belonging was awarded to the Istanbul Museum of Modern Art, recognized for its outreach to young people. The Alvor Lifeguard Interpretative Centre (CISA) in Portugal and the Euskararen Etxea, the House of the Basque Language in Bilbao, Spain, were also awarded for their exceptional work in community engagement and cultural preservation, respectively.
The award for Environmental Sustainability went to MUZOO, a Swiss contemporary space that combines exhibits with interactive experiences to foster environmental dialogue and create lasting impressions. The former General Director of The Union of Tbilisi Museums, Nini Sanadiradze, was honored for her courageous museum practices that challenge conventional perspectives and her exceptional dedication to preserving Georgian cultural heritage.
Next year's awards will be held at the Euskararen Etxea in Bilbao.
The Manchester Museum's commitment to decolonizing its practices aligns with contemporary museum standards, as it aims to encourage critical reflection on its colonial history and create opportunities for intercultural understanding through inclusive narratives and participatory trails. The Museum has launched the "Decolonise trail," introduced events and discussions around decolonizing practices, commissioned artworks that address colonial themes, and integrated decolonization into its mission. These efforts illustrate the Museum's long-term, reflective, and community-engaged transformation.
The Manchester Museum, in addition to its extensive artifact collection and unique vivarium, is actively reshaping its lifestyle by decolonizing its practices and fostering intercultural dialogue, especially evident through the "Decolonise trail" and its commitment to home-and-garden a diversity of voices and perspectives. This transformation extends beyond museum walls, involving artworks, events, discussions, and a broader focus on cultural preservation and community engagement.
