Scottish museum projects recognised at Museums Change Lives Awards

Museums Galleries Scotland welcomes the news that projects organised by Scottish museums have been recognised for their social impact at the Museums Change Lives Awards 2023.

The top award for Best Museums Change Lives Project was received by Glasgow Museums, Bangladesh Association Glasgow, and Our Shared Cultural Heritage for Scotland’s Lascar Heritage, a community-led research project which investigated the history of South Asian seamen in Scotland. It inspired international and intergenerational connections and led to the creation of a book and a film.

The Whithorn Trust’s Rebuild schools engagement project won the Best Small Museum Project award for its work to introduce vulnerable young people to traditional skills such as woodworking and stone carving. This two-year programme offers skills development, peer-to-peer training, and employment opportunities to members of the local community.

We’re pleased to have supported the Rebuild project with a grant from the Museums Galleries Scotland Museum Recovery Fund in 2022. The funding we awarded enabled the Whithorn Trust to appoint a team member to deliver elements of the training programme.

We wish to congratulate all the winners and nominees for the Museums Change Lives Awards 2023. Their work demonstrates the power of museums to connect communities, inspire inclusivity, and improve access to culture.