Kettering Borough Council’s Manor House Museum and Alfred East Art Gallery are delighted to announce that, as well as their bid to win the Renaissance East Midlands People’s Choice Award as part of the Northamptonshire Heritage Awards 2011, they have now also been shortlisted for 2 other awards in the categories, ‘Best Exhibition’ and ‘Best Volunteer Project’.
A panel of judges will visit Kettering on Tuesday 31st May from 9.55am where staff will have an opportunity deliver two 15 minute pitches based on why they think their entries should win. The exhibition that is up for ‘Best Exhibition’ is the popular ‘Brass is for Life, not Just for Christmas,’ which was on display at the Manor House Museum from December 2010 to January 2011. The exhibition received hundreds of new visitors and exceptional feedback. The Volunteer Project culminated in a fantastic display of paintings by the local artist, W.T. Wright in September 2010 at the Alfred East Art Gallery, alongside creative responses of the project participants who were family volunteer groups.
The museum and gallery receive thousands of visitors each year and many of them return again and again to the popular exhibitions and events, which are run by their dedicated team of staff. For the People’s Choice award, it is the general public who get to decide on the winner. Kettering Museum and Art Gallery really need their keen supporters to let the wider community and county know just how proud they are of Kettering’s cultural offer, located right in the heart of the town centre.
Valerie Hitchman the Head of Community Services says ‘thank you to all our visitors who came to see Brass is for Life, not just for Christmas and the people who had fun getting involved in the Volunteer Project’.
Councillor Steve Bellamy portfolio holder for Community and Culture commenting on the People’s Choice Award said, ‘We are really relying on our loyal visitors to help spread the word and make Kettering Museum and Art Gallery winner of the People’s Choice Award once again. The museum and gallery won the award in 2007 and have been close runners up on other years and, although there is some worthy competition, I hope to see us receive the award once again this year”.
Every vote counts and really could make a difference between winner and runner-up!
To vote, visitors can either call into the museum and gallery to fill in a very short form, or visit http://www.northamptonshireletyourselfgrow.com/northamptonshire-heritage-awards-2011 and complete the very quick online version from now until 3rd June 2011.’
Editor’s Notes:
There are 13 museums from the county in the running for this year’s People’s Choice Award so to help the public decide who their winner is BBC Radio Northampton will be showcasing the nominated museums on the John Griff Show between 2pm & 4pm, on weekdays from the week beginning Monday 9th May. Listen in to find out more about the array of museums and historic houses spread around Northamptonshire.
The Northamptonshire Renaissance Heritage Awards will be presented at an evening awards ceremony at the beginning of July. The winning museum will receive a cash prize and a certificate to proudly display with the runners up receiving certificates. Kettering Museum and Art Gallery plan to invest this money in a celebratory event for their visitors – new and old!
The aim of the awards is to recognise excellence in museums and heritage across the county, and to provide a high profile event and media coverage showcasing the work of the county’s museums.
2011 marks the 6th year of the awards and for the 4th year they are including the People’s Choice Award, this year in association with BBC Radio Northampton. This is an award chosen by the public designed to give them their say about the museums they have visited in the county.
There are 13 museums in the running for this year’s People’s Choice Award:
- Boughton House
- Canal Museum, Stoke Bruerne
- Desborough Heritage Centre
- Althorpe House
- Irchester Narrow Gauge Railway
- Kettering Museum and Art Gallery
- Kelmarsh Hall
- Naseby Battlefield
- Northampton Museum and Art Gallery
- Oundle Museum
- Prebendal Manor and Tithe Barn Museum
- Sulgrave Manor
- Wellingborough Museum
Jane Seddon, the Museum Development Officer for Northamponshire, said: “The People’s Choice Award has proved very popular and it provides people with a chance to vote for their favourite in a county full of diverse and fascinating museums and historic houses”
If you would like to find out more about the Heritage Awards or the People’s Choice Awards please contact Jane Seddon on 07825 061202 or email jane.seddon@leics.gov.uk