Hello and welcome to my weekly video-podcast on art & architecture in the news.

Big changes are happening this year in the way museums and artists are awarded in the UK. Usually there is one winner, taking the biggest cash pot, with shortlisted museums or artists getting a much smaller prize. This year, in response to the huge challenges and financial pressures currently facing by artists and museums, awards are made bigger with public and private funds and are equally split. This helps each brilliant shortlisted artist or museum to keep on pursuing exceptional projects and inspiration for communities.

Few months ago, the Turner Prize by Tate, usually recognizing the best British artist each year, was converted into 10 smaller bursaries and to international artists. The recent news is that the prestigious Museum of the Year by the ArtFund, the biggest museum prize in the world, has also followed this approach. The award pot has doubled to £200,000 and has been equally split among 5 British museums. The winners are the South London Gallery and the Science Museum in London, the Towner Gallery in Eastbourne, the Aberdeen Art Gallery and the Gairloch Museum in Scotland. Congratulations!

Remember that most British museums and galleries are free, therefore desperately needing public funds. The selected Museums have demonstrated ability to offer their audience and communities " inspiration, reflection and joy ". Apart from the very established Science Gallery in South Kensington, the other 4 awarded museums are less known.

For example, the South London Gallery is in Peckham, a very mixed area, off the beaten track of mass tourism. It is located in a Victorian building, part of the London College of the Arts, and education and connection are embedded its heritage. The ArtFund jury said it has delivered “ an exciting programme of exhibitions and educational events (as usual all free), expanding its size by converting a former Fire Station nearby. It’s mainly about contemporary art, but made accessible and with extremely interesting events or all audiences, not to mention the nice bookstore and café. I really like this museum, but it would hard choice for me to say which one is my favourite!

Could museums be inspired by those models? I remember very boring museums in my Italian childwood and I hope the Museum of the Year Award can provide a model in other countries on how to engage all audiences.

What is your favourite museum? How can it make you feel more part of public memories? Let me know your thoughts!

This is Roby, from ART Tours with a Theme – ART wiT. I hope you enjoyed this podcast!

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