Imperial War Museum North Wins Award

Imperial War Museum North in Manchester, part of Lime Venue Portfolio has been named among the top four large visitor attractions in the country at the prestigious tourism ‘Oscars’.

Organised by Visit Britain, the Enjoy England Awards for Excellence 2010 recognise the best of England’s tourism and were presented at a glittering awards ceremony in Brighton.

The Museum was celebrated as a great, free day out for all the family as it won the Silver award for ‘Large Visitor Attraction of the Year’. It beat stiff competition to win at both the Manchester and Northwest tourism awards in 2009, where the Museum was described by judges as ‘a near faultless visitor experience’ and achieved one of the highest mystery shop scores ever. The Museum was then rigorously assessed to make it through to the national shortlist, beating competition from distinguished attractions such as The Eden Project, The National Maritime Museum and The National Space Centre.

The award follows widespread critical acclaim for the Imperial War Museum North’s current exhibition, Shaped by War: Photographs by Don McCullin, the largest ever UK exhibition on the life and work of the world renowned photographer. The exhibition features photographs and objects, many of which are on display for the first time, from more than 50 years of conflict photography.

Situated on The Quays in Manchester, the Museum shows how war shapes the lives of all involved and will soon open a major, free exhibition for all the family. All Aboard: Stories of War at Sea is Imperial War Museum’s first large scale exhibition on life at sea. Visitors will be invited to learn naval slang, see how a submarine works and dress up in arctic clothing when the interactive exhibition opens for the school holidays on 17 July.

Imperial War Museum North was the first building in the UK by the internationally acclaimed architect, Daniel Libeskind. Clad in aluminium, the landmark building is a visionary symbol of the effects of war. The Museum will soon have a new quayside promenade, with work already begun on a new footbridge over The Quays to Mediacity:UK.

The Museum was built in 2002 and has since welcomed over 2 million visitors of all ages from all over the world, bringing some of the Imperial War Museum’s exceptionally rich collections and innovative programmes to the North. It is not the first time the Museum has been singled out for its excellence. As well as winning Silver at the Enjoy England Awards for Excellence on two previous occasions, the Museum was named as one of the top ten buildings of the 20th Century in the 2008 Rough Guide to England and this April, Museum ID magazine named it as one of top ten Museums of the last decade.

Jim Forrester, Director, Imperial War Museum North said: “The award reflects the dedication and commitment of the staff and volunteers at Imperial War Museum North. We try to run a thoughtful, well rounded service which gives visitors the chance to explore the history of war and conflict, and we are delighted that our service has been recognised once again as one of the best in the country.”

VisitEngland Chief Executive, James Berresford said: “The fantastic diversity and quality of tourism product across the length and breadth of England means we can compete confidently on the international stage, making this country a must visit destination for Brits and overseas visitors.”

Brian Richardson, executive secretary of The Caravan Club, headline sponsor of the awards, said: “The Caravan Club is delighted to support these prestigious awards which recognise such high standards of quality across the whole spectrum of English tourism. We know these award winners will be beacons of inspiration for many other tourism companies to follow.”

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