The British Museum has been named Museum of the Year by the Art Fund, winning a £100,000 prize for its ambitious History of the World project. The project, which included a 100-part BBC Radio 4 series, aimed to tell global history through 100 objects, including the world's oldest football.
The judging panel, chaired by former cabinet minister Michael Portillo, praised the museum's global scope and innovative use of digital media. Portillo said the project 'combined intellectual rigour and open heartedness, and went far beyond the boundaries of the museum's walls.'
Other shortlisted museums included the University of Cambridge's Polar Museum, the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum in Alloway, and the Roman Baths Museum in Bath. This is the first time a London-based national museum has won the prize.
British Museum director Neil MacGregor said the prize money would fund a series of Spotlight Tours, lending star objects from the British Museum to institutions across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. The project involved 550 heritage partners and museums nationwide.
