The most eminent of museum education awarded at 14th National Museum Education Year Opening

The Excellence in Museum Education and the Excellent Museum Educator Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement regarded to be the most prestigious acknowledgement of Hungarian Museum Education were handed over by Magdolna Závogyán, deputy secretary of state, responsible for culture at the 14th National Museum Education Year Opening held in the Hungarian Natural History Museum on 26th September 2016.

The Excellence in Museum Education has been regarded as the most prestigious professional prize in the Hungarian museum education, ever since it was established in 2003. The award always goes to museums having achieved outstanding performance in the area of museum knowledge transfer with their museum education programmes or initiations in the previous year. The handover of the award always takes place at the National Museum Education Year Opening, which is also the opening event of Autumn Festival of Museums. Three museums were awarded the prize Excellence in Museum Education, and further three museums received a Certificate of Merit at the ceremonial event organised by Museum Education and Methodology Centre, Hungarian Open Air Museum and the Hungarian Natural History Museum.

Excellence in Museum Education award went to:

-        the museum education programme linked to a unique travelling exhibition of Damjanich János Museum presenting the destiny of the families left in the hinterland during the WWI.

-        the initiation of Dobó István Castle Museum titled “Eclipse of the Crescent Moon: compulsory reading approached in another way”, the aim of which is to inspire students to read the novel, and not to regard the book only as a compulsory book to read. The prizewinning museum initiation achieves these aims in an interactive, playful way.

-        Herman Ottó Museum was also awarded the Excellence in Museum Education prize for the museum education programme linked to an exhibition titled “Vital Soil”, which introduces different soil types and composting to children.

The professional jury awarded a Certificate of Merit to three museums:

-        The Hamza Collection and Jász Gallery for their series of programmes titled “Our Workshop Secrets

-        Museum of the National Assembly for the programme of “perform on the stage of History”

-        Tatabányai Museum for the programme titled: “Metamorphosis- Relationship between Man and Nature in the Valley of Által Rill”

The Excellent Museum Educator Award for outstanding individual achievement established by the Hungarian Open Air Museum in 2014 is given biannually, also within the National Museum Education Year Opening. The award is an illustrious acknowledgement of professionals with outstanding professional achievements and who are also authors of publications in addition to implementing museum education programmes. Both nominated museum educators were found worthy of the prize by the jury this year.

Mária Pató has worked for the Damjanich János Museum since 1989, has been head of Library and Public Relations department. She is also a practising museum educator, and she is also engaged in curating exhibitions and gives guided tours of exhibitions.

Ágnes Szabics: artist and museum educator, has worked for the Budapest History Museum since 2015, but previously she also created museum education programmes at the Hungarian National Gallery, Kunst Halle, Ludwig Museum, Art Gallery Paks and other galleries.

After the award ceremony, the conference titled Wide immersion, which is also linked to the slogan of the Autumn Festival of Museum this year – Build bridges – Bridge that connects

More information: www.oszifesztival.hu