Westminster projects shortlisted for Museums + Heritage Awards 2025

The Museums + Heritage Awards celebrate the very best exhibitions and projects in the UK cultural and heritage sector, with a variety of categories ranging from Visitor Accessibility to Sustainable Project of the Year. Winners will be announced in an awards ceremony in London on May 15.  

The exhibition Beyond the Bassline: 500 Years of Black British Music ran between April and September 2024 in the British Library and has been shortlisted for Temporary and Touring Exhibition of the Year with a Budget More Than £80,000. Dr Mykaell Riley, Director for the Black Music Research Unit (BMRU) and Principal Investigator for Bass Culture Research at the University of Westminster, collaborated with Dr Aleema Gray from the British Library to curate the landmark exhibition that documents the centuries of African and Caribbean musical contributions to the UK.  

As the first major exhibition of its kind, Beyond the Bassline was powered by the British Library’s extensive sound archive and traversed an array of genres to showcase the influence of Black British musicians, creatives and entrepreneurs on popular music since the 16th-century.  

About being shortlisted Dr Riley said: “Just being shortlisted is a win. Having kickstarted this project some six and a half years ago, I recognise the importance of collaboration. Beyond the Bassline: 500 Years of Black British Music would not be possible without all the incredible people involved. This is an opportunity to say thank you, you’re all amazing. This is recognition of all our efforts and the work that is still to be done. Get in touch if you're interested in getting involved in my next project. I'm seeking expertise in AI and immersive technology.” 

Photo credit: Dr Mykaell Riley

The W-ICAD project (Workshop for Inclusive Co-created Audio Description), led by Dr Alison Eardley, Reader in Psychology, Cultural Heritage and Inclusion at the University of Westminster, has been shortlisted for the Sector Impact Award. The Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)-funded project challenges the traditional view that audio description is created for the benefit of blind audiences by sighted people. Instead, W-ICAD provides museums with a practical tool that enables them to create audio description, led by blind, partially blind and sighted co-creators, that will benefit all audiences.  

The project was developed between 2022 and 2023, before being delivered through in-person training sessions to 11 leading institutions in the US and the UK, and it also contributed to the development of the Natural History Museum’s gardens audio guide.  

Harriet Fink, Urban Nature Project: Learning and Volunteering Programme Manager at the Natural History Museum, who developed the guide, said: “Having the W-ICAD model and training to draw from was fundamental to us being able to co-create elements of our new audio guide with blind and partially sighted people, informing both our thinking and practice.”

She added: “In a sector (Museums) that often struggles to engage blind and partially sighted audiences or to run co-creation projects, the W-ICAD model is really important and needed. I am very thankful for the team and their generosity in sharing their expertise and learning. We really would have struggled to do the project without their help and the resources they have shared and created.”

The W-ICAD team also worked with the National Paralympic Heritage Trust (NPHT) to develop a series of accessible digital galleries related to national Paralympic and disability sports histories.  

About working with W-ICAD NPHT Head of Programmes Emily Toettcher said: “We have really enjoyed the process and have found the results to be richer, more interesting and thought provoking than the audio description we were previously producing. It feels truly collaborative, giving a range of people the opportunity to contribute. I particularly value the way the process brings feelings, emotions, memories and senses to the fore.”

Following the success of the in-person training, the team, led by Dr Eardley, launched a groundbreaking free online course earlier this year to allow more museums across the world to improve their accessibility.  

About being shortlisted, Dr Eardley said: “It is an incredible honour to be shortlisted for the Museums + Heritage Sector Impact Award. W-ICAD challenges the way in which we understand blindness and the way in which we understand vision: it not only highlights the importance of blind and partially blind ways of experiencing museum collections, but also it scaffolds and enriches the experiences of sighted audiences. W-ICAD is underpinned by co-creation between blind, partially blind and sighted academics, museum partners, sector professionals and audiences. This nomination is recognition of the power and impact of co-creation, and the ways in which we can work towards richer inclusive museum experiences."

W-ICAD session at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, Washington DC, US 
Photo credit: Alison Eardley/W-ICAD project 

Guided by the University’s research and knowledge exchange objective to find solutions to make a difference to the world and the institutional commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion, both projects reflect the Being Westminster 2022-2029 strategic vision of being a place where discoveries are made, barriers are broken, diversity is celebrated and where everyone is welcome.  

The projects directly contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 4: Quality Education, 10: Reduced Inequalities and 17: Partnerships for the Goals. Since 2019, the University of Westminster has used the SDGs holistically to frame strategic decisions to help students and colleagues fulfil their potential and contribute to a more sustainable, equitable and healthier society.  

Discover more work from Westminster’s Black Music Research Unit.

Learn more about the Workshop for Inclusive Co-created Audio Description.

Find out more about research at the University of Westminster.