Turner Contemporary highly commended for best entrepreneurial attraction at Museum and Heritage Awards

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The Museum and Heritage Awards presented the Highly Commended Award for Best Entrepreneurial attraction to Turner Contemporary for the Artworks project.

The trophy is awarded to the museum or heritage attraction which best demonstrates an opportunity seized, a product created or service delivered that creatively secures a significant increase in public benefit, capital or income for the museum.

The award was announced by comedienne and broadcaster, Sue Perkins, before an audience of museum and gallery professionals at a gala dinner held on, Wednesday 16 May at the Historic Staterooms of 8 Northumberland Avenue in the very heart of London.

We are delighted to have received this commendation from The Museum and Heritage Awards for our Art Works project, 18 of the people who took part in the project now work at Turner Contemporary in key roles that aid the day to day running of the gallery.(Victoria Pomery, Director Turner Contemporary)

Turner Contemporary was nominated for ‘Artworks’, a project funded by Thanet District Council, in partnership with Dreamland, which provided training for 30 local unemployed people in customer care. Turner Contemporary aimed to directly employ five, but actually took on 18 graduates from the course. Many of the front-of-house team came through this scheme.

I was unemployed for two years before I saw an advert for the Artworks course run by Turner Contemporary. I took the course because I hoped there would be a job at the end of it and also because I have an interest in art. I feel that if it wasn’t for the artworks course and Turner Contemporary I would still be unemployed. The gallery has improved my life as I have a proper wage and I have new qualifications in health and safety and food safety. (Martin Charlton, 45, Cleaner Turner Contemporary)

Turner Contemporary has had a huge effect on my life and future prospects. I now have a career thanks to Turner Contemporary. For me the gallery has acted as a life-line, without it I may still be on the dole. (Matthew Spain, 25, from Margate, Gallery Assistant at Turner Contemporary)

Turner Contemporary has received national and international acclaim since it opened in April 2011, including awards and nominations; long listed for the Art Fund 2012, Best UK destination and Best global destination at the British Guild of Travel Writers’ Awards and Best Use of Arts & Culture at Regeneration + Renewal Awards.

Cassone has published a number of items on Turner Contemporary, including:

Turner comes to town

Turner in his element