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DCA Team infront of Art Fun Museum of the Year Background
DCA Stories

Art Fund Museum of the Year 2024

We share more about our experience as a finalist for the largest museum prize in the world

On Wed 10 July, we were thrilled to attend the Art Fund Museum of the Year 2024 award ceremony at the National Gallery in London, as one of the five shortlisted museums. 

Members of our team had a wonderful night celebrating with colleagues from across the sector, funders, politicians and fellow shortlisted venues: Craven Museum, Manchester Museum, National Portrait Gallery, and Young V&A. 

Congratulations go to Young V&A, who were the ones to take the prize home on the night. While we were disappointed not to win, our shortlisting was a huge honour and has given us the opportunity to talk about what DCA does on a national stage, with press coverage and interviews in The Times, The Guardian, BBC Radio 4 and more, and opportunities to advocate for the value of arts and culture.

Here we share more from the night, including a video about DCA that was shown as part of the ceremony that had us all welling up with pride.

Published

Mon 22 Jul

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DCA Team infront of Art Fun Museum of the Year Background
Art Fund Museum of the Year 2024 Award Ceremony, The National Gallery, 10 July 2024, © Hydar Dewachi / Art Fund 2024
Table covered in Art Fund Museum of the Year award ceremony programme
Art Fund Museum of the Year programmes, Photo by DCA
Stairs lit up by candles with Art Fund Museum of the Year branding being displayed on wall
Art Fund Museum of the Year ceremony at The National Gallery, Photo by DCA
Art Fund Museum of the Year judges announce the winner on stage in The National Gallery
Art Fund Museum of the Year Judges, Photo by DCA
Art Fund Museum of the Year 2024 Dundee Contemporary Arts Shortlisted. See all five venues with a National Art Pass #MuseumOfTheYear

Reasons why we were shortlisted

For Art Fund Museum of the Year 2024, the focus was on recognising inspiring projects from autumn 2022 through to winter 2023, with audiences and communities at their heart. Particular attention was paid to community engagement, sustainable ways of working, and demonstration of ambition by reinventing what it means to be ‘the best’ museum for the audiences of today and tomorrow. Here's a look at some of the reasons we were on the shortlist.

Person looking at a hanging artwork in DCA galleries as groups of people talk in the background

Our unique programme

We're very proud of the unique programme we’re able to offer through our galleries, print studio, cinema and award-winning learning programme. 

Working with artists at varying stages of their careers, we develop ambitious exhibitions across our two galleries, but it doesn’t end there. Exhibiting artists have the opportunity to create work in our state-of-the-art print studio and work with our knowledgeable team to produce limited edition prints as part of our DCA Editions programme. 

They are also able to collaborate with our cinema team to programme Artist’s Choice Screenings, plus our Learning team use the themes of their exhibitions to create activities for schools, community groups and families. This collaborative approach allows you to discover connections across our building and beyond.

Staff member in red DCA t-shirt smiling at a group of people

Our warm welcome

We celebrate our 25th birthday this year, which means we've been welcoming visitors in to explore the best contemporary art in our galleries, discover stories from around the world in our cinemas and be inspired to create through our Learning programme and in our print studio since 1999.

We work to make everything we do as accessible as possible, with free entry to our galleries and Create Space, Pay What You Can tickets for Discovery Family Film Club screenings, family workshops and exhibition events, and concession prices for our cinema tickets and print studio courses. 

We also want you to be able to access more information about our programme as easily as possible. We offer our exhibition notes in a variety of formats and programme regular captioned and relaxed screenings in our cinemas, plus our friendly Visitor Assistants are always happy to help.

Artist and DCA staff member lookig at samples in DCA Print Studio

Our ability to inspire creativity

There’s space for everyone to get creative at DCA. From babies learning to make their mark at Messy Play and families trying different techniques during workshops to local artists developing their work in our Print Studio and exhibiting artists creating limited edition prints to coincide with their exhibitions, there are so many ways to be inspired and get involved.

Our print studio offers courses in different printmaking techniques, digital design and photography, and provides state-of-the-art facilities for Registered Users to develop their skills even further and create prints that we sell in our shop. The Print Studio team also work with our Learning team to deliver workshops for community and school groups, and with our Exhibitions team on projects with exhibiting artists.

And the creativity isn’t confined to our building, our Learning team take projects out to community spaces around the city, ensuring that those from lower income areas or those new to Scotland have access to creative activities, plus our Discovery Film Festival shorts packages inspire school pupils across the country. 

A group of people following artist Saoirse Amira Anis as she performs in a red costume beside V&A Dundee

Our collaborative approach

As well as the collaborations that happen between our programme areas, we also regularly work with partners across the city and internationally, including film screenings to celebrate V&A Dundee exhibitions and collaborating with South London Gallery on Michelle William Gamaker’s exhibition.

A great example of this was Art Night Dundee, which happened in June 2023. This was the first full iteration of this major art festival outside of London and we were thrilled to be a lead partner. A well as hosting the Art Night team in our building, coordinating partners from across Dundee, organising opening events, and providing curatorial and fundraising support, we also presented a commission by exhibiting artist Saoirse Amira Anis, Breach of a Fraying Body. This performance started in our galleries and then made its way along the riverside to HMS Unicorn.

Parents wearing red aprons and holding a baby who is covered in purple paint

Our community connections

Over the past 25 years, we’ve forged some deep connections with community groups across the city. Our Learning team have been working with organisations such as Tayside Healthcare Arts Trust, Amina Muslim Women’s Group and Dundee International Women’s Centre for many years, sharing new skills, realising creative projects and even collaborating to give our infant feeding and changing space a makeover

Much of this work goes on behind-the-scenes, so we like to take as many opportunities as we can to celebrate it. From displaying the work that these groups create in our galleries during our Spring Holiday Pop-up to highlighting specific projects on our website. 

Most recently, we’ve put together a film to share more about what our Learning team do.

 

hellodca card with handwritten message written by a child 'The art made my day'

Our audiences

Our visitors, audiences, collaborators and staff all help to make DCA the organisation it is. Whether you like our posts, engage with our programme, share your feedback, donate or get involved in other ways, you help to shape and support what we do. 

Here are some examples of what you have to say about DCA:

Love DCA, only lived here 3 years but for me it’s the jewel in the crown of Dundee. Great staff, great venue.

I just love and appreciate what care goes into everything about the DCA which gives it that unique vibe. I feel nourished at every level there.

I love how you can burst out with creation.

This place is amazing. So much to do. Perfect place to hang out. An absolutely fantastic experience.

DCA staff and supporters celebrate being shortlisted for Art Fund Museum of the Year 2024

We're incredibly proud of our achievements and how we've been able to champion Dundee and Scotland throughout the Museum of the Year process. If we're your museum of the year, help us to continue to deliver all of the above activity and more by donating today. Your support allows us to continue to enrich people's lives through art, culture and creativity; creating more projects and impact of the quality that led to our shortlisting for the largest museum prize in the world.

Families at tables in Gallery 1 using art materials to make together

Support DCA

Your donation, no matter how large or small,  helps us to keep enriching people's lives through art, culture and creativity. 

Your donation, no matter how large or small,  helps us to keep enriching people's lives through art, culture and creativity. 

£5 helps us provide materials for one Family Art Bag, offering creative activities for families in need.
Families at tables in Gallery 1 using art materials to make together
Two babies play with paint at Messy Play.
Two girls chatting at DCA cinema. One of them holds a Discovery Family Film Club flyer.

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