The BSHS Outreach and Engagement Committee is pleased to announce its 2022 Exhibiting Excellence Prize.

Eligibility

The competition is open for any public exhibition that deals with the history of science, the history of technology, or the history of medicine. Entries are welcome from institutions in any country and exhibits may be permanent or temporary. Eligible exhibits must use artefacts or places of some kind and this may include buildings or locations, pictures, instruments, objects and books. Web-based exhibits are not eligible for the prize; we run a separate competition – the Ayrton Prize – for these.

The closing date is 11th November 5pm UK (UTC+1). The Prize recognises exhibits which opened in 2022 and should go live no later than that date to enable judging. There will be two prizes one for large (£50k and over) and one for small exhibitions (under £50k). The winning exhibits will be the subject of a special feature in the BSHS’s Viewpoint magazine.

Criteria

The main criterion for judging this prize is audience experience and therefore the judges will consider:

1. Originality: does the exhibit speak to current scholarly concerns within HSTM, HPS and/or STS? Does it present the audience with something new? Does it challenge preconceptions?

2. Clarity: is the purpose or aim of this exhibit clear? Has it clearly identified what it wants to tell the audience about the history of science, technology or medicine? Is it easy to follow?

3. Design: is the exhibit attractive and engaging? What makes this exhibit stand out from other exhibits? Does the design complement the subject matter?

4. Learning: does it cater for its intended audience well? How accessible is the exhibit to a range of different audiences? Does the exhibit encourage audiences to be reflective about the role of HSTM?

Judging

Please submit an entry form and supporting materials by 11th November 5pm UK (UTC+1) to outreach@bshs.org.uk. Supporting materials can either be up to 12 photographs of the exhibition or up to a 10-minute video. Whenever possible the judges will visit the exhibition or nominate a member of the Society to do so. Any further queries should be addressed to outreach@bshs.org.uk.