The International Council of Museums (ICOM) is proud to announce the five finalist projects for the inaugural ICOM Award for Sustainable Development Practice in Museums.
This award celebrates innovative museum initiatives that advance the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, recognising the contributions of museums in achieving its goals and targets.
Launched in 2023, the award aims to highlight museums that integrate the principles of sustainable development into their core missions, operations, and community engagement, demonstrating how cultural institutions can lead positive change for society.
After a rigorous selection process involving submissions from museums across all regions, the ICOM Award Jury has selected the following five finalist projects:
*List of countries in alphabetical order*
Achieving Sustainability: the National Gallery of Victoria’s Adaptive Climate Control Strategy
National Gallery of Victoria, Australia
- Category: Planet
- Endorsed by: ICOM Australia
- Project duration: 1 July 2022 – 1 June 2024
Shared Island Stories Between Scotland and the Caribbean: Transnational Youth Exchange
Barbados Museum & Historical Society (BMHS), Barbados
- Category: Partnership
- Endorsed by: ICOFOM
- Project duration: 1 August 2022 – 31 August 2024
Ghent’s Land
Ghent city museum (STAM), Belgium
- Category: Planet
- Endorsed by: CAMOC
- Project duration: 22 March 2024 – 29 September 2024
Ars Aevi Nucleus Kyiv – Solidarity Exhibition of Contemporary Art (Public institution “City Museums” Sarajevo)
Ars Aevi Museum of Contemporary Art Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Category: Peace
- Endorsed by: ICOM Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Project duration: 30 September 2022 – 30 May 2023
CONFRONTING COLONIAL PASTS, ENVISIONING CREATIVE FUTURES
Museums Association of Namibia / IDG, Namibia
- Category: Prosperity
- Endorsed by: ICOM Namibia
- Project duration: 1 July 2022 – 1 June 2024
Winner will be announced at the inaugural ceremony at the 27th ICOM General Conference – ICOM Dubai 2025 (11–17 November) themed ‘The Future of Museums in Rapidly Changing Communities’, where both the winner and finalists will present their inspiring initiatives to the global museum community. The Conference’s interconnected sub-themes invite in-depth discussions into the safeguarding of intangible heritage, youth power and the rise of new technologies.
