Another bit of very well-deserved recognition for our city as the Manchester Museum has been shortlisted for the 2024 Art Fund Museum of the Year.
Organised by the independent and membership-based British charity, which raises funds through the collection of important works and artefacts, it’s world the single largest museum prize in the world.
Shining as one of the crown jewels in Manchester’s cultural scene, the museum has been named among five other impressive finalists for this year’s award, which is evaluating inspiring projects from autumn 2022 through to winter 2023.
This wonderful news comes at a good time for Manchester Museum, which recently welcomed its one-millionth visitor since reopening to the public in February last year, following a £15 million values-led redevelopment. It really is back with a bang.
With Art Fund keeping audiences and communities at their heart, the highly revered accolade has a particular focus on 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.
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For context, the Manchester Museum (which sits as part of the University of Manchester) was the most visited indoor museum in the North of England throughout 2023, despite being shut for an entire month, welcoming a total of 790,332 people through their doors.
Speaking on this year’s selection, director Jenny Waldman, who heads up the 2024 judging panel, has applauded each of this year’s finalists for delivering “something for everyone” and keeping “community at the very heart of their programming.”
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“Their commitment to innovative partnerships whilst operating within an extremely challenging funding environment is incredible”, she added. “I’m so pleased to see the way they support and centre young people through their work.
“Across a wide range of size and scale, these organisations are all real leaders in their field. I urge everyone to go and visit these extremely special spaces.” So do we.
We’d recommend going along to Stand the T-Rex aloneYou’ve got to see the giant Japanese spider crab(Credit: Manchester Museum/Matthew via Flickr)
As for the museum themselves, DirectorEsme Ward said of the announcement: “Manchester Museum’s redevelopment was the result of 10 years’ collective endeavour, so being shortlisted for Art Fund Museum of the Year is a moment of joy for everyone to share in, from staff and partners to our communities and Manchester itself.
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“It is an affirmation of museums’ power to bring people together in building a more inclusive, hopeful future.”
Built on self-proclaimed values of “inclusion, imagination and care”, the museum’s recent reopening has positioned it at the forefront of the sector here in the UK, with new galleries, partnerships, visitor facilities, sector-leading programming and digital innovations.
These updates, along with their existing and award-winning South Asia Gallery – the largest and first permanent gallery in the UK to celebrate the experiences and contribution of the South Asian diaspora co-curated by members from the community itself – are what have helped put it in the running for this prestigious prize.
Visitor numbers for the first year following reopening were up 157% on 2019/20, with 57% of those being new attendees and more than one in seven’s first trip to a museum ever.
The other four shortlisted museums are the Craven Museum in Skipton, North Yorkshire; Dundee Contemporary Arts, the National Portrait Gallery in London and the Young V&A – Victoria and Albert Museum, also in the capital.
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The winning museum will be announced at a ceremony at the National Gallery in London on 10 July and will receive £120,000 to put towards internal projects and cultural work. Better still, £15,000 will be given to each of the four other finalists, so everyone’s a winner in a way.
Congratulations again to everyone at Manchester Museum and well done for all your incredible hard work – we can’t wait to be right about you again in a couple of months when we’re confident you’ll be rightly named as the winner of the 2024 Art Fund Museum of the Year.
Man United release statement after controversy around Jim Ratcliffe comments on immigration
Danny Jones
Manchester United Football Club have issued an official statement following the controversial comments made by co-owner Jim Ratcliffe surrounding immigration earlier this week.
This comes after Ratcliffe himself ultimately apologised for his “choice of language” in an interview with Sky News reporter Ed Conway.
His remarks, now widely publicised and having already sparked plenty of backlash and debate, have been criticised for being not only politically charged but also divisive, inflammatory and ‘inaccurate’.
Now, Man United – the global footballing brand with one of, if not the largest worldwide fan base that he has a minority stakeholding in – has shared a message online, reiterating that the organisation “prides itself on being an inclusive and welcoming club.”
Manchester United prides itself on being an inclusive and welcoming club.
We will continue to represent our people, our city and our fans with purpose and pride.
The statement reads: “Our diverse group of players, staff and global community of supporters, reflect the history and heritage of Manchester; a city that anyone can call home.
“Since launching All Red All Equal in 2016, we have embedded equality, diversity and inclusion into everything we do.
“We remain deeply committed to the principles and spirit of that campaign. They are reflected in our policies but also in our culture and are reinforced by our holding of the Premier League’s Advanced Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Standard.”
Some believe more should still have been said and earlier, especially given that the press release doesn’t reference Ratcliffe directly, but they have finally broken their silence on the matter nearly 24 hours after the fact.
As for those who haven’t dug into exactly what the 74-year-old businessman and Monaco resident said in the sit-down with Sky, you can find out more here:
As for United, their media team goes on to write: “Over the course of this season, we have participated in events and initiatives at our men’s and women’s games marking mental health, LGBTQ+ inclusion, No Room for Racism, violence against women and girls and homophobic chanting.
“We have also celebrated our supporters’ clubs’ events, including our Disabled Supporters’ Association’s Christmas Party and our Jewish Supporters’ Club’s Chanukah event.
Concluding with one final message of commitment, they add: “In the weeks and months ahead, we will be supporting further initiatives in these areas.
This update clearly comes in response not only to the calls from supporters and people around the world to reply (the news breaking late yesterday afternoon), but in the wake of the British billionaire’s apology – though many still feel it falls short of an adequate one.
As for the several notable figures to have taken issue with Ratcliffe’s remarks, the Mayor for Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, was one of the most outspoken in his public reaction.
Despite having met and spoken with the INEOS boss on a number of ocassions as part of the Old Trafford Regeneration ‘Taskforce’, which includes plans to develop the football team’s home stadium, Burnham didn’t hold back in levelling his criticism at Ratcliffe and the wider ownership group.
Featured Images — The Manc Group/Sky News (screenshot via YouTube)
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Jim Ratcliffe apologises for ‘choice of language’ after backlash over immigration comments
Danny Jones
Football’s leading anti-discrimination organisation here in the UK, Kick It Out – among many others – have issued an official statement condemning some of the recent comments made by Manchester United co-owner Jim Ratcliffe regarding immigration, for which he has since issued an apology.
Safe to say that the remarks made by the minority stakeholder haven’t gone down well among the majority either, be that United fans, other football supporters, or members of the public in general.
Unsurprisingly, the contentious talking head sparked major backlash far beyond just the fan base, with everyone from Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, pundits such as Carl Anka and political commentator Piers Morgan issuing their own responses to the clip on social media.
Meanwhile, Anka is one of many to flag accusations of hypocrisy behind the British billionaire’s stance, given that he has registered his formal residence in the principality of Monaco, meaning that not only does he not currently reside in his home nation, but he doesn’t pay UK income tax either.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer also came out to criticise the 73-year-old INEOS chairman and CEO, writing simply that what he said was “offensive and wrong”, noting that “Britain is a proud, tolerant and diverse country.”
Ratcliffe was born in Failsworth (part of the metropolitan borough of Oldham) but most notably lived in Hampshire, before also relocating his petrochemical company’s headquarters to Switzerland back in 2010 and, as previously mentioned, moving to Monaco himself at the outset of the pandemic.
As for Kick It Out, the anti-hate group shared a short but emphatic statement on social media expressing their disappointment and distress following the outburst.
I'm confident the vast majority of my fellow United fans want nothing to do with Ratcliffe's toxic comments. A horrible man happy to dodge tax and sow division in the country that made him.
The statement goes on to recognise that Man United‘s home city is one “whose cultural history has been enriched by immigrants”, adding, “This type of language and leadership has no place in English football, and we believe most fans will feel the same.”
Despite having roots in the region, many online are now expressing that they feel the expat deeply misunderstands not only the multiculturalism that makes the club a global brand and worldwide sporting community, but also the region he was born in, and the country he belongs to, what it is today.
Plenty more on social media are also raising concerns after journalist Ed Conway pointed out that Ratcliffe recently engaged with right-wing Reform UK leader Nigel Farage.
Following the uproar, Ratcliffe has shared an update directly via Sky after pressure from numerous directions to apologise, including from Chancellor Rachel Reeves.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe has apologised over his 'choice of language' in his Sky News interview.
The statement reads: “I’m sorry that my choice of language has offended some people in the UK and Europe and caused concern, but it’s important to raise the issue of controlled and well-managed immigration that supports economic growth.
“My comments were made while answering questions about UK policy at the European Industry Summit in Antwerp, where I was discussing the importance of economic growth, jobs, skills and manufacturing in the UK.
He concludes by insisting: “My intention was to stress that governments must manage migration alongside investment in skills, industry and jobs so that long-term prosperity is shared by everyone. It is critical that we maintain an open debate on the challenges facing the UK.”
You can watch Jim Ratcliffe’s sit-down with the news broadcaster in full right HERE.
Ash Sarkar, "Jim Ratcliffe is a stinking hypocrite"
"He became a tax resident of Monaco to save £4 billion that could have gone towards British schools, the British NHS, towards British defence, instead he decided he wanted that money for his own pocket"
Danny Jones -
2nd May 2024 
