Showtown celebrating Inclusive Spaces category win at the Museums Change Lives Awards
“The judges felt that this was an exceptional, unique project, ethically minded, as well as having a clear lasting impact and legacy”
Blackpool’s Showtown museum is celebrating a prestigious national award.
The popular attarction has won the Inclusive Spaces Award at the Museums Change Lives Awards 2026 for its groundbreaking exhibition, Through Our Eyes: Little People Beyond the Circus.
The exhibition challenged outdated narratives around little people in entertainment and put lived experience at the heart of how that history is reframed.
It was named the winner at the Museums Association’s annual conference in Birmingham after being shortlisted alongside Glasgow Women’s Library and the National Football Museum.
The Museums Change Lives judging panel said: “The judges felt that this was an exceptional, unique project, ethically minded, as well as having a clear lasting impact and legacy.
“We were impressed that it was also backed by research, achieved through co-production and that its impact was wide-reaching due to its sector toolkit produced.”
Jill Carruthers, Head of Heritage at Showtown said: “We are absolutely thrilled to have been recognised nationally for this ethically minded project that puts people and communities at its heart.
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“Blackpool has always been a place of extraordinary people, remarkable stories and incredible creativity.
“However, not all stories are given the same platform and opportunity to be heard. At Showtown, and as a public museum, we believe we have a responsibility to change that.
“Through Our Eyes challenged perceptions showed what can be achieved when communities are empowered to tell their own stories and we are proud that the legacy of this project will support other museums to do the same.
“Through other initiatives like Showtown Backstage, we’re continuing to break down barriers and shine a spotlight on extraordinary heritage.
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“With Blackpool shortlisted for UK City of Culture 2029, this award is another reminder of the power of culture to bring people together, challenge perceptions and create lasting change.”
Winning the Inclusive Spaces Award is not the end of the story for Through Our Eyes. The exhibition will soon reach audiences far beyond Blackpool as part of Showtown Backstage, Showtown’s newly launched online home for Blackpool’s collections.
Launched this week, Showtown Backstage is a major step in Showtown’s ambition to make Blackpool’s remarkable heritage more accessible than ever before.
For the first time, people anywhere in the world can search and explore objects, photographs and stories from the collections cared for by Showtown.