LEAP and Oxford University Museum of Natural History shortlisted for prestigious award

Known as the ‘Oscars of the museums world’, the Museums + Heritage Awards celebrate the very best in the world of museums, galleries, cultural and heritage visitor attractions.

Oxford University Museum of Natural History (OUMNH) and LEAP have been shortlisted in the Partnership of the Year category for the Meat the Future exhibition and the accompanying Eat the Future café. 
 
Meat the Future presents cutting edge research on the environmental and health impacts of eating meat, and offers visitors a variety of alternatives, from simply eating less meat to adopting high-tech alternatives. It remains open for visitors until May 2022. 
 
The exhibition was conceived to give visitors serious food for thought about how the production and consumption of animal products affect people and the planet, while the Eat the Future café, run by Vaults and Gardens, offers visitors informed food choices via a pioneering ecolabels system, developed by the LEAP team. The café represents a new approach to the Museum’s food offer, with its locally sourced, sustainable, and largely vegetarian or vegan products informed by the LEAP research.
 
Our partnership, which aims to feed minds and bodies, is up against: Natural History Museum, Warner Bros. Themed Entertainment and the BBC Studios Natural History Unit; Science Museum Group and Cancer Research UK;  Roundhouse Birmingham x Don't Settle Birmingham by Night; Jewish Museum London Life with Loss, and; Bristol Culture & Creative Industries. 
 
"We’re absolutely delighted to be shortlisted for this award." says Lucy Yates, LEAP's Public Engagement Coordinator. "It’s a great recognition of the creative way in which LEAP and the OUMNH have worked together with Vaults and Gardens to harness research and offer visitors a chance to put what they’ve learnt in the exhibition directly onto their plates."

Launched in 2003, the awards celebrate the exceptional achievements of this sector. From the Met in New York City to a volunteer-run museum in the Scottish Highlands, they celebrate best practice in organisations small and large, the world over.

The 2022 awards have 17 categories with entrants from around the world. Categories include sustainability, use of digital, community engagement, partnerships and more, and winners will be revealed in a glittering live ceremony in London on Wednesday 11 May.