THE Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI) has been shortlisted for the coveted Lever Prize 2016.
In March 2015 the museum was given the go-ahead for an ambitious new £6m exhibition space
The MOSI has been nominated for the educational programme it's built around a major upcoming exhibition exploring the past, present and future of graphene.
The exhibition, which opens in July next year, aims to introduce audiences to the world’s 2D 'wonder material' - first isolated at the University of Manchester in 2004 by two Russian émigré professors experimenting with graphite and sticky tape.
The £10,000 prize - set up in 2005 by the North West Business Leadership Team (NWBLT) - is an annual award contested by the region's leading arts and culture organisations.
Named after William Lever - the Bolton-born founder of Unilever, prolific arts collector and multimillionaire philanthropist - previous winners of the prize include Manchester International Festival, TATE Liverpool and last year's winner, Manchester Museum.
Lever Prize 2015 winner - Manchester MuseumSally MacDonald, Director of the Museum of Science and Industry, said:
“We are really pleased to be shortlisted for the Lever Prize and are excited about our plans to share the wonders of graphene with a wider audience through our innovative learning and public programmes, especially as these will take place during Manchester’s year as European City of Science.”
As the European City of Science 2016, Manchester will host the prestigiousEuroScience Open Forum (ESoF) - Europe's largest scientific conference dedicated to showcasing the latest advances in science and technology.
600 speakers from over 70 countries are expected to address 5000 delegates at ESoF 2016 - generating over £8m for the Manchester economy.
The MOSI has come in for praise in recent years for bringing groundbreaking exhibitions exploring the human brain and CERN's Large Hadron Collider to Manchester.
In March 2015 the museum was given the go-ahead for an ambitious new £6m exhibition space following a £3.8m pledge by Chancellor George Osborne and a £1.8m grant from the Wellcome Trust.
The identity of the 2016 Lever Prize winner will be announced at a presentation event early in the New Year.
More on the Lever Prize here.
