The Gulbenkian Prize for museums and galleries


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Sir Richard Sykes, Rector of Imperial College London, Chairman of Judges 2005

Penelope Viscountess Cobham, Chairman of Museum Prize Trust; Peter Walker, Keeper and Mine Manager, Big Pit; Doutura Teresa Gouveia, Trustee of Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, Lisbon; Sir Richard Sykes, Chairman of Judges; Ceri Thompson, Keeper of Coal, Big Pit.

Left to right: Penelope Viscountess Cobham, Chairman of Museum Prize Trust; Peter Walker, Keeper and Mine Manager, Big Pit; Doutura Teresa Gouveia, Trustee of Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, Lisbon; Sir Richard Sykes, Chairman of Judges; Ceri Thompson, Keeper of Coal, Big Pit.

The winner of the 3rd Gulbenkian Prize, Big Pit: the National Mining Museum of Wales, has been enjoying record levels of visiting.

Numbers took an instant rise in the week following the award, with 12,000 people visiting on a single day. Staff report that they have received press and media interest from across the world.

Announcing the award at a ceremony at the Royal Institute of British Architects in London on 26th May, Chairman of the Judges, Sir Richard Sykes said:

“Big Pit offers an exceptional emotional and intellectual experience. It tells the individual stories of its community better than any museum I have visited and makes you contemplate the scale, and even the cruelty, of our industrial past which inspired a spirit of camaraderie and pride..”

Peter Walker, Keeper and Mine Manager, Big Pit accepting the Prize

Peter Walker, Keeper and Mine Manager, Big Pit accepting the Prize

Big Pit receives £100,000 and will be the holder for one year of the Gulbenkian Prize Bowl. Receiving the award, Keeper & Mine Manager, Peter Walker, said:

"It's been a great experience being involved in this award, and we are delighted to be here tonight as winners. We've wanted Big Pit to win this prize for so many reasons. It proves that we've finally come of age as a national museum, and that we're offering a fantastic experience for our visitors — many of whom return time after time.”

Alun Pugh, Welsh Assembly Government Minister for Culture, Welsh Language and Sport, said:

"This is a fantastic achievement and one that Big Pit fully deserves. The knowledge and dedication of the staff, together with the recent redevelopment work have made Big Pit a world-class attraction and winning the Gulbenkian Prize is a very well- earned recognition of this. As the son of a coal miner, I have a special interest in Big Pit, so I am very proud that the Welsh Assembly Government has been able to support this invaluable piece of our industrial heritage."

David Lammy MP, Minister for Culture addresses guests at the Prize reception.

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