Image: The Future Belongs To What Was As Much As What Is by Morag Myerscough at Housesteads Roman Fort. Winner, Temporary Event or Activity, 2023. Image English Heritage.
Enter the 2025 Engaging People Awards and showcase your inspiring projects
Are you telling great stories about your place, people or collection? Do you inspire visitors or communities to explore and discover? Would you like to shout about the excellent work that interpreters do across the UK and Ireland?
To be eligible, projects or events must have launched to the public in Britain or Ireland between 12 April 2023 and 22 April 2025.
Do you have a question? Take a look at our FAQ's
The categories
Calling Out Climate Change
This special category is for projects that engage audiences to highlight the impacts, challenges and opportunities of climate change for nature, culture, heritage or science. We are looking for projects that inspire people to think about the consequences of their personal choices and to take action that makes positive sustainable changes. Projects may be temporary or permanent, on or off site, indoors, outdoors or online.
2023 winner: Changes in a Lifetime: Climate Cafés at Stromness Museum, Orkney Natural History Society Museum
Community Engagement
This category is for projects where the community takes the lead, or where organisations work in equal partnership with their communities, to engage people in heritage, nature, culture or science. We are looking for projects where community groups or organisations are directly involved in planning and delivering experiences for local people and/or visitors. These experiences can be temporary or permanent, on or off site, indoors, outdoors or online and communities may be defined by geography, special interest or shared experience.
2023 winner: Rebuilding Lives: 50 years of Ugandan Asians, Navrang Arts
Indoors
This category is for permanent or semi-permanent indoor projects that engage people inside, and provide interpretive visitor experiences in heritage, nature, culture or science. Projects can be physical and/or digital indoor experiences and may be part of a wider visitor experience.
2023 winner: National Famine Museum, Strokestown Estate, County Roscommon
Outdoors
Sponsored by NovaDura
This category is for permanent or semi-permanent outdoor projects that engage people outside, and provide interpretive visitor experience in heritage, nature, culture or science. Projects can be physical and/or digital outdoor experiences and may be part of a wider visitor experience.
2023 Commended: Revealing, Reviving and Restoring Great Linford Manor Park, The Parks Trust & Outside Studios
Temporary Event or Activity
This category is for time-limited events or activities that engage people with heritage, nature, culture or science. These can include pop-up exhibitions, festivals, costumed interpretation, guided walks, family activities, theatrical experiences, performances, short films, musical performances, dance, light shows.
2023 Winner: ‘The Future Belongs To What Was As Much As What Is’ by Morag Myerscough at Housesteads Roman Fort, English Heritage
Online & Remote Engagement
This category is for projects and activities that take place entirely online to engage people remotely with heritage, nature, culture or science. Any type of digital or virtual experience is welcomed as long as the remote engagement is fundamental to your project or activity. Please consider other categories if you are entering a project or activity that includes but does not rely on digital or online engagement or offers onsite digital experiences.
Young Interpreter of the Year
The Lara Clare Munden Award
Sponsored by Michael Hamish Glen and Bright White Ltd
We are looking for inspirational individuals between the ages of 18 and 25 who are at the beginning of their interpretation and visitor engagement career. We would like to recognise young people who have been actively involved in or have led a project that has helped to engage people with our heritage, nature, culture or science.
FREE TO ENTER
Lara Munden was a gifted young interpreter who died tragically young and is remembered through this Award.
2023 Winner: Catherine Wright, Tandem
Outstanding Contribution to Interpretation
Sponsored by AHI
Celebrating individuals who have made an impact in our sector. They may have affected the way we think about, develop, deliver and evaluate interpretation and visitor engagement; conceived and delivered a piece of ground-breaking interpretive or visitor engagement work; and/or consistently demonstrated and shared best practice in the sector over a number of years.
FREE TO ENTER
2023 winner: Carolyn Lloyd Brown
The Touchstone Intangible Heritage Award
Sponsored by Michael Hamish Glen
This award, chosen by the judging panel, is given to the most engaging, inventive and inclusive use of intangible heritage – broadly as defined by UNESCO – from among the category winners. The selected entrant will demonstrate the most imaginative and evocative presentations, programmes or activities that effectively and successfully employ, for example, local language, performing arts, traditions and craft skills to engage people with our cultural heritage and contribute towards diversity.
Excellence in Interpretation
Sponsored by AHI
This award, chosen by the judging panel, is given to the most inspiring, innovative and inclusive project from among the category winners. The overall winner will be the very best of the best new projects successfully and effectively engaging people with our heritage, nature, culture or science, and will also be taking positive action towards diversity and climate sustainability
2023 winner: Changes in a Lifetime: Climate Cafés at Stromness Museum, Orkney Natural History Society Museum
Entry costs
£40
AHI Members
£60
Non-members
£15
Constituted Community Groups
How to enter
Enter by filling out the application form on the entry page.
Young Interpreter of the Year and Outstanding Contribution to Interpretation can be nominated using the nomination forms available on the entry page
Need help? Take a look at our FAQ's
Deadline for entries Wednesday 30 April 2025
Please note that no extension will be given.
The winners will be announced at a gala awards ceremony at the AHI 50th Anniversary Conference in October 2025
Eligibility
To be eligible, projects or events must have launched to the public in Britain or Ireland between 12 April 2023 and 22 April 2025.
