Perth Museum's unicorn LGBTQI+ exhibition shortlisted for award

dailyrecord.co.uk:

A Perth exhibition exploring the cultural history of Scotland’s mythical national animal the unicorn created a safe, relevant, and celebratory space for LGBTQ+ people, organisers said.

The six-month exhibition at the new £27m Perth Museum was recently shortlisted for the Championing Social Justice category at the Museums Association Museums Change Lives Awards 2024.

Organisers Culture Perth and Kinross also said the exhibition attracted 10,000 visitors in its first four months. Staged since the museum opened in late March this year, costing £10/£8 per ticket, it generated £50,000 during that time.

Culture Perth and Kinross, who run Perth Museum, pointed out that Unicorn had been “a critical and commercial success” and had “created a safe, relevant, and celebratory space for LGBTQ+ people in Perthshire.” A Culture Perth and Kinross spokesperson commented: “These awards recognise and celebrate outstanding work by UK museums delivering social impact. “The awards promote best practice from museums and individuals that support communities and engage with contemporary issues. “When the new Perth Museum opened in March 2024, the team chose to centre local LGBTQ+ stories and voices for their first exhibition, Unicorn. “As part of an exploration of Scotland’s national animal, the exhibition focused on the unicorn as an LGBTQ+ symbol. “Working in collaboration with community groups, the exhibition included five newly commissioned artworks by queer Scottish artists, local objects and oral histories, a queer-friendly family space, and a rich engagement programme. “Unicorn has not only increased representation of LGBTQ+ communities in the museum’s displays but also in its collections by accessioning objects, artworks and