The Shipley Art Gallery in Gateshead in Tyne & Wear has been shortlisted for the prestigious Museums Change Lives Awards, celebrating the achievements of museums making a difference to the lives of their audiences and communities.

Awarded by the UK’s Museums Association and open also to art galleries, the nomination is for The Shipley’s Recovery through Ceramics programme, shortlisted for the Best Small Museum Project Award, recognising the best project at museums with an annual turnover of less than £320,000.

The programme is run in partnership with local organisations Recovery Connections and Bensham Grove Pottery, with sessions inspired by the Shipley’s ceramics collection taking place weekly, working with people in recovery to develop new creative and practical skills, including working with ceramicists to learn ceramic techniques and to create their own pieces. The programme is vital to the region’s communities that have experienced the most deaths in England resulting from drug use; evaluation shows there has been a marked difference in participants’ wellbeing, confidence and creative ability.

The nomination follows a two-week exhibition of participants’ work at the Shipley in June, and the Awards will be announced at this year’s Museums Change Lives Awards in Leeds on 12th November at the Museums Association’s annual conference. A Scottish project – The Unicorn at the new Perth Museum – is among the nominees.