Glasnevin Museum has received the prestigious international THEA Award, the 'Oscars' for Themed Entertainment and Amusement, at a glittering ceremony held in the Globe Theatre Universal Studios in Los Angeles on Saturday March 12th. The THEAs honour outstanding achievements in the creation of compelling experiences for theme parks, museums, events, and other themed entertainment endeavours. "It's fantastic to win such a prestigious award and be in the company of other award winners like Walt Disney and Universal Studios," commented George Mccullough, CEO Glasnevin Trust. Rewarding excellence for the creation of compelling educational, historical and entertainment projects, the TEA's prestigious THEA Awards reinforce the value of experience design and themed entertainment approaches to engaging people worldwide. The Glasnevin Museum is the first cemetery to have received this type of award. "This is a huge international stage to compete on. We are extremely proud of this achievement
and delighted at this recognition. It is testament to the hard work of all those involved in the creation and design of Glasnevin Museum and those who continue to work hard on behalf of the museum and support us. It's an honour and proud moment to have won an award which recognises excellence," commented George McCullough, CEO, Glasnevin Trust. In selecting Glasnevin Museum, the judges cited that Glasnevin Museum deserved this Award for Outstanding Achievement because it stretches the format for presenting history in innovative and compelling ways by tracing the social, historical, political, and artistic development of Ireland through the stories of the 1.4 million people interred at the cemetery since 1832. Located in Ireland's largest and most recognizable cemetery, the Glasnevin Museum blends modern database technology, impressive interactive experiences and captivating set-work to bring to life human beliefs about death and dying, historical burial practices and other death/afterlife
issues, as well as the stories of many recognizable icons of Ireland's past, including the Famous Liberator Daniel O'Connell. This award brings to four the number of awards won by Glasnevin Museum since its opening in April 2010. Other recipients of the THEA Awards include Madame Tussaud's in London, the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum in Springfields, Illinois, EPCOT - Walt Disney World, Orlando, and the Shuttle Launch Experience at the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. This year THEA Awards for Outstanding Achievement also went to:
- Along the River During the Qingming Festival, China Pavilion, Shanghai Expo 2010 (Expo Pavilion Exhibit)
- The National Infantry Museum, Columbus, Georgia USA (Museum)
- The Walt Disney Family Museum, San Francisco, USA (Museum)
- Science Storms, Museum of Science & Industry, Chicago USA (Museum/Science Center Exhibit)
- Beyond All Boundaries, Solomon Victory Theater, National World War II Museum, New Orleans USA (Museum Attraction)
- World of Color, Disney California Adventure, Anaheim USA (Nighttime Spectacular)
- ICT Mobile Device, Information and Communications Pavilion, Shanghai Expo 2010 (Integration of Technology and Storytelling)
- "Flynn Lives," ComiCon 2010 San Diego, Calif. USA (Promotional Event)
- The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Universal Resort Orlando, USA (New Theme Park Land)
- The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Universal Resort Orlando, USA (Thematic Integration of Retail, Food & Beverage Experiences)
- "Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey," Universal Resort Orlando, USA (Feature Attraction)
- "Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey," Universal Resort Orlando, USA (Technical Achievement)
Commenting on the achievement Dr. Martin Mansergh, outgoing Minister of State with special responsibility for the Office of Public Works (OPW), congratulated Glasnevin Museum on the magnificent achievement of winning an internationally renowned THEA Award for outstanding achievement. "The THEA awards recognise excellence in the creation of extraordinary visitor experiences, attraction, exhibits and places worldwide, and as members of the Glasnevin Trust receive this prestigious award in Los Angeles from the Themed Entertainment Association, I wish to congratulate all concerned with the Museum Project on their marvellous achievement."
For further information and opening times for the Glasnevin Museum please visit http://www.glasnevinmuseum.ie.
Below is a link to the coverage of the win by RTE news:
http://www.rte.ie/player/#v= 1093873 (skip to 21 minutes and 23 seconds for the segment on Glasnevin).
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