Avoncroft Museum of Historic Buildings in Worcestershire, UK, won the Permanent Exhibition of the Year category at the 2026 Museums + Heritage Awards for its exhibition 'Revealing the Hidden Stories of the Showmen Community'. The show centers on a 1910 showman's grand living wagon owned by Tom Clarke, and includes 38 historic fairground signs, swing boats, an oral history section with 25 showmen, and hand-painted signage by commercial fairground artist Amy Goodwin. The exhibition was developed by collections manager Steven Hearn, who discovered the wagon in 2022 and collaborated with the National Fairground and Circus Archive and the Fairground Heritage Trust.
The award matters because it highlights how a small, modestly funded museum can create an outstanding, emotionally resonant exhibition that amplifies the stories of a marginalized community. Judges praised it as a 'David and Goliath moment' that outperformed larger institutions like London's Natural History Museum. The recognition underscores the value of co-curation and community engagement in museum practice, and brings national attention to the cultural heritage of traveling showpeople.