Shared Island Stories Wins Inaugural ICOM Award for Sustainable Development Practice in Museums.
The School of Art History–led Shared Island Stories research project has been announced as the winner of the inaugural International Council of Museums (ICOM) Award for Sustainable Development Practice in Museums, recognising its transnational youth exchange research between Barbados and the Outer Hebrides.
Selected from 130 submissions across 60 countries, the initiative stood out for its creative, community-driven approach to addressing interconnected challenges faced by island communities — including climate emergency, coastal erosion, at-risk youth, heritage decline, and economic instability.
Presented during the 27th ICOM General Conference in Dubai, the award recognises projects that exemplify how museums can contribute to the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development through innovation, inclusion, and tangible community impact. The Shared Island Stories initiative was commended for its youth empowerment model, transnational collaboration, and sustainability-centred approach to museum practice.
The transnational youth exchange programme, led by Research Fellow Jamie Allan Brown from the School of Art History at the University of St Andrews in partnership with Kaye Hall, Education and Community Outreach Officer at the Barbados Museum & Historical Society (BMHS), connects young people from island communities across Scotland and the Caribbean. It engages them in exploring heritage and climate action through dialogue, intergenerational learning, and creative practice.
Since 2022, Shared Island Stories has addressed the interconnected challenges of the climate emergency, coastal erosion, at-risk youth, heritage decline, and economic instability in island contexts. The youth exchange has collaborated closely with community stakeholders in Scotland, including the West Harris Trust on the Isle of Harris and Urras Oighreachd Ghabhsainn (Galson Estate Trust) on the Isle of Lewis, ensuring that the voices of island communities remain central to the project.
The initiative forms part of the wider five-year research project Shared Island Stories between Scotland and the Caribbean: Past, Present, Future, coordinated by the School of Art History and led by Professor Karen Brown. Drawing on history, heritage studies, sustainable development, art history, and memory studies, the project examines shared colonial legacies and contemporary challenges, while reimagining museums as spaces for climate dialogue and social change.
You can find out more on ICOMs website.
This research project was selected by the European Research Council (ERC) and funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) under grant reference EP/X023036/1. It is coordinated by the School of Art History at the University of St Andrews.
Image caption:
Emma Nardi (2022-2025 ICOM President) and Antonio Rodríguez (2025-2028 ICOM President) conferring the ICOM Award for Sustainable Development Practice in Museums to Jamie Allan Brown, Research Fellow at the University of St Andrews, and Kaye Hall, Outreach Officer at the Barbados Museum & Historical Society (BMHS). Photo: © ICOM 2025.