Best in show | Lady Dorothy Campbell as Niobe, 1935, by Madame Yevonde
Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle upon Tyne
John Holt
Best in show | The Wife: Her Book, 1907, by Haydn Brown
This fascinating – if dated – piece of social history is the highlight of a new exhibition at Halliwell’s House Museum, Selkirk
Tales of the unexpected
Unusual museums can be tucked away in unlikely places. John Holt talks to the people who look after these out-of-the-way venues about loneliness, plastic rats and preparing for Armageddon
Best in show | All the Flowers Are for Me, 2016, by Anila Quayyum Agha
Maria Devaney of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in London chooses her star exhibit
Best in show | The Juan Nan (Watterson) Family Armchair, c.1700
The Manx Museum, Isle of Man
Deep impact
The Museums Change Lives awards honour organisations and individuals who confront contemporary issues to make a real difference in their communities. John Holt talks to the winners
Best in show | Costume from the South Ronaldsay Boys’ Ploughing Match and the Festival of the Horse, Orkney
Oliver McCall chooses his favourite exhibit from Compton Verney's upcoming show on folk costume
Best in show | Reading copy of The Haunted Man, 1848, by Charles Dickens
Emily Dunbar chooses her star object from the latest exhibition at the Charles Dickens Museum, London
How the restoration of Skylark XI helped to heal a community
The raising of the pleasure cruiser from the bottom of Loch Lomond inspired a project dedicated to helping local people in addiction recovery
Museums without walls
Ecomuseums use landscapes to reconnect communities with their heritage and encourage responsible tourism
Best in show | Recycled artwork, by Michelle Reader, 2022
A new commission at the National Space Centre inspired by Hokusai’s The Great Wave off Kanagawa, 1831
Best in show | Vivian Maier: Self-portrait, undated, MK Gallery
A shot that shows how the enigmatic photographer created presence through absence