A small UK museum has been named the best in Europe, in part due to its inclusivity of children.

The London gallery Young V&A, a branch of the Victoria and Albert Museum in West London, has been awarded the 2026 Council of Europe Museum Prize. The council’s prize has been awarded for almost 50 years, and is given to the museum judged to have had the biggest impact on the understanding of European cultural heritage, human rights and democracy.

Some of its best-used interactive displays include the Spinning Sand Wheel, sensory areas, dress-up zones, and iconic toys like Pikachu and the classic Amstrad CPC 464 Computer. Its three main galleries, Play, Imagine and Design, are suitable for visitors of all ages. Even babies can join in thanks to colours, textures, and shapes that are put at their eye level.

The museum underwent a three-year restoration before opening to the public in 2023. The Young V&A was selected by the Council of Europe’s Culture Committee at a meeting on Tuesday, 2 December, in Paris. The judges commented on how it balances playfulness and education, while exploring real-world themes such as sustainability and empathy.

Inside Aardman: Wallace & Gromit and Friends will be the third exhibition hosted by the Young V&A. The museum, formerly known as the V&A Museum of Childhood, opened its doors in 2023. The exhibition will offer a behind-the-scenes look at stop-motion animation, revealing how Aardman’s beloved characters are brought to life. It will also provide interactive activities for children, such as character design and creating their own live-action videos.

Visitors can expect to see early character sketches, concept art, puppets, props, scripts, and set models from Aardman, alongside optical illusion toys and early examples of stop-motion animation from the V&A’s collection. Notable exhibits include development sketches for Morph, initial character ideas for Wallace, a hand-drawn storyboard from the train chase scene in 1993’s The Wrong Trousers, and never-before-seen objects like the duo’s motorbike and sidecar from last year’s Bafta-winning film, Vengeance Most Fowl.

Wallace & Gromit, created by Nick Park of Bristol-based Aardman Animations, has garnered four Oscars and several Baftas over the years. 

Alex Newson, chief curator at the Young V&A, explained: “Aardman quite literally began on the kitchen table, when two young school friends started experimenting with animations at home. “Even though Aardman is now one of the most successful animation studios in the world, its films still have the same handcrafted feel. It is this ‘thumbiness’, as they refer to it, that makes the films so charming and well-loved.

“This is also what makes the story so great for children. While Aardman’s films are now made by large and highly skilled teams it’s also possible for anyone to have a go at making their own stop motion films at home with minimal equipment and experience.”

Visitors can experience the exhibition between February 12 and November 15 next year.