Your museum’s collection has a story worth taking home. The Balkan Museum Network (BMN) is pleased to announce the fourth edition of the Museum Souvenir Award — and we want to see what your museum can create.
A great souvenir is never just a keepsake. It is a mini exhibition in someone’s pocket: a fragment of your museum’s story that travels into everyday life, sparks pride in local heritage, and keeps traditional skills alive through collaboration with artisans, designers, and makers. It also does real work for your institution — sustaining exhibitions, generating revenue, and turning a single visit into something visitors hold onto, share, and return to for years.
This is your chance to put that object — and your museum — in front of the whole region.
Since its launch in 2017, the Museum Souvenir Award has recognized the boldest, best-crafted, most meaningful souvenirs coming out of Balkan museums. In 2025, eighteen museums and creatives entered work ranging from wearable heritage to accessible postcard collections to hands-on craft kits — proof of how much imagination this community has to offer. See last year’s winners here. Now, for its fourth edition, it’s 2026’s turn.
We want to see your museum’s imagination too. Apply today.
Who Can Apply
The award is open to institutional members of the Balkan Museum Network who joined before 1 August 2026.
What We’re Looking For
We’re looking for original museum souvenirs that do more than represent a collection — they reinterpret it. Eligible souvenirs should:
- Be designed and produced by the museum, inspired directly by its own collection
- Take an artistic, craft-based, technological, or experimental approach to design
- Involve local craftspeople, designers, artists, or creative professionals in their development
- Be a genuine souvenir — not a direct replica or copy of a museum object
How We Evaluate
Every submission is judged by an independent jury against five criteria that balance imagination with craft, and meaning with marketability:
- Creativity and Innovation — Does it bring a fresh idea to the museum souvenir landscape?
- Connection to the Museum Collection — Is it rooted in the institution’s heritage, stories, and values?
- Craftsmanship and/or Technological Innovation — Is it skillfully made, using materials or techniques — including recycled or sustainable ones — in an innovative way?
- Quality and Marketability — Is it appealing, durable, and ready to sell in a museum shop?
- Engagement of Local Creatives — Does it support and showcase local artisans, designers, and makers?
Why Apply
- Regional recognition. Winners are promoted on the BMN website and shared with our partners and funders across Europe.
- A spotlight for your artisans. Past winners have used the award to celebrate the local craftspeople and traditions behind their work.
- Community and inspiration. Every edition of this award builds a growing showcase of what Balkan museums can create — and your museum could be part of it.
How to Apply
- Complete the application form.
- Include three high-quality photos of your souvenir, showing different angles and details.
- Add a short description covering the souvenir’s concept, its connection to your museum, and how it was made.
Deadline: 6 October 2026
Questions? Reach out to us any time at aida.vezic@bmuseums.net — we’re happy to help you put your best submission forward.
Your museum has a story worth taking home. Show us how you tell it.
