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Wakefield Museums and Castles
Pontefract Castle shortlisted for national Fantastic for Families award 2025
Tuesday, October 21, 2025On 14 October 2025 the Fantastic for Families award finalists were announced. We're proud to share that Pontefract Castle has been shortlisted!
Our 'Heritage for Youth' programme has been selected as one of twelve activities in the category for Best Family Arts Activity.
This year’s shortlist for the Fantastic for Families Awards showcases the real innovation, creativity and impact made by cultural opportunities in the UK. It is organised by Family Arts Campaign.
Our Heritage for Youth programme was designed with and for teenagers. We worked with young people and colleagues from Wakefield Council's Children and Young People Team. Together, we developed, tested and delivered this new suite of hands-on history activities.
The activities included an immersive escape room experience in Pontefract Castle's dungeon. Young people led the sessions in character. The activities ran as part of our summer holidays programming in 2024 and 2025.
A young time traveller in costume as part of the Escape the Dungeon! activity
The winners of the Fantastic For Families 2025 Awards will be announced in an online ceremony on 20 November 2025. Wish us luck!
You can find out more about our fellow shortlisted organisations on the Family Arts Campaign's wesbite.
Wakefield Museums and Castles programming has been made possible by funding from Arts Council England.
Upcoming events
Interested in more amazing events and activities for young people? Find out what events we've got coming up on our What's On page.