Short-listed candidates to the ILUCIADARE Special Prize 2021 revealed

The ILUCIDARE Consortium including International Cultural Centre and Europa Nostra together with the European Commission are delighted to present the shortlisted projects for the 2021 edition of the ILUCIDARE Special Prizes, awarded within the European Heritage Awards / Europa Nostra Awards! These projects are compelling demonstrations of heritage-led innovation and international relations.

The nine shortlisted projects were undertaken by heritage practitioners from eight countries in Europe and beyond. Although the areas and range of their activities are diverse, they all show how heritage has the potential to create meaningful links across countries and communities and to develop exciting new solutions and spur social change.

– The 9 shortlisted projects for the ILUCIDARE Special Prizes attest the ingenuity, dynamism and sense of purpose of the heritage world. From using state-of-the-art technical solutions for heritage preservation to cultivating relations through cultural heritage between communities and countries, both in Europe and across the world. These outstanding projects show the benefits of working across disciplines and borders to ensure the transmission of our shared heritage to present and future generations. On behalf of the ILUCIDARE Consortium, I wish to congratulate these exemplary achievements for embodying what ILUCIDARE proudly stands for, and I warmly welcome you to the vibrant, international ILUCIDARE community. This pre-selection is already an important milestone and we look forward to supporting you in making the most of it. The ILUCIDARE partners stand ready to give you the visibility and the backing you very much deserve – stated Koen Van Balen, coordinator of the ILUCIDARE project (KU Leuven, Belgium).

The 9 shortlisted projects for the ILUCIDARE Special Prizes 2021 are:

Category: Heritage-led innovation

• 3D Reconstruction of Maison du Peuple − Horta Museum, Brussels, Belgium

• Basilica of Santa Croce, Lecce, Italy

• HAP4MARBLE - Marble Conservation by Hydroxyapatite, Italy

• AP Valletta, Malta

Category: Heritage-led international relations

• Northern Lebanon Project, Italy/Lebanon

• Friends of Bryggen and the Bryggen Foundation, Bergen, Norway

• Preservation of the Wine Cellars of Negotinska Krajina, Serbia

• Leather Painting Restoration in the Hall of the Kings of the Alhambra, Spain

• EU-LAC Museums − Museums, Community & Sustainability in Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, United Kingdom

– The shortlisted projects for the ILUCIDARE Special Prizes 2021 showcase the huge potential of our cultural heritage to act as a catalyst for creativity and innovation, and to foster human solidarity and cross-country cooperation. At a moment when the European Union and its citizens are engaged in shaping a shared vision for the future, each one of the 9 shortlisted projects demonstrate the capability of the heritage world to produce innovative, effective and creative solutions to larger societal issues. I applaud the efforts of the people and communities behind them, and hope many more will be inspired through the power of their example. I also wish to thank them sincerely for their important contribution to a more sustainable and resilient Europe, in spite of the current challenges we face together – said Mariya Gabriel, European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth.

The final recipients of the ILUCIDARE Special Prizes, selected by the ILUCIDARE Jury – one winner for excellence in heritage-led innovation and one for excellence in heritage-led international relations – will be announced in the autumn of 2021 at the European Heritage Awards Ceremony in Venice.

The two winners will have the unique opportunity of joining the ILUCIDARE Champions programme, a tailor-made support scheme to upscale their success and further develop their strategies together with European and international experts as well as the ILUCIDARE Consortium partners.

The ILUCIDARE Special Prizes are supported by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation programme, in addition to the European Union’s Creative Europe Programme for culture and the audio-visual sectors, which supports the European Heritage Awards / Europa Nostra Awards. A representative of the ICC is a member of the ILUCIDARE Special Prize jury.

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