ILUCIDARE Special Prizes 2020 for ‘Archaeology for a young future’ and Estonian Print and Paper Museum

The ILUCIDARE Consortium, including Europa Nostra, and the European Commission have just announced the two winners of the very first edition of the ILUCIDARE Special Prizes:

‘Archaeology for a young future’ (Italy/Syria), for excellence in Heritage-led International Relations. This online exchange programme encourages school students in Italy and Syria to discover their own, local history through archaeology and to virtually exchange these histories with each other in creative ways.

TYPA – Estonian Print and Paper Museum, Tartu (Estonia), for excellence in Heritage-led Innovation. Founded in 2006, TYPA has preserved the values of historical printing and papermaking through the intersection of contemporary tools and traditional techniques.

2020 Winners of ILUCIDARE Special Prizes 2020

The winners of the ILUCIDARE Special Prizes 2020 have just been celebrated – together with the laureates of the European Heritage Awards / Europa Nostra Awards 2020 (read related press release) – during a virtual gathering that connected culture and heritage professionals, policy makers, (young) entrepreneurs, enthusiasts, volunteers and supporters from across Europe and beyond. Mariya Gabriel, European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, awarded the ILUCIDARE Special Prizes during the European Heritage Awards Ceremony.

Through a shared vision of cultural heritage, ‘Archaeology for a Young Future’ allows children, school staff and communities in Italy and Syria to forge bonds in a spirit of mutual understanding, respect and friendship. Its strong educational component and trans-generational impact can contribute to maintaining and improving relations between the two communities in the long-run. This bottom- up, easily replicable project demonstrates that heritage-led international relations can happen among people and communities on the ground, and are not exclusive of governments or international organisations”, the ILUCIDARE Jury emphasised.

The Estonian Print and Paper Museum is a brilliant example of heritage-led innovation in many ways: from its unique multi-functional and inter-disciplinary model, to the novel methods used to recover traditional printing techniques, as well as its original ways of engaging local communities and creating value for visitors. In a digital era, TYPA contributes to the safeguard, recovery and reuse of printing techniques and know-how which belong to our common history and shared European heritage”, the ILUCIDARE Jury noted.

Mariya Gabriel, European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, stated: “In the current circumstances which are challenging for all of us, including in the cultural and creative sectors, the ILUCIDARE Special Prizes winners provide us with comforting perspectives: they demonstrate that our shared heritage is an enticing source of intercultural dialogue and discovery, showcase the huge potential of digital technologies to bring people closer together while they cannot physically meet, and embody the meaningful innovation potential of a sector that needs to be fully part of Europe’s economic and social recovery. I warmly thank you and congratulate you for your achievements.”

The winners of the ILUCIDARE Special Prizes were selected by the ILUCIDARE partners among the submitted applications to the European Heritage Awards / Europa Nostra Awards 2020. Six projects had been shortlisted for the final run of the Special Prizes.

The winners of the first-ever ILUCIDARE Special Prizes embody the creativity and agility of the heritage sector. As such, they stand as best practice examples for the heritage community as well as an inspiration for the broader worlds of innovation, entrepreneurship and international cooperation. Our heartfelt congratulations to the 2 winners on behalf of the ILUCIDARE Consortium! We are looking forward to further support you in upscaling your projects and to making your experiences enthralling role models for the ILUCIDARE network,” said Koen Van Balen, ILUCIDARE project coordinator (KU Leuven, Belgium).

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.

Winners of the ILUCIDARE Special Prizes 2020

 

‘Archaeology for a young future’, ITALY/SYRIA

‘Archaeology for a young future’ is an online exchange programme that encourages school students in Italy and Syria to discover their own, local history through archaeology and to virtually exchange these histories with each other in creative ways. For many of the schoolchildren who took part, this innovative, yet simple initiative was their first experience of international cultural exchange and a common understanding of shared heritage.

Archaeology for a young future (Italy/Syria)

The programme has led participants, aged 11 to 14, to realise the value of archaeology, discover new places and become more deeply connected to their own localities. The Associazione per la Valorizzazione dell’Archeologia e della Storia Antica (AVASA) initiated the programme with the financial support of the Steinmetz Family Foundation and the Cariplo Foundation.

TYPA – The Estonian Print and Paper Museum

TYPA – the Estonian Print and Paper Museum, founded in 2006, is dedicated to the preservation of print and paper heritage and the promotion of international relations. Printing and papermaking, their industry and heritage have a long and central role in the history of Europe.

TYPA - Estonian Print and Paper Museum, Tartu, ESTONIA

TYPA preserves this shared heritage in an innovative way, creating value for and preserving the values of historical printing and papermaking through the intersection of contemporary tools and traditional techniques. The museum’s collection is made up of historic printing equipment that has been preserved, wherever possible, to full working order, allowing visitors to try out historical printing and papermaking techniques. The museum also promotes innovative artistic and skill-sharing approaches and a rich programme of events. The museum shows how innovation can stem from the understanding of historical technologies and techniques.

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ILUCIDARE website
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