On 30 June, the European Commission and Europa Nostra announced the 2022 winners of the European Heritage Awards / Europa Nostra Awards, funded by the EU Creative Europe programme. This year, which marks the 20th anniversary of the awards, 30 outstanding heritage achievements from 18 European countries have been awarded in five categories. These categories are in line with the latest developments and priorities related to heritage policy and practice in Europe.
For the winners, celebrations are just getting started as the awards ceremony will be held at the recently restored State Opera in Prague on 26 September, a press release stated. The European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, Mariya Gabriel, who will host the ceremony congratulated all the winners for the exceptional quality of their work and their openness to innovation. “Many of the awarded initiatives demonstrate the enormous interest and engagement of young people for our heritage, our history, and our cultural identity, which is particularly relevant in this European Year of Youth.”
Co-host and Europa Nostra’s Executive President, Prof. Dr. Hermann Parzinger congratulated the winners for their exceptional work. “This year’s Award winners are powerful examples of how our heritage reconnects us with nature, helps create a sense of belonging and place, and is an integral building block in developing a circular economy that supports a sustainable and inclusive way of life.”
Categories
The five lists in which achievements could win prizes differed from the more traditional ‘Conservation and Adaptive Reuse’ and ‘Research’ categories, to the more public-based ‘Education, Training and Skills’ to ‘Citizens’ Engagement and Awareness-raising’. In the last category, four ‘Heritage Champions’ and one special mention received the honors.
Check out a quick overview of all the award winners in the video below. Want to learn more about these projects and get inspired yourself? Read more about them here.
Sources: Europa Nostra