Member Article

The Arkwright Society’s Cromford Mills Wins EU Award

The Arkwright Society’s Cromford Mills: Building 17 is one of the two UK winners of the 2017 European Union Prize for Culture Heritage/ Europa Nostra Award, Europe’s top honour in the heritage field.

It is one of 29 laureates from 18 countries recognised for their notable achievements in conservation, research, dedicated service and education, training and awareness raising.

The European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Awards was launched by the European Commission in 2002 and has been run by Europa Nostra since then.

It celebrates and promotes best practices related to heritage conservation, research, management, voluntarism, education and communication. In this way, it contributes to a stronger public recognition of cultural heritage as a strategic resource for Europe’s economy and society. The Prize is supported by the Creative Europe programme of the European Union.

Independent expert juries examined a total of 202 applications, submitted by organisations and individuals from 39 countries across Europe.

Tibor Navracsics, European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, commented:

“I congratulate all the winners. Their achievements demonstrate once again how engaged many Europeans are in protecting and safeguarding their cultural heritage.

“Their projects highlight the significant role of cultural heritage in our lives and our society. Especially today, with Europe facing many big societal challenges, culture is vital in helping us to raise awareness of our common history and values and to foster tolerance, mutual understanding and social inclusion.

“The European Year of Cultural Heritage in 2018 will be an ideal opportunity to focus on what binds us together as Europeans - our common history, culture and heritage. The European Commission will continue to support this prize and other heritage projects through our Creative Europe programme.”

Sarah McLeod, chief executive of The Arkwright Society, said:

“To win this prestigious award is a phenomenal achievement and is testament to the hard work and dedication that has been put in by so many people over many years.

“This award is acknowledged as Europe’s top honour in the heritage field and we are proud to take our place amongst the 28 other projects from 18 countries across Europe.

“Being at the heart of the Industrial Revolution, ‘Building 17’ is one of the most culturally important buildings in the UK. It will continue the sense of entrepreneurialism, innovation and creativity that characterised Arkwright’s mills.”

The awards will be jointly presented to the winners by Tibor Navracsics, European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, and Plácido Domingo, the world-renowned opera singer and President of Europa Nostra, on 15 May at St. Michael’s Church in Turku, Finland.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Donna Hill .