This post
has been selected for the #EUinmyRegion blogging competition
organised by the
European Commission.
Many thanks
for your help.
Emilie.
I created an
interactive map showing concrete action of the European Union within
the Hauts-de-France new region in northern France. One of these projects caught
my eye because of its great impact on the region: The Louvre-Lens Museum.
Background
Lens
is located in the department of Pas de Calais within the Hauts-de-France
region in northern France. This town of 33,000 inhabitants is at the centre
of an area delimited by three European capital cities: Paris, Brussels and
London.
When coal was found
in the ground Lens entered a long period of prosperity from the XIXth
century with the industrial revolution. The region was particularly affected by
the First World War: In 2014 L’Anneau de
la Mémoire (“Ring of
Remembrance”) was unveiled to remember the victims of the war.
The coal industry
began to decline from the 1960s until 1990 when the last mines were closed.
Miners became unemployed.
Despite the crisis
Lens was able to adapt thanks to higher education (University of Artois
Scientific Centre, University Institute of Technology, engineering school) and
new economic growth.
In 2012 Nord-Pas de Calais Mining Basin
in which Lens is located has been Inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The project
In 2003, the Louvre
Museum in Paris is willing to open a regional museum. Lens has been selected in
2004 with the support of Nord-Pas de Calais Regional Council. The foundation
stone was laid in 2009 and the museum opened for the first time in 2012.
The total project
cost is 175 million euros. The funding sources are:
- Nord-Pas de Calais Regional Council: 105 million euros (60 %);
- The European Union: 35 million euros (20 %);
- Pas de Calais Departmental Council: 17.5 million euros (10 %);
- Lens-Liévin Urban Community and City of Lens: 17.5 million euros (10 %).
The EU grant was
awarded in the framework of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and
more especially the Nord-Pas de Calais Operational Programme for the 2007-2013
period.
The objectives
The Louvre-Lens
Museum is an opportunity for the region to bounce back after the crisis it
experienced. The museum aims to integrate into the community and to make the
museum its own.
Such a museum in the
region is a symbol to improve access to culture for as many people as possible.
An innovative approach has been chosen to bring the most vulnerable groups
closer to art and culture: Original presentation of the works of art and
regular change, guided tours adapted to people with disabilities, workshops to
discover art in prisons in the region, “Baby at museum” activities, etc. Since
the opening and until the end of 2016 the admission is free for the permanent
exhibition in the “Galerie du Temps”.
This project
represents the implementation of the EU policies for territorial, social and
economic cohesion and sustainable development. In the long term the museum will
create jobs and foster economic development thanks to the visitors expected
(more than 2 million since the opening in 2012 of which half coming from the
region).
Source:
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