September 28, 2018

2018 Soft Power Destinations Awards

The Leading Culture Destinations Awards – or “The Oscars for museums” – have been decided and three incredible organizations have won this year’s Soft Power Destinations of the Year awards. 

This year’s winners of the “Soft Power Destination Awards” are great examples of how relatively small institutions and can have large scale impact through soft power.

Lord Cultural Resources is proud to partner with Leading Culture Destinations for the third year to present the Soft Power Destination Awards. Created to celebrate the power of cultural organizations to influence and empower their communities and beyond; and to recognize the best from around the world. Each year, the shortlist, and winners in this category have become soft power destinations by being accountable and transparent, and by seeking to be excellent, relevant and sustainable in all they do. In an increasingly complex world these institutions are shining inspirations.

The 2018 Winners:

Best Soft Power Best Cultural Organisation of The Year
Museum of Tomorrow

Rio De Janeiro’s Museum of Tomorrow is the winner of this year’s Soft Power Destination Award, Best Cultural Organisation for its work prototyping a more sustainable and social future using both traditional and experimental technologies through a transdisciplinary approach. The Museum of Tomorrow is working to engage global society in solving the world’s urgent challenges in the areas of sustainability, coexistence, climate change, gender equality, water, energy and social justice among others. The museum has maintained relevance and importance to its local community and is ensuring accessibility through free access cards for all residents and employees of its local port area.

Best Soft Power Cultural Activation of The Year
Ayala Museum

BURSTING AT THE SEAMS: Philippine Detention Centers, photographs by Rick Rocamora, organized by Filipinas Heritage Library, and exhibited at the Ayala Museum is the winner of this year’s Soft Power Destination Award, Best Activation. BURSTING AT THE SEAMS is recognized for its truthful depictions of the state of the Philippine jail system. Visitors to the exhibition are empowered to share their reactions and their thoughts with legislators about the country’s prison system. This exhibition and the public’s positive engagement with it demonstrate how a historical museum can step outside its traditional role of examining the past to setting the agenda for the future of the Philippines and other nations with penal systems in need of reform.

The Best Soft Power Cultural District of The Year
Fogo Island

Fogo Island is the winner of this year’s Soft Power Destination Award, Best Cultural District for the community and destination building work of the Shorefast Foundation, including the Fogo Island Inn, and Fogo Island Arts. In a short five-year period, the Shorefast Foundation has revitalized the isolated fishing community of Fogo Island, and created an international cultural destination through artist residencies, and inspiring architecture. Fogo Island has developed entirely new kinds of answers to community issues — and artistic issues as well. Local artists create works inspired by the legacy of Fogo Islanders having lived for 300 years on an island off the island of Newfoundland' mainly as fishermen. The Shorefast Foundation links local people to the visitors from ‘away’ through a unique programme of local ambassadors. At the same time, Fogo plays host to artists from communities and cultures from around the world, transforming the island into a place for cross-cultural collaboration in a magical geography.