Event

Heritage Heroes

WMF participates in new seven-part series on the BBC

BBC News' seven-part Heritage Heroes series tells the story of how, in the midst of the rush to modernize and expand our urban landscape, individuals, neighborhoods, and organizations have managed to salvage a part of our endangered built inheritance. Heritage Heroes takes the viewer on a journey across the world to see traditional wooden homes in Norway prevented from becoming a shopping mall, decimated post-Katrina houses in New Orleans saved from demolition and restored, and a derelict railway line in New York transformed into a plush green walkway.

Chosen by a distinguished jury chaired by Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, president of Saudi Arabia’s antiquities commission, 18 heroes – three per program – demonstrate how restoration can contribute positively to society by reviving crafts, attracting tourists, stimulating the economy, and contributing to our communal sense of well-being.

WMF President & Chief Executive Officer Bonnie Burnham nominated two of the "heritage heroes," and Jonathan Foyle, Chief Executive of WMF Britain, served on the selection panel.

The first episode of Heritage Heroes airs worldwide on June 19, 2010 on the BBC. For broadcast times in your time zone, visit www.bbcworldnews.com.