Royal Puppet Theatre Toone receives European Heritage Label from European Commission

The Royal Puppet Theatre Toone in Brussels city centre has received the European Heritage Label from the European Commission. This puts the puppet theatre on the list of 67 heritage sites, four of which are in Belgium.

The European Union grants heritage labels every two years. Places that receive this prestigious label must meet three criteria: a strong significance to the EU, an ability to communicate their European dimension to the public effectively and an operational capability to execute such activities. The labelled sites must also participate in networking activities and collaborative projects.

In addition to the Royal Puppet Theatre Toone, the heritage label was also awarded to Cisterscapes (Cistercian Landscapes Connecting Europe), a transnational site linking 17 monastic landscapes in Germany, Austria, Czechia, Poland, and Slovenia.

Other recipients include Monasterio San Jerónimo de Yuste in Spain, Museum Ons' Lieve Heer op Solder in the Netherlands, the epic Kalevala in Finland, Athénée Romain in Bucharest and Sant'Anna di Stazzema in Italy.

Previous winners in Belgium include the Mundaneum in Mons, the Bois du Cazier in Charleroi, the MigratieMuseumMigration (MMM) in Molenbeek and the Colonies of Benevolence in Wortel and Merksplas.

The award ceremony is scheduled to take place in Antwerp on 17 April.

The Brussels-Capital Region has also applied to UNESCO requesting recognition for The Royal Puppet Theatre Toone. A decision will be made by December 2025.

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