The MARQ Foundation has received the Afante Prize 2019 of the Alicante Association of Relatives and Friends of Alzheimer's patients (AFA Alicante) in appreciation of the close collaboration maintained by both institutions since 2016. The vice-president and deputy for Culture, Julia ParraThe award is a source of pride and a stimulus to continue working on programmes such as 'MARQ: Museums and Memory', a pioneering project in Spain in the field of archaeology. My commitment is to continue to maintain this initiative, it is our way of doing our bit for those who suffer from this disease and their families, who today commemorate World Alzheimer's Day".
The award was collected yesterday afternoon by the coordinator of Didactics and Accessibility, Gema Salaand by the general secretary of the Marq Foundation, Anabel CortésThey expressed their gratitude for the award in recognition of the work carried out "to make MARQ a Museum of all and for all".
The Didactics and Accessibility Unit of MARQ has been developing the 'MARQ: Museums and Memory' programme for three years, aimed at making the MARQ collections accessible to people with Alzheimer's disease and helping to awaken memory, emotional bonds and memories by using images, pieces or audiovisuals. "These are media that lead the memory to create suggestive and creative reminiscences that we can classify as cognitive and memory exercises," explained Gema Sala.
The programme 'MARQ: Museums and memory' includes guided tours of the exhibitions and departments of the MARQ such as restoration. With AFA Alicante, a workshop is also organised jointly by the Museum's technicians and the association's educators.
The AFANTES Awards are given each year to distinguish and thank public bodies, institutions, companies or individuals who at some point have identified with the founding interests of AFA Alicante and its commitment to society, providing their support and funding for this purpose.
This year, the Territorial Tax Management and the directors Inmaculada Abellán Miralles, Natalia Pérez Carmona and Gloria González Caballero, from the Neurology Section and the Behavioural Neurology and Dementia Unit of the Hospital de San Vicente, also received awards.
