The conference is being supported by South Lanarkshire Council, Historic Environment Scotland, and the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

‘New Lanark: A Living Legacy’ is a hybrid event which will take place, both in person at the World Heritage Site and online, from Tuesday 1 to Thursday 3 March 2022. Featuring a packed programme of speakers and round-table discussions, the conference will explore the legacies of social reform and heritage-led regeneration.

Keynote speakers will include Kate Pugh OBE, Non-Executive Director for Culture at the UK National Commission for UNESCO, and Dr Wei Yang, President of the Royal Town Planning Institute for 2021.

The conference also celebrates the 20th anniversary of New Lanark’s UNESCO World Heritage Site inscription and the completion of the £4.5 million National Lottery Heritage Fund and Historic Environment Scotland funded ‘restoration of former millworkers housing’ programme.

Robert Owen was a pioneering social reformer who provided educational opportunities and improved housing and lifestyle conditions for employees of New Lanark Mills; creating a model for industrial communities that was adopted across the world.

Jane Masters, Head of Heritage and Development at New Lanark Trust, said: “Despite the challenges of the pandemic, 2021 marked a number of important milestones for New Lanark and, although a few months later than originally planned, we are delighted to present this global conference. It has drawn speakers from countries as far as Japan and Mexico who all share a passion for the legacy and ethos of New Lanark – be it social reform, heritage-led regeneration, or World Heritage. The legacy of Robert Owen, in particular, is far reaching and relevant in 2022 as we continue to strive for all that he stood for – particularly educational opportunities and workers’ rights.”

Tickets can be purchased from the New Lanark Trust website with prices starting from £5.

Located just under an hour from Glasgow and Edinburgh, New Lanark, a former 18th century cotton spinning mill village, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site of ‘outstanding universal value’. The award-winning Visitor Attraction, set within a National Nature Reserve, features a range of family friendly attractions alongside a mill shop; featuring onsite traditionally spun organic wool and homemade ice cream, and café. The village, which produces its own hydro-electricity, also includes New Lanark Mill Hotel and the Wee Row Hostel.