CultHera: Civic engagement of cultural and historical heritage in urban and sub-urban environment – EU context, perspectives & good practices

In today’s society, there was an urgent need to foster cultural engagement, intercultural dialogue and active participation of community members and university staff in promoting and sustaining cultural and historical heritage at regional, national and international/EU level. The CultHera project was implemented by 6 partners from 6 countries. The consortium consisted of 4 universities and 2 foundations working in the field of education, community support and the promotion of national tangible and intangible heritage. All partners joined the project because their key experts had identified an urgent need to develop a holistic training approach for university professors and assistants. This approach aimed to raise awareness of the importance of cultural and historical heritage in the common EU context through better socialisation and management.

Project objective

The general objective of CultHera was to enhance the competences of university staff to facilitate civic engagement in cultural and historical heritage in urban and suburban environments, as a way to raise awareness and understanding of its importance.

Specific Objectives:

• To develop competences of university professors & assistants to teach and apply models for socialization of cultural & historical heritage in urban landscape. 
• To enable & promote higher degree of cohesion of the cultural and historical heritage in the common EU perspective 
• To develop, discuss & exchange good practices in the socialization of cultural & historical heritage in urban & sub-urban environment 
• To enhance target group’s competences in integration & management of cultural & historical artefacts, objects & sites within the urban landscape 
• To demonstrate the potential of appropriately socialized objects/sites of cultural & historical heritage to improve the living conditions & economic possibilities of local communities 
• To support the partners to create new or to develop/improve existing programmes & training courses for specialists in the preservation & socialization of the CHH in urban & sub-urban environment.

Target groups

• University employees in partner cities – rectors, deans, professors, assistants;
• Local, regional and national education inspectorates;
• Local, regional and nationwide administrative bodies managing cultural and historical heritage;
• Local, regional and nationwide non-governmental bodies and organisations working with cultural and historical heritage sites;
• municipal directorates responsible for education and cultural and historical heritage;
• various local, regional and national educational institutions such as VET centers, VET providers;
• administrative structures working in the field of education and cultural and historical heritage;
• Trade unions of university professors and university teaching staff; 
• representatives of the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Culture and Ministry of Tourism;
• Universities with pedagogical programs and programs in cultural sciences and EU studies;
• National associations of professional trainers; 
• organisations managing EU programmes in the field of cultural and historical heritage and EU cohesion policy in the field of culture; 
• Other higher education institutions and national VET centers with pedagogical programmes, etc.

Results

IIn order to address this goal, the project delivered the following results:

• PR1: CultHera Methodological Frame –This activity focused on the development of a methodological approach for the socialisation of cultural and historical heritage in urban and suburban environments. It created opportunities for its fuller and better preservation, conservation and exhibition in a way that generated added value — culturally, socially and economically — for the entire community..
• PR2: CultHera Training Pack – The training pack included the following 3 separate documents: Methodology for “inclusion” of cultural & historical heritage (CHH) in the modern urban & sub-urban environment (USE); Handbook on CHH; Manual on CHH.
• PR3: CultHera Model for integrated approach for cultural & historical heritage socialization & management in urban and suburban environment – provided opportunities for increasing the investments and professional qualification of the specialists working in the field of preservation & socialization of cultural * historical heritage (CHH).
• PR4: CultHera Guidebook for mentors – The major aim and topic of the Guidebook was to explain how to carry out in the most appropriate and effective way the CultHera training of university professors & assistants.
• PR5: Strategy for civic engagement in the socialization of cultural & historical heritage in urban and suburban environment – The project partners developed a strategic document presenting a set of possible solutions for reducing and overcoming the identified deficits in the existing training offer in the field of socialisation and management of cultural and historical heritage in urban and suburban environments. The strategy was based on identified good practices and approaches, as well as on the deeper knowledge and understanding of the topic acquired during the development of all previous results. It also drew on multiple discussions with target group members and stakeholders, as well as on the partners’ own expertise in the field.
• PR6: CultHera e-platform & e-library – The project e-learning platform CultHera was specifically signed & used for the needs of the project. It was developed by PAX alongside with the development of all results. So it was available to be used together with the course. The platform:
  – hosted CultHera Training pack, Model for integrated approach, Guidebook for mentors & Strategy for civic engagement
  – served as a databank with various resources, including both interactive and passive materials, for academic staff and students;
  – contained self-preparatory tests for the trainees (i.e. the members of the target group) to check what they have learned after the CultHera training.

Planned activities

• Final conferences in all partner countries in early 2024.

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.