Rethink Heritage

Knowledge & educational (K) challenges identified as part of the strategy are as follows:

Challenges with a focs on the society:

K1. Helping to foster a shared knowledge society
K2. Identifying, preserving, transmitting and sharing heritage knowledge and skills
K3. Raising awareness of the values conveyed by heritage
K8. Enlisting the commitment of young people to heritage

Challenges with a focus on heritage managers and professionals:

K4. Ensuring heritage stakeholders have access to lifelong training
K5. Guaranteeing a high technical level for all heritage trades and crafts
K6. Supporting, strengthening and promoting intergovernmental cooperation
K7. Encouraging heritage research

Recommendation K1: Incorporate heritage education more effectively in school curricula

It is essential to teach young people about their heritage and the importance of preserving important elements of our past for the future. Recommendation K1 suggests a series of actions that can make this initiative more useful and productive through the cooperations with heritage-related institutions and departments. Suggested courses of action include the adaptation of school syllabuses with cross-disciplinary educational projects, the training of teachers, dialogues between the education sector and history societies, associations and institutions responsible for heritage (museums. libraries, archives) leading to presentations of heritage specialists in schools, outside activities organised for students (visits, interviews etc.), special programmes in museums and easier access and more user-friendly access to archives. 

R-K1 answers the following knowledge and educational challenges: K1, K2, K3 and interfaces with the following social challenges: S4.

Recommendation K2: Implement measures to encourage young people to practise heritage

In accordance with the initiatives of R-K1, there is an essential need for teaching and training the next generation how to handle and preserve heritage. Recommendation K2's suggested actions are the use of heritage passes, reduced price tickets especially for youngsters, special events and practices organised for young people and the introduction of further incentives in consultation with youngs, exploring their needs and expectations.

R-K2 answers the following knowledge and educational challenges: K2, K3, K8.

Recommendation K3: Encourage creativity to capture the attention of the heritage audience

Recommendation K3 tries to answer the challenge of the changing expectations of the audience of heritage sites, objects and intangible elements. There is a constant need for renewing the way of presentation with the involvement of new technology to keep up with the changes of time and to be able to capture the attention of the wide audience. Suggested practices as part of this recommendation are the following: highlighting the similarities and connections between old and modern technology in case of monuments and artefacts, developing interactive tools and games to teach about heritage and the organisation of multidisciplinary events with attractions like live entertainment, street art or visual art.

R-K3 answers the following knowledge and educational challenges: K1, K2, K3, K4.

Recommendation K4: Provide optimum training for non-professional players and for professionals from other sectors with a connection to heritage

Recommendation K4 focuses on all those people who are involved in the cultural heritage sector, though not as professionals: owners, trainees, volunteers etc. or work in other sectors which have clear connections with heritage such as agriculture, tourism etc. It is important to offer coaching and training for these actors too, organised by professionals of heritage, preferably with incentives for the target groups. Awareness-raising sessions for owners, mentoring and heritage discovery events and training of traditional trades are further recommended actions of R-K4.

R-K4 answers the following knowledge and educational challenges: K1, K2, K3, K4, K5.

Recommendation K5: Diversify training systems for heritage professionals

Recommendation K5 collects all those courses of action which deal with the heritage-related training available in the European education system including the training of traditional building trades and craftsmanship. These actions force better co-operations between universities, schools and training centres as well as between training systems and professional networks. They also propose improvements and sustainability in the training, while supporting different grants for the professionals, in-house training sessions with the participation of experts and the wider use of the Erasmus+ programme for the exchange of good practices and the realisation of international mobilities.

R-K5 answers the following knowledge and educational challenges: K1, K2, K3, K4, K5.

Recommendation K6: Develop knowledge banks on local and traditional materials, techniques and know-how

Being complementary to R-K5, Recommendation K6 focuses on the development of knowledge banks and databases which can be considered as a safety net for the case if some traditional techniques completely disappeared due to the lack of a new generation of craftsmen and other professionals. These stores of learning would allow that the knowledge will not get lost and even forgotten usage of traditional materials can be re-learnt. The suggested courses of actions include the creation of traditional skills and know-how, using new technologies for the preservation process and the continuous extension of 'materials libraries'.

R-K6 answers the following knowledge and educational challenges: K2, K3, K4 and interfaces with the following social as well as territorial and economic challenges: S4 and D2, D7.

Recommendation K7: Ensure that the knowledge and skills involved in heritage trades are passed on

Recommendation K7's main goal is to collect the knowledge of craftsmen and masters of traditional building trades to make sure that this knowledge can be passed on to a new generation of professionals. The suggested actions include organising workshops, exhibitions and demonstrations, the showcase of handicrafts in schools, teaching of manual operations and CAD skills to ensure the transmission of the knowledge and skills from old masters to the young generation. Special focus is granted for the European Foundation of Heritage Skills (FEMP).

R-K7 answers the following knowledge and educational challenges: K1, K2, K3, K4, K8 and interfaces with the following social challenges: S4.

Recommendation K8: Guarantee the competences of professionals working on the listed heritage

Recommendation K8's main topic includes actions which can guarantee the quality standards and required competences of those who work on the restoration, renewal or regular maintenance of monuments. This is recommended to be coordinated at a European level with a harmonised certification system. Another way of reaching the goals is to ensure the consultation between the competent departments dealing with training, employment and culture.Furthermore, an important factor might be to support the companies of the private sector with measures that involve the required responsibility for the listed objects. 

R-K8 answers the following knowledge and educational challenges: K1, K2, K3, K4, K5.

Recommendation K9: Develop study and research programmes that reflect the needs of the heritage sector and share the findings

With the general aim to maintain the sustainable transmission of heritage-related knowledge and skills to the future generations, Recommendation K9 suggests the development and broad dissemination of documentary, scientific and technical studies based on the research work carried out at academic level. Preferable courses of actions include the encouragement for an international and interdisciplinary approach, the wide dissemination of the materials and the proper evaluation of the studies and the research work. Furthermore, there is a need for seeking media appearances, including lectures and meetings held for the public with the participation of professionals, researchers and users.

R-K9 answers the following knowledge and educational challenges: K2, K3, K4, K5.

Recommendation K10: Encourage and support the development of networks

The development of heritage-related networks is the main goal of Recommendation K10. These networks allow their members to participate in discussions on different topics in connection with the challenges, the needs and requirements of heritage tasks at different levels. The suggested courses of actions force the recognition of existing networks, as well as the development of new ones. The most important goal is to achieve the dialogue and new relations between the already established networks in order to reach higher synergies and to act together in as many important questions as possible.

R-K10 answers the following knowledge and educational challenges: K1, K2, K3, K4, K5.

Recommendation K11: Explore heritage as a source of knowledge, inspiration and creativity

Recommendation K11 suggests looking at heritage primarily as art, which can be combined and juxtaposed with contemporary forms of art and architecture, given that both types represent creativity, inspiration and knowledge. Heritage objects and monuments are also the main source for learning about the full meaning of the sites where they are erected. Therefore heritage discovery workshops can teach a lot to contemporary artists and craftspersons about the values and characteristics of the site, ensuring the artistic continuation of the local or regional mindset.

R-K11 answers the following knowledge and educational challenges: K1, K2, K3, K4, K5.