Trends in Practical Heritage Learning

www.nckultur.org TRENDS IN PRACTICAL HERITAGE LEARNING Study in Europe in 2012 Jakoba Šraml González Contents www.nckultur.org Introduction 3 Heritage as resource 4 Heritage learning framework 5 The study 6 The analysis 7 A publication of: Results 8 The Nordic Centre of Heritage Learning & Creativity Museums 10 Box 709 SE- 831 28 Östersund Art galleries 11 Telephone: +46 (0)10 476 89 00 E-mail: [email protected] Open air museums 12 www.nckultur.org Archives 13 NCK, Östersund January 2013 Cultural heritage sites 14 Photo: Janus Madsen Study conclusions and implications 15 Layout: Jesús González Torres References 16 ISBN: 91-87276-46-1 List of institutions with keys 17 The perception of heritage has changed in the source for field-specific policy-makers and stakeholders last decades. The phenomenon in all its forms – cultural, to gain an insight in the heritage sector with heritage natural, tangible and intangible – is understood as a re- institutions as centres that foster individual, community source for multiple uses. Heritage institutions reflect and societal development. And finally, it should serve the newly acquired values of heritage that overstep as a starting point for further research in the area of their traditional role as preservers. The probably most heritage learning and its implications on a local, regional, obvious function they have enriched with is the edu- national, European and also global level. cational one. Additionally, cultural heritage institutions have acquired also a social development function. These two functions are not the only ones cultural heritage institutions are exhibiting in the society, but have been in recent years increasingly highlighted. Their use has been promoted to achieve specific objectives by stakeholders and policy-makers. The area of interception between heritage, learning and development has been of special interest to The Nordic Centre of Heritage Learning & Crea- tivity (NCK). NCK has been promoting the develop- mental value of heritage and the learning generated at the heritage institutions. The outcome of its work is a framework based on the conceptualisation of heritage learning as a potential mean for development, which serves as a support tool for heritage institutions in de- signing and implementing a learning offer that considers the achievement of specific objectives at an individual, community and societal level. This study1 is about creating an overview of the field that is of interest to NCK and capturing the trends among cultural heritage institutions regarding the lear- Introduction ning and social development functions cultural heritage institutions perform. The outcomes of this study should serve as a first auto-reflection of institutions on how relevant is their learning offer for development, whether at an individual, community or societal level. It should serve also as a reflection on the existing policies relevant for heritage. Moreover, it should serve as a 1 The outline of the research project was developed by the author together with Henrik Zipsane. 3 The value of culture today transcends from, art galleries, open air museums, archives and cultural traditionally sole, intrinsic to extrinsic1 value. This is not heritage sites as arenas of learning.5 Another function a novel thing, yet only recently has it been recognised heritage has acquired is social development function. as a potential resource. For instance, UNESCO2 defi- Heritage institutions work as centres for social deve- ned the role of culture in sustainable development as lopment in their environments that go beyond simple indispensable due to economic value (in form of eco- learning about the collections they preserve.6 In spite nomic benefits, contribution to employment, tourism) of the many synergies between heritage and education,7 and social value (as investment in intercultural dialogue, it is still not completely clear how this new educational social cohesion, and as a source for tackling ecological purposes of heritage should be assessed and managed.8 challenges). This bores a new paradigm of culture as a Similarly is with the social function they perform. resource. The implication of the new paradigm is the possibility of the instrumentalisation of its value and the necessity to analyse and manage the impact of culture and its channels of influence. Heritage itself has been assessed as extrinsical- ly valuable. Its value is not the value because of heritage itself but the value of exhibiting functions in society: in- stitutional (as useful for wider social functions), instru- mental (as contributor to social objectives) and economic (as an asset which can generate financial revenues).3 Bearing in mind this new paradigm of heritage, it is not surprising to encounter grassroots heritage institutions reinventing their purposefulness in society through innovative channels of influence. One of the recently most obvious broadening of the heritage institutions’ roles has been their learning offer to the visitors, par- ticipants and the general public. For instance museums, similarly as many other heritage institutions, have ex- perienced an educational turn4 - heritage is today used Heritage as as a resource for educational purposes with museums, a resource 1 The extrinsic value of heritage means that heritage can be used in non- cultural sectors for purposes that are not directly cultural, see Xavier Greffe, ”Heritage conservation as a driving force for development,” in 5 Henrik Zipsane, ”We are more! The overlooked potential of learning Heritage and beyond, ed. Council of Europe (Strasbourg: Council of Europe through cultural engagement,” in Structured dialogue, EU – Cultural Sector, Publishing, 2009), 105. The Access to Culture Platform (European House for Culture, 2011). 2 UNESCO, ”Culture and Development,” in A/66/187, ed. UN 6 —, ”Instrumentalism in Heritage Learning,” Museum International 63, no. (2011). 1-2 (2011). 3 Noel Fojut, ”The philosophical, political and pragmatic roots of the 7 see Jean-Marc Lauret and François Marie, ”European Agenda for Culture. convention,” in Heritage and Beyond, ed. Council of Europe (Strasbourg: Open Method of Coordination. Working Group on developing synergies Coucil of Europe Publishing, 2009), 17-18. with education, especially arts education. Final Report,” (2010). 4 Eilean Hooper-Greenhill, Museums and Education. Purpose, Pedagogy, 8 Hooper-Greenhill, Museums and Education. Purpose, Pedagogy, Perfor- Performance, 2009 ed. (Routledge, 2007). mance. 4 The concept heritage learning1 denotes the learning can be used as the channel through which he- learning that occurs at heritage institutions in different ritage can exhibit and fully transmit its assessed values forms, formal, non-formal and informal, and it is a “spe- to the society.7 This approach consequently implies the cific part of cultural learning that is specified by the use potential of the learning channels of heritage to be used of a time perspective in pedagogical practice.”2 Heritage effectively and efficiently for tackling specific issues8, learning offer has been adopted by heritage institutions which can range from cultural identity creation, aesthe- across Europe, but may vary in its level of elaboration tic sensibility, nation building, culture preservation, lo- and purpose. The level of elaboration of the learning ac- cal empowerment, community outreach, challenging tivities can range from simple guided tours to carefully social conditions, religious tolerance, community deve- designed lifelong learning activities for a wide range of lopment, regional development, truancy, youth unem- target groups.3 The purpose of the learning activities ployment, inclusion of risk groups, social cohesion, in- may range from sole acquisition of knowledge about tegration, intercultural dialogue, improvement of health specific collections or to more structured objectives, issues to many others.9 Thus, this approach argues that e.g., change of attitudes or acquisition of competences.4 heritage, through its responsive learning channels, can The instrumentalisation of heritage learning can thus contribute to the development at an individual, commu- be more or less structured which leads to a concep- nity and societal level.10 The potential of these channels tual distinction5 between two approaches in heritage should not be disregarded and field-specific policies learning: learning about approach and learning through with recommendations and directives are needed to approach. ensure an adequate use. The learning about approach understands the value of heritage as intrinsic, meaning that the heritage itself is the main subject and purpose of learning.6 The objective of learning in the learning about approach is to educate the individual in heritage and to shape his or her cultural identity. The notion of the learning through approach, which has been the raison d’être of NCK, suggests that 7 Henrik Zipsane, ”Lifelong Learning through Heritage and Art,” in The Routledge International Handbook of Lifelong Learning, ed. Peter Jarvis 1 Read more in Eva Sjögren Zipsane and Henrik Zipsane, ”Kulturarvspaeda- (London: Routledge, 2008). Heritage learning gogikken og behovet for overblik, forskining og udvikling,” Nordisk Arkivnyt, 8 Sofia Kling, ”Assesing Heritage Learning Outcomes. How do we do it - and no. 1 (2006). why?,” in Heritage, Regional Development and Social Cohesion, ed. Peter framework 2 Henrik Zipsane, ”Lifelong Learning through Heritage and Art,” in The Kearns, Sofia Kling, and Christina

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