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Handbook for European Heritage Days European Heritage Days A joint action of the Council of Europe and the European Union Handbook on the European Heritage Days for National Coordinators and Stakeholders European Heritage Days A joint action of the Council of Europe and the European Union Handbook on the European Heritage Days for National Coordinators and Stakeholders A first version of the European Heritage Days (EHDs) Handbook was prepared in 2009 by Michel Kneubühler, Ministry of Culture and Communication, Directorate General of Cultural Affairs of Rhône-Alpes, France. The 2020 revised version has been updated by Hakan Shearer Demir, with input from the EHDs Secretariat and National Coordinators. The opinions expressed in this work are the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy of the Council of Europe. All correspondence concerning this publication should be addressed to the Department of Culture, Nature and Heritage (F-67075 Strasbourg Cedex or [email protected]). Table of Contents European Heritage Days A joint action of the Council of Europe and the European Union Foreword 6 Introduction 8 I. Presentation of the European Heritage Days 10 1. A brief history of the European Heritage Days Programme 11 2. Aims and principles 12 3. Target groups 13 II. Cooperation and coordination of the European Heritage Days 14 1. At European level 15 2. At national level 15 3. At regional and local levels 17 III. Organisation of the European Heritage Days 18 1. Organisers 19 2. Programme 20 3. Themes 21 4. Specific initiatives 22 5. Budget and partnerships 22 6. Management of the activity 23 7. Timetable 25 8. Accessibility 26 9. Security 27 10. Visual identity 29 11. Communications 30 12. Gathering of events data 30 13. Online portal 32 14. Results and evaluation 33 Conclusions 34 Bibliography 36 5 European Heritage Days A joint action of the Council of Europe and the European Union Foreword 6 European Heritage Days A joint action of the Council of Europe and the European Union emocratic participation in cultural life and the right to practise one’s own culture is essential Dfor the well-being of societies where multiple identities and narratives are important assets. The European Heritage Days, a joint Programme of the Council of Europe and the European Commission, are the most widely celebrated participatory cultural events shared by people living in Europe. The pan- European nature of the events contributes to bringing citizens together and highlighting the European dimension and the value of cultural heritage in the 50 signatory States of the European Cultural Convention. Tens of thousands of events are organised every year in order to help raise awareness of Europe’s heritage and the continuous need for its protection, as well as to create shared cultural heritage experiences, promote inclusiveness and foster creativity and imagination. This Handbook aims to facilitate the work of the National Coordinators and other stakeholders who all play an essential role in the successful organisation of the European Heritage Days. Matjaž Gruden Barbara Gessler Director of Democratic Participation Head of Unit, Creative Europe Council of Europe European Commission 7 European Heritage Days A joint action of the Council of Europe and the European Union Introduction 8 European Heritage Days A joint action of the Council of Europe and the European Union he European Heritage Days (EHDs) are events. These aim to celebrate heritage and the most widely celebrated participatory to play a crucial role for the promotion and Tcultural event in Europe1, with an advocacy for diversity and social inclusion. outstanding capacity to reach out to and Cultural heritage is certainly about mobilise millions of people. The year-long monuments, historic centres, rituals, folklore, process, managed by the Council of Europe in the celebration of isolated beliefs, but it also cooperation with the European Union in the deals with multiple narratives in its social, framework of a Joint Programme, relies on the economic and political construct. Heritage is a fundamental role played by the EHD National resource and its governance a concern, not Coordinators, local organisers and volunteers, only to authorities and experts, but also to and culminates in the EHD celebrations in inhabitants in a process of democratic participating countries between August and participation. October. As each event is unique and expresses the value of heritage, the strength of This Handbook aims to offer support and the EHDs comes from the collective spirit of suggestions for the organisation of the EHDs participation that it creates across Europe in order to promote the engagement of civil each year, as well as the possibility of each society throughout the year. It is further activity finding its voice. recommended for the organisers, national and local authorities, as well as institutions and Initiated by the Council of Europe in 1985, the other actors, to become familiar with the commitment and fruitful partnership of the philosophy, operational needs, cooperation Council of Europe and European Union since and partnership possibilities. 1999 have made this Programme expand over the years under the motto “Europe, a common Acknowledging the value of diverse heritage, heritage”. This cooperation emphasises the celebrating it and being tolerant to different shared values of human rights and democracy. viewpoints is an important process. It is The EHDs Programme indeed plays a crucial essential to pay specific attention to role in facilitating the expression of vulnerable and marginalised groups who have democratic culture and practices, limited opportunity to voice their opinions, encouraging participation of a wide range of carefully working with the changing inhabitants across Europe. The pivotal work of demography of communities, regardless of the the National Coordinators bridges the size of the representation. Multiple identities institutional framework with actions developed and stories should be able to find a space to at national, regional and local levels, engaging express themselves. Such a possibility sets a people in their heritage, and connecting events common ground for mutual understanding and across the continent through the European plays an important role in building and Heritage Days portal. renewing relationships. The essence of living together is embedded in the philosophy of the Over the decades, the organisation of the Programme, raising awareness to the richness EHDs has gradually evolved from opening the and cultural diversity of Europe. It creates a doors of monuments to the public, providing climate of appreciation of diverse heritages in free access to heritage sites and raising a pan-European context for present and awareness about local heritage, to offering future generations. interactive and community-owned public 1 The Parties to the European Cultural Convention are: Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Holy See, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Republic of Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal,9 Romania, Russian Federation, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom. I. Presentation of the European Heritage Days European Heritage Days A joint action of the Council of Europe and the European Union 1. A brief history of the European to the event. The participation of 250 Heritage Days Programme participants from 42 countries at high-level events organised in Strasbourg and Brussels were indicative of the growing interest, as well t the 2nd European Conference of as the challenges involved in organising the Ministers responsible for the EHDs. The Programme adopted the motto AArchitectural Heritage organised by “Europe, a common heritage”. the Council of Europe in Granada, Spain, on 3 October 1985, the then French Minister for Since 2008, the EHD Programme considers Culture, Jack Lang proposed to extend heritage in its wider context as a social, throughout Europe the Historical Monument economic and political resource beyond the Open Day that had been successfully heritage assets themselves. With the Council introduced the previous year in France. A of Europe’s 6th Conference of European resolution on the promotion of architectural Ministers responsible for Cultural Heritage, heritage in socio-cultural life recommended and Recommendation CM/Rec(2017)1 of the that states implement the broadening of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of concept of architectural heritage and promote Europe on the European Cultural Heritage the general public’s awareness of and access Strategy for the 21st century2, the importance to its heritage. The subsequent years of an integrated approach to heritage has witnessed a number of countries following this been emphasised, highlighting the essential proposal: the Netherlands (1987), Sweden and linkages between social and economic value Malta (1988), Belgium (1989), Denmark, and the education and knowledge Scotland and Turkey (1990). This gradual components, offering guidance on how to increase in interest encouraged the Council of incorporate these components into heritage Europe to pursue its activities, with support governance. from the Commission of the European Community, the European Cultural
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