Circular Letter # 5-2011

Circular Letter # 5-2011 – August 2011

For the attention of all national coordinators of the European Heritage Days, a joint action of the Council of Europe and the European Commission.

Dear EHD coordinators,

As you know, for the first time this year we are organising a training session on how best to communicate the European dimension of the EHDs. For many years now, although the EHDs are a great success in participating countries, the fact that they are a European initiative seems to have got lost. Each country can be proud of its heritage – but we can also be proud of "our common European Heritage".

Our Networking specialists will show you how to gain access to Europe-wide publicity. They will also show you how to put your message across succinctly and effectively in order to gain attention easily. You will learn new skills: how to work across print; radio and TV and how to use social networks. You will also learn how make yourself heard with maximum effect.

We therefore kindly ask you to prepare for this training by:

1. Providing examples of how you managed / did not manage to promote the European dimension in your 2011 EHDs (newspaper articles; videos; drawings; etc).

2. Other examples of what worked and what didn’t during your 2011 EHDs (one or two case studies which can be analysed during the training).

3. Preparing for an exercise on how to promote the Faro Convention (which entered into force on 1 June 2011) through the EHDs. You may wish to consult the special dossier (especially "Faro – the major issues") on the Convention and imagine ways of how you would promote it during the national EHDs via the different media. Consult in particular the publication "Heritage and Beyond" which should give you ideas on how to promote "our common European Heritage".

The training will consist of:

A ¾ hour exercise in introductions and getting the message across.

Rene Wyndham’s group will focus on:

a. differences in print; radio and TV; how to work with each (interviews, etc.);

b. drafting exercise - improving jargon press release;

c. coping with negative connotations of "European" (some examples in the UK)

d. melting the borders – seeing your country as part of the greater whole in Europe

e. how to pitch your own project

f. examining participants’ experience with the media (case studies)

Julio Romo’s group will focus on:

a. strategic communication; media relations; online communication

b. using the social media (Facebook, Twitter) (locally and across borders)