Council of Europe

European Heritage Forums on the occasion of the annual European Heritage Days

The European Heritage Forums are an annual international crossroads for all stakeholders, professional or voluntary, involved in the interpretation, communication and dissemination of the cultural heritage.

Access to the cultural heritage is an aspect of the right to participate in cultural life, as defined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It not only promotes the public’s access to cultural assets, but also ensures a better understanding of their meaning and values in our societies.

In a multicultural Europe characterised by exchanges and mobility, the interpretation and explanation of heritage should enable everyone to identify with and find their roots in one or more heritages, while at the same time being able to acknowledge and accept the cultures of others.

The Forums help promote a more systematic international exchange between a range of players, professionals, voluntary workers and others, all sharing the task of communicating, presenting and ensuring the enjoyment and dissemination, in various forms, of our heritage.

Aim and target audience of the Forums

To take stock of changing practices, methods and techniques in the interpretation, communication and dissemination of the cultural heritage. The aim is not only to promote information exchange, but also to foster professional ethics. The Forums will not necessarily introduce new questions, but will contribute to updating the debate on changes facing society, encouraging people to take a new look at heritage.

2011

4th Forum on "Value the Heritage! European Heritage and Economic Development"

Wroclaw (Poland), 11 October 2011

Previous events

2010

2009

2008

For more information

jep-ehd@coe.int

To bring together a broad range of professional categories which may vary according to the theme chosen each year: heritage professionals, cultural mediators, public administration and local authority officials, tourism and cultural industry professionals, economists, teachers and educators, vocational training sectors, researchers, members of voluntary organisations, and representatives of international governmental and non-governmental organisations.

To provide input to a process of networking experience and know-how by creating the right conditions for innovation and creativity in the heritage sector.

The next steps

The Forums are organised in a different country each year in October or November. The European Heritage Days’ coordinators are involved in the Forum which provides them with an opportunity to discuss heritage issues with high level experts in the field and exchange information on the developments occurring on the European Heritage Days in their respective countries.

In forthcoming years, the Forums could continue to address themes of current interest, such as heritage education, the initial and in-service training of key players, long-term analysis of heritage demand from the public, the approach to heritage in the context of the financial crisis, tourism development, etc.