Today we face multiple changes in our socioeconomic and cultural context, climate, and environment too, that are modifying the way in which we perceive, experience and transmit cultural heritage. New technologies are also potentiating innovative attitudes that allow audiences to make better use of their skills and become active participants. As a response to such challenges, the Ministers of the States parties to the European Cultural Convention declared in Namur already in April 2015, the need for a Strategy that would redefine the place and role of cultural heritage in Europe.

The new Strategy 21 Methodology guidelines are designed to assist both government officials and project managers in their daily work, by demonstrating the main approaches to ST21 and proposing implementation methods already tried and tested by various stakeholders.

This document provides further valuable guidance and suggests possible answers to some key questions, such as:

1. Which stakeholders can make use of Strategy 21 – public /national /regional / local authorities, professionals, associations, museums, communities, citizens, cultural heritage owners, etc?

2. What are their roles vis-à-vis cultural heritage?

3. How can they use Strategy 21 in practical ways, taking into account the principles of participation and sustainability, and with the aim of producing transversal impacts (social/territory/knowledge) and responding to migratory, climatic and innovation challenges, in line with the UN 2030 sustainable development goals)?