This Thematic Area has proposed a variety of working methods to its participants that have included a study visit to the Louvre Tactile Gallery, working meetings to discuss methodology, presentations, case studies and debates that stimulate the exchange of ideas and information, compiling a commented bibliography, and the creation of an evaluation grid to analyze mediation practices applied to heritage sites.

2012

Conference “Heritage and public policy of education”: 1 October 2012 // Split, Croatia

Organized by ENCATC member Prokultura Split, the “Heritage and public policy of education” conference brought together researchers, educators, local authorities and experts in field of culture, education and economics to explore the relationship between the cultural and the educational sector. This event was held on 1 October, on the occasion of the 400 year celebration of the Theatre of Hvar, the oldest public theatre in Europe. Nansi Ivanisevic, the Head of Prokultura association, opened the conference and accentuated the importance of exploration and interpolation of heritage related content in schools’ curricula, stating that the main goal of the Prokultura association is exploration and introduction of new methods and knowledge into the existing educational system, in order to educate students with more knowledge about their heritage and identity. The conference was also an excellent opportunity for the audience to share practical issues and, possibly, foster collaboration in order to enhance synergetic efforts to promote the values of heritage in the cultural, educational and tourist sector. The main theme of round table discussion was the recognition of local heritage as a strong factor of international affirmation and its potential to boost economic development. This is especially important today, when Croatia is finishing its part in the European integration project and the important role of the local community in this context cannot be stressed enough. The general conclusion of the conference was that cultural policies cannot be built without a continuous dialogue and joint effort between government, local authorities and professionals in their respective field of culture, education and economics. This event was made in collaboration with the University of Split, CEDI – ‘Robert Schuman’ and Decentralized service office – Split and Dalmatia Department.

Round Table “Understanding Heritage: A case study of Ferrara and the Delta du Po”: 11 April 2012 // Ferrara, Italy

This event was organised by the “Understand Heritage” Thematic Area Chair, Claire Giraud-Labalte from the Université Catholique de l’Ouest (Angers, France), in partnership with ENCATC board member, Fabio Donato from MuSeC – Department of Economics, Institutions, and Territory at the University of Ferrara. Ms. Giraud- Labalte and M. Donato were joined by other Round Table participants Marco Borella, the Former Director of the Ferrara Estense Castle, Lucilla Previati, Director of the Delta Po Park, and Anne Marie Visser, Professor in Museology at the University of Ferrara to discuss the importance of understanding heritage landscapes, their value, and specifically the case of Italy’s Delta du Po. The Delta du Po is a prime example of how a cultural landscape can have a significant impact in the development of towns and regions. Over 20 participants attended the event to hear Round Table participants discussed how to govern, manage and promote such landscapes and comparisons were made with France’s Loire Valley, which like the Delta du Po, is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The Thematic Area chair noted the importance of the audience’s diversity in greatly contributing to the discussion – a mix of cultural professionals, experts in art history, economics, management, museology and architecture, and university students from MuSeC and UCO.