The creative energy of European Heritage Days national coordinators truly makes a difference for Europe. We are witnessing it with every new site that opens for European Heritage Days, every new heritage activity, and every individual who joins the celebrations. 

When these professionals gather in the same room, their passion for heritage becomes almost tangible.

This was the case at the recent European Heritage Days Assembly 2017, which brought together over 70 national coordinators and guests for a three-day meeting in Strasbourg. Between 17 and 19 October, the creative minds behind European Heritage Days had an opportunity to share experiences, success stories, and ideas to make the next edition of European Heritage Days even more participatory.

The discussions focused on the European Year of Cultural Heritage 2018, innovative heritage education and sustainable development initiatives, as well as new ways to involve European communities in heritage governance. The meeting included success stories from national coordinators, as well as presentations of Europa Nostra and Interpret Europe representatives, whose work and views inspired participants to discuss new approaches to heritage.

Commenting on the outcomes of the meeting, European Heritage Days Programme Manager, Jelena Mocevic said:

“The creativity and innovative ideas of European Heritage Days coordinators never fail to impress me. Their creative energy, their passion for heritage and sharing, as well as their remarkable personal experiences and backgrounds are key to keeping European Heritage Days alive, vivid, and incredibly attractive for citizens.

This year, we changed the concept of our annual meetings and this was our first European Heritage Days Assembly. Given the record number of participants, the inspiring presentations, and all the remarkable ideas we discussed, it was more than successful. It felt like we had the whole Europe in a single room, celebrating the bonds that have been tying us together for centuries. This comes in addition to 70 000 events and over 30 million visitors that illustrate the success of the festival and I am honoured to be able to work with these people, be inspired by them, and be influenced by their incredible stories.”

With the year 2018 being declaired as the European Year of Cultural Heritage, European Heritage Days will play a vital role in promoting and expanding the initiative. Next year, heritage celebrations will go beyond the months of September and October, when most countries traditionally celebrate European Heritage Days. Correspondingly, several new initiatives may be implemented with the support of national coordinators Europe-wide. The proposals for the initiatives include:  

• European Heritage Makers Week, which builds upon the success of the Heritage Makers competition that started in Finland four years ago and aims to empower children for active participation in heritage exploration. In 2018, the European Heritage Makers Week will take place in dozens of European countries throughout April and May, 2018. The European Week will give opportunity for children across Europe to explore their surroundings, discover the European dimension of the heritage and share their unique stories. The most inspiring stories will be recognised on both national and European level.
• Call for European Stories, intended to give more voice to heritage owners and communities that work tirelessly on preserving and enhancing Europe’s heritage.
• Sharing Stories – increasing minority participation in the European Heritage Days, with seven European countries working together through the European Heritage Days to challenge stereotypes and grow understanding of minority ethnic heritage in Europe by empowering communities to share their stories through participatory, inclusive and cooperative events.

With the new initiatives on the horizon, the celebrations of Europe’s heritage will get an entirely new dimension in 2018. Crossing borders, frontiers, professions, and industries, cultural heritage is a unifying force of Europe that embodies our shared histories. As such, it will be the centrepiece of cultural activities in 2018, when all countries will come together to celebrate the intrinsic values that bond all Europeans.