The 2019 European Heritage Stories initiative picked up where the successful 2018 pilot season left off. European Heritage Days communities presented a total of 80 original and inspiring stories that link the local heritage narratives to the common European perspective. Aiming to support the communities behind the stories, the initiative awards 10 most original ones with a grant to further develop the projects.

One of 2019 awarded projects comes from Slovenia. Idrija: How the Young Are Upgrading its Heritage demonstrates the potential of youth initiative to revive the past for the sustainable future. Building upon the previous efforts of a group of young social activists, the project prepares additional activities that promote youth engagement in heritage reconstruction.

Young enthusiasts inspired by heritage

Photo: Miha Tratnik Bajc

The story of Idrija HeritageHack begins with five young enthusiasts – a sociologist, a linguist, an architect, a tourist guide and a marketer, whose previous social engagements gave birth to new ideas. Aiming to help the local community in a small former mining town of Idrija, the team developed several programmes that use the local heritage as a catalyst for change. The rich heritage of UNESCO town Idrija was reinvented to serve the modern needs. From 2012, the team behind the Idrija 2020 Association organised several significant activities and projects including:

  • guided tours of the local heritage landmarks
  • workshops and lectures on entrepreneurship
  • the “TBI Magazine” on the future of the town
  • TBI: Youth, Town and Heritage interdisciplinary workshop
  • a jewellery brand inspired by traditional Idrija lace-making craft
  • renovation, branding and development of traditional miners’ houses
  • the first HeritageLab.

Heritage incubator of ideas

As one of the key projects, the opening of the first HeirtageLab allows for sustainable development of similar initiatives that enable young creatives from small and semi-peripheral towns to connect to the local heritage through development of new businesses and services. The project received international recognition in 2018 as the winner of the European Social Innovation Competition.

The 2019 project for European Heritage Stories aims to present a new dimension of heritage revival. A 3-day hackathon on “Cultural Heritage as Social Innovation for Better Communities” – “HeritageHack” is an interactive conference that will forefront heritage as the main source of innovation. The project builds upon the previous success stories, collaborations and research to help spread the word to local policymakers, communities and European audiences. The hackathon will gather institutions and social innovators around the idea of creating a sustainable future in the region. Teams of creatives, mentors, social innovators and heritage experts will work together on developing hybrid skillsets, products and services using heritage as the main tool and a source of inspiration. Cutting edge digital tools will be available to bring the new dimension to the activities and inspire young creators to view and present heritage in a new way.

Following the event, the most original and sustainable ideas will be further tested and developed in the Idrija HeritageLab. In addition to reviving local heritage and bringing about positive social changes within local communities, the project will have an impact on a wider, European scale. The previous mining industry in Idrija enabled many cultures to leave their mark on the local heritage landscape providing a better understanding of the diverse multidimensional heritage and the common roots that bound them. In the same manner, the HeritageHack will have implications on similar projects across Europe and will inspire learning and sharing.

The project concludes in early 2020. You can follow the progress here www.id20.si/en/home/ . The 2020 call for European Heritage Days Stories will open soon, so check back for the latest information on how you can apply.