Heritas is a non-governmental initiative, started by a team of volunteers, which seeks to encourage people to take the leadership in initiating cultural heritage preservation activities as well as to develop participatory approach to the cultural heritage preservation and maintenance. At the same time, Heritas aims to bring together people, who work in the different spheres of cultural heritage preservation and to encourage their mutual communication, prompt the initiation of common projects and activities. In 2018 the first International Fair of Cultural Heritage Education, Conservation and Technologies was organised, which aimed to gather private and governmental cultural heritage organisations, associations, museums and individual persons and to present cultural heritage for the society in a popular and understandable language. Heritas initiative reflects the spirit of European cultural heritage documents and conventions, that defines the role of communities in the processes of cultural heritage preservation and maintenance. At the same time Heritas aims to lead the positive changes in the sector by example and promote democratic, participatory approach to the preservation of cultural heritage.

Heritas is a non-governmental initiative, started by a team of volunteers. The main goal of the initiative is to bring cultural heritage to new life in a different way. Heritas seeks to encourage people to take the leadership in initiating cultural heritage preservation activities as well as to develop participatory approach to the cultural heritage preservation and maintenance. At the same time, Heritas aims to bring together people, who work in the different spheres of cultural heritage preservation and to encourage their mutual communication, prompt the initiation of common projects and activities. As the cultural heritage preservation sector is highly institutionalized, ordinary people may be quite frightened of the cultural heritage preservation activities, which they do not understand properly. Heritas encourages to change this balance by promoting democratic, bottom-up approach to cultural heritage preservation, mostly through education. Heritas team believes, that the most effective way of reaching the aforementioned goals and objectives is through education and experience: therefore, a best way to reach wide society is to organise a free of charge public event, where people, who work at the cultural heritage sector, could present their work by using creative and innovative solutions. On the second year of the initiative, Heritas has an ambition to expand and provide more services, related to the preservation of cultural heritage: starting consultations for the owners of cultural heritage objects, releasing a professional blog about different practices and news in the cultural heritage sector. In 2018 the first International Fair of Cultural Heritage Education, Conservation and Technologies was organised, which aimed to gather private and governmental cultural heritage organisations, associations, museums and individual persons and to present cultural heritage for the society in a popular and understandable language. During the Fair a great number of workshops, seminars and presentations were organised as well as cultural heritage preservation works (replacement of damaged roof tiles, polychrome analysis of mural paintings walls, wooden doors, conservation of the wall paintings, photogrammetrical scan of the front of the church) were implemented in the Blessed Virgin Mary of Consolation church. All participants of the Fair present their cultural heritage preservation activities and products in the creative and innovative way through experience and practice (eg. a virtual tour at the Blessed Virgin Mary of Consolation church was created by one of the participants of the fair). Educational aspect is highly important to the Fair, as it helps ordinary people, as well as youth and children, to understand the value of cultural heritage, to see the delicate processes of cultural heritage conservation and preservation and to experience the different activities, directly related to the preservation, maintenance and research of cultural heritage. As mentioned before, a lot of attention is paid for educating youth and children: a separate space is dedicated for them in the Fair, where they can learn about cultural heritage preservation through games, quizzes, excursions, art lessons and etc. The impact of the Fair is oriented to the encouragement of communal cultural heritage initiatives, promotion of individual possibilities to maintain cultural heritage, contact making and education about the values of cultural heritage. The educational aspect is a major one, as it helps individuals to know the cultural, social, educational, economical values of cultural heritage and to treat cultural heritage as an advantage, not as the obstacle for the development of real estate. In 2018 over 4000 visitors visited the Fair, what makes it a third biggest cultural heritage themed event in Lithuania (after European Heritage Days and International Night of the Museums). A second International Fair of Cultural Heritage Education, Conservation and Technologies is planned in 2019 as well, where even more educational activities, creative and innovative presentations of cultural heritage preservation work, research and products will be presented. Heritas team outlines, that the increased interest to participate in the second Fair is felt (mostly from non-governmental organisations, public institutions, scholars and craftsmen) as well as more interest in participating at the workshops, excursions and other educational activities from ordinary people is felt too.

As far as Heritas initiative is not linked to the particular cultural heritage object, the European dimension is reflected by actualising the spirit of European cultural heritage documents and conventions, that defines the role of communities in the processes of cultural heritage preservation and maintenance. Heritas aims to lead the positive changes in the sector by example and promote democratic, participatory and bottom-up approach to the preservation of cultural heritage. As the cultural heritage preservation sector in Lithuania is highly institutionalized, ordinary people may be quite frightened of the cultural heritage preservation activities, which they do not understand properly and Heritas encourages to change this balance by inspiring communities to take leadership in preservation of their own cultural heritage. Moreover, each year the International Fair of Cultural Heritage Education, Conservation and Technologies is planned to be organised in a different abandoned cultural heritage object, where also the most necessary preservation works are planned to be implemented together by the specialists and volunteers.