Objectives The project aimed at supporting and making possible transnational learning from and about cultural heritage; to allow children and young people to define and voice what they regard as important cultural heritage and thereby strengthen their role in the cultural heritage processes; to enhance the role of cultural heritage in the everyday lives of the young people; and to increase respect for the cultural heritage of others. Reflecting the Creative Europe Programme goals, the project’s objectives and priorities included capacity building of young people, transnational mobility and interaction between cultural heritage sector and educational sectors, which were all supported by various project implementation activities.
Implementation In two separate phases during school pilots at 11 schools in 2018-2019, teachers and pupils were supported through teacher training, heritage and media workshops and ready-made pedagogical materials for heritage education. In Autumn 2018, the pupils familiarised themselves with their own heritage and produced videos and other digital presentations of what they regard as important cultural heritage. The second phase in Spring 2019, was about learning about the cultural heritage of others, and interpreting and presenting this heritage during exchange visits. The visits were also an opportunity for the hosting pupils to share their own heritage (visits to heritage sites, museums, local cultural experiences, etc.) with the visiting pupils in person, and for the visiting pupils to experience the cultural habits, traditions and daily life of their peers.
Results Heritage Hubs provided the pupils with an opportunity to discover cultural similarities (and differences) and common values at European level. Based on participant feedback, the overall outcome of the project is a better understanding of cultural heritage, overcoming many cultural prejudices, and increased respect for the culture, traditions and way of life of others. Other main capacity building results include emotional growth of the pupils and their increased sense of cultural empathy. Teachers reported that the project as a whole was a massive learning curve during which the pupils – and teachers – learnt a lot about themselves and their own cultural identities through learning about cultural heritage and practices in other countries. Cultural heritage became a new link between pupils, teachers, parents and the wider community. Heritage Hubs created a heritage education methodology presented in the online Manual for Cultural Heritage Education, which can provide sustainable results and long-term effects in the field of heritage education throughout Europe. The project also successfully supported cooperation between the education and heritage sectors, which is further supported by our recommendations for heritage education.

Project website: https://heritagehubs.eu/

Project co-funded by the Creative Europe Programme, Project n. 2018-1257/001-001