Engaging Communities in Cultural Heritage

PAROS, Greece - Feb. 7, 2024 - PRLog -- Cultural heritage professionals are invited to participate in our innovative annual summer field school titled "Engaging Communities in Cultural Heritage." Organized by the Heritage Management Organization (HERITΛGE) and delivered by Dr. Aris Anagnostopoulos, Dr. Lena Stefanou, and Dr. Evangelos Kyriakidis, this two-week hybrid program offers a unique blend of online lectures and hands-on fieldwork on the picturesque island of Paros, Greece.

Community engagement has become a cornerstone of heritage preservation efforts worldwide. However, the one-size-fits-all approach often falls short of addressing the diverse cultural dynamics of communities. Recognizing this challenge, the field school aims to cultivate a more nuanced approach to community engagement, grounded in social and artistic research and guided by community-led initiatives.

Participants will have the opportunity to collaborate with local citizen initiatives, gaining firsthand experience in collective knowledge creation and heritage preservation. Through practical exercises, including ethnographic research and oral history interviews, participants will learn to curate multimedia content tailored to the specific needs of diverse communities.

"We are excited to offer this interdisciplinary program that bridges theory and practice in heritage management," says Dr.  Evangelos Kyriakidis, HERITΛGE Director."By combining online learning with immersive fieldwork, participants will gain valuable insights into effective community engagement strategies."

The field school is open to both in-person and online participants. In-person students will attend lectures and fieldwork sessions on Paros Island, while online students will engage in virtual lectures and conduct interviews with local community members. Both groups will collaborate to produce research results, fostering a dynamic learning environment.

The program will cover various themes, including an introduction to heritage management and community engagement, ethnographic methods, oral history, and digital curation of cultural heritage. Participants will receive training in applied ethnography, multimedia content creation, and the possibilities of cultural heritage in online repositories.

Join us for an enriching experience that combines academic rigor with real-world application. Apply now to secure your place in this transformative summer field school.

Program Details:

• Date: 17-30 June 2024
• Location: Hybrid Training Program (Online and Paros Island, Greece)
• Application Deadline: 28 January 2024

For more information and to apply, visit https://heritagemanagement.org/training/summer-schools/en...

About HERITΛGE: The Heritage Management Organization (HERITΛGE) was established in 2008 to enable key heritage managers to independently transform heritage assets into dynamic sources of learning, community identity, and economic development through targeted training. We train professionals in the management of heritage sites, independently of project specifics. HERITΛGE has trained over 2300 individuals and organizations in over 110 countries and is now on course to impact a quarter of global heritage hotspots by the year 2025.