Europa Nostra takes part in #HeritageforFuture Conference in Luxembourg
To mark the end of the European Year of Cultural Heritage and before the closing Conference of the Year in Vienna, the Creative Europe Desk Culture – Luxembourg and the European Institute of Cultural Routes organised the Conference “#HeritageforFuture” in Luxembourg on 3-4 December. This major conference addressed the question of sustainable support for cultural heritage in Europe and highlighted the potential of European networking and funding as well as the legacy of the European Year of Cultural Heritage.
The Conference was opened by Guy Arendt, Secretary of State for Culture in Luxembourg, Michel Magnier, Director of Culture and Creativity at the DG EAC at the European Commission, Snežana Samardžić-Marković, Director General for Democracy at the Council of Europe, and Christian Biever, the new President of the European Institute of Cultural Routes, whose offices are located in the Neumünster Abbey in the historical part of Luxembourg City.
Sneška Quaedvlieg-Mihailović, Secretary General of Europa Nostra, set the tone of the Conference. In her keynote speech, she recounted her personal experience of the European Year of Cultural Heritage, telling the story of how the proclamation of the Year was achieved and spoke of its future legacy and the many bridges built between all the different stakeholders. The Secretary General of Europa Nostra stressed that a strong coalition – gathering the EU Institutions, the Member States, the European Heritage Alliance 3.3, the Reflection Group, the European Heritage Heads Forum and all partners, including those behind the European Heritage Days, the European Heritage Label and the European Cultural Routes – has emerged from a common sense of purpose and a shared narrative. She also emphasised the important political contribution that representatives and institutions from Luxembourg have made to the European Year.
Three major themes were discussed during the Conference: 1) Sustainable investment: financing cultural heritage in Europe’s regions; (2) Anticipating needs and challenges: towards the sustainable management of cultural heritage projects; and (3) How to combine efforts for sustainable support: fostering European synergies.
Guy Clausse, Executive Vice-President of Europa Nostra, was one of the panelists of the first session on European Funds for cultural, local and regional development. He underlined the need for sustainable solutions for cultural heritage sites and for identifying the socioeconomic benefits derived from investing in cultural heritage in order to attract a mix of complementary funding sources including EU funding.
On the second day of the Conference, three case studies demonstrated the importance of ensuring the sustainability of funded projects.
The closing session “How to combine efforts for sustainable support: fostering European synergies”, gathered representatives of various institutions, including Francisco de Paula Coelho, Dean of the European Investment Bank Institute, and the Sneška Quaedvlieg-Mihailović, Secretary General of Europa Nostra.
The next edition of the #HeritageForFuture Conference will take place on 2-3 December 2019 in Luxembourg and will further engage with the themes of financing, sustainability and networking, while offering further opportunity for networking.
Thumbnail photo: © Malgorzata Skwara
