After 12 months and over 11,500 events involving 6.2 million people, the European Year of Cultural Heritage is reaching its conclusion. Throughout the year, we’ve been celebrating the tangible, intangible, natural and digital elements that define our past and guide our future. Cultural heritage is intrinsic to our European identity and 2018 has been an excellent commemoration of its importance.

As this is the sixth and final newsletter, we’ll be rounding off the year with a final update on all the activities and events that took place. What’s more, the European Year of Cultural Heritage is as much about passing the torch to the next generation as it is about marking the generations of the past. Which is why this edition of the newsletter is dedicated to young people and the important role they play in keeping heritage, tradition and culture alive.

The participants of the musical "That's the soul of the wolf" in Latvia. ©Raitis Mūrnieks, 2018

Younger generations are not only the future custodians of cultural heritage - they are also the vital spark that allows heritage to maintain its relevance and value. At the same time, cultural heritage is a unique tool to facilitate formal and informal education, and a powerful vector for youth development and active citizenship. Over the last 12 months, many efforts were undertaken to make the most of the different facets of cultural heritage.

From mobilising youth in volunteering projects for the benefit of cultural heritage, to developing new tools to bring cultural heritage into the classrooms, the ultimate goal is to empower and upskill the younger generations for a better understanding, protection and enhancement of our heritage.

We’ll be finding out how young people have made an impact on the year’s proceedings, and how you can embrace the legacy of the European year in your community.

As one of the most well-known and successful EU programmes, Erasmus+ provides many opportunities for young people to learn more about cultural heritage. Throughout 2018, Erasmus+ has brought cultural heritage to the fore. Take a look at this publication developed by Erasmus + on the occasion of the European Year of Cultural Heritage 2018, and read about some inspirational examples of what has been done. Read more about Erasmus+ enriching our cultural heritage

The year has been jam-packed full of activities so far, and many of them have focused on encouraging young people to engage with cultural heritage. Here’s a snapshot of the events where young people were at the forefront:

• 15-16 March: Your Europe, Your Say! 2018 "United in Diversity: a younger future for European Culture", organised by the European Economic and Social Committee and dedicated to the European Year. Watch the video
• 1-2 June: Heritage-related workshops at the European Youth Event (EYE 2018) at the European Parliament, which gathered 8,500 young people. A podcast, photos and videos are available on the EYE 2018 web page. A report with 100 ideas for a better future was also produced by participants.
• 19-22 June: "The Future is Heritage" summit was held as part of the broader summit "Sharing Heritage, Sharing Values", which took place from 18-24 June. Additionally, a session during the European Policy Debate of the summit was dedicated to the "messages of the younger generation" on 22 June.
• 18-26 August: "Wild Child Day" at Irish Heritage Week, with a particular focus on hands-on outdoor activities for children, from history hunts and storytelling sessions to craft workshops.
• 5-9 November: The European Vocational Skills Week 2018 was a unique opportunity for young professionals to develop their skills, prepare for jobs, and improve their employability. Find out more
• Throughout 2018: In collaboration with the European Commission, the National Liberation Museum of Maribor ran Museum for Peace – a European Story, a programme that focuses on European representation in Slovenia. It involves 60 tailor-made activities/events where school students can discover Maribor’s heritage through a wider European perspective.

If you couldn’t make it to these events in person, do not worry as you can always catch up on all the action via Twitter using the hashtag, #EuropeForCulture

The climax of the European Year of Cultural Heritage took place at the #EuropeForCulture closing conference. It was held in Vienna on 6-7 December, and was organised in collaboration with the Austrian Presidency of the Council of the EU and the European Commission. The conference showcased successful projects and discussed the legacy of the year. There was also a session addressing the importance of young people’s participation in preserving and taking responsibility for our cultural heritage.

Here are some other celebrations that took place to help finish the European Year of Cultural Heritage on a high note:

• Romania: a forum and closing event took place on 28-29 November and was hosted by the President of Romania.
• Finland: a closing ceremony took place on 28 November in the presence of heritage officials, experts, activists, researchers, members of NGO's and other stakeholders.
• Spain: the Minister of Culture and Sports closed the year in Alcalá de Henares, a world heritage city near Madrid, on 12 December.

Taking action, supporting legacies

Tibor Navracsics, Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, presented the first-ever European Framework for Action on Cultural Heritage during the #EuropeForCulture closing conference in Vienna. The Framework for Action establishes 5 main areas of continued action for Europe’s cultural heritage, to which the EU is contributing. It includes over 60 actions that will be implemented by the European Commission in 2019 and 2020.

The 5 areas of action:

• Cultural heritage for an inclusive Europe: participation and access for all
• Cultural heritage for a sustainable Europe: smart solutions for a cohesive and sustainable future
• Cultural heritage for a resilient Europe: safeguarding endangered heritage
• Cultural heritage for an innovative Europe: mobilising knowledge and research
• Cultural heritage for stronger global partnerships: reinforcing international cooperation

Social media has played a key role throughout the year. Through various activations on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, we reached out to and engaged with a young audience; inviting them to discover Europe's cultural heritage and to share the culture and traditions that matters most to them. Read more

The European Commission and UNESCO have joined forces to promote learning about, and through, intangible cultural heritage in schools. The new EU-UNESCO project will review and collect heritage education tools in EU schools and provide guidance and resources for safeguarding intangible cultural heritage in school programmes and extra-curricular activities. A group of up to 8 school teams will also be trained in the implementation of pilot activities related to intangible cultural heritage. Read more

To help inspire children to embrace Europe’s cultural heritage, the European Commission has provided direct support to teachers in the classroom. Indeed, 2 EU online educational platforms, eTwinning and School Education Gateway, have focused on the theme of cultural heritage over the past year. Read more

Last summer, 15,000 young Europeans were given the chance to discover Europe’s cultural heritage through the DiscoverEU pilot initiative. As a result of the pilot’s success, the programme is back next year and offered a further 12,000 young people the opportunity to explore the cultural sights, sounds, smells and tastes of towns and cities across the EU. Applications for next year closed on 11 December. Learn more about the programme

Teachers’ toolkit: bringing Europe's cultural heritage to the classroom

Cultural heritage is all about getting ‘hands on’ with history, tradition and culture. To help students to do so, the European Commission has developed an informative and engaging Teachers’ Toolkit: Europe’s Cultural Heritage, which focuses on promoting better understanding of cultural heritage, both locally and in the European context.

Europe’s cultural heritage through eTwinning

The new book, Europe’s cultural heritage through eTwinning, is dedicated to bringing cultural heritage to the classroom. The aim of the book is to unfold the various aspects of cultural heritage and to offer examples of eTwinning projects as well as ideas for activities related to cultural heritage.

Pencils at the ready? Get colouring!

Find your crayons and sharpen your coloured pencils! To honour the European Year of Cultural Heritage, Europeana has released a brand new colouring book using open licensed designs from 14 European cultural institutions, giving everyone the opportunity to bring their own colour to cultural heritage. Download the colouring book

It’s never too late to get involved

The European Year of Cultural Heritage may be coming to a close, but our traditions, our cuisine, our art and our history are more vibrant and dynamic than ever. There’s always time to engage with tangible, intangible, physical and digital forms of cultural heritage, either in your community or across Europe. 

The European Solidarity Corps creates opportunities for young people to volunteer or work with communities in need, either at home or abroad, and it goes hand-in-hand with cultural heritage. The EU has set aside €44 million for European Solidarity Corps projects connected to cultural heritage. These projects are open to all young people across Europe and beyond. It’s not too late to get involved, volunteering teams can apply until 18 February 2019. Find out more

Under the Erasmus+ Key Action 2, the EU is encouraging the emergence of 20 ‘European Universities’ by 2024. They will consist of bottom-up networks of universities across the EU that will enable students to obtain a degree by combining studies in several EU countries, in turn contributing to the international competitiveness of European universities. View the 2019 call for proposals. If you’re interested in becoming involved, visit the EACEA website for details about funding, or contact your national agency for further information and support.

Cultural heritage isn’t confined to museums, it can be on your phone too! On 7 December, the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre launched a new app to help you discover and share hidden cultural treasures in cities across Europe. “Cultural gems” aims to help citizens discover the very best of culture, heritage and creativity in their cities and in the cities they visit. Have a look at the app and share your knowledge with other culture-seekers.

Thank you for following us during the European Year of Cultural Heritage! As this is the last newsletter to be sent out during the campaign, your personal data will now be removed from our registers.

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