New CHARTER Report: Regional Cultural Heritage Ecosystems

How is cultural heritage integrated into regional development? CHARTER Alliance publishes new report on six regional case studies conducted by ERRIN

Regional Cultural Heritage Ecosystems: CHARTER Alliance publishes findings from six regional case studies. 

The European Cultural Heritage Skills Alliance CHARTER, an Erasmus+ funded project, has published a new report showcasing all the findings and conclusions derived from the regional case studies conducted by ERRIN members in the Basque Country (Spain), Sibiu (Romania), Bremen (Germany), Alentejo (Portugal), Tuscany (Italy), and Västra Götaland (Sweden). This report synthesises how cultural heritage and related skills are integrated into regional development policies and strategies and examines sector-integrated dynamics within these ecosystems.

The six regional workshops, held from October 2021 until June 2023, form the basis of this report. These workshops brought together diverse stakeholders from each region’s heritage ecosystem, who engaged in presentations, panel discussions, surveys, focus groups and interactive work sessions to provide CHARTER with insights and data. Simultaneously, stakeholders were introduced to CHARTER models, tools, and assumptions to test and share their feedback, thereby contributing to the refinement of the project’s results. Additionally, field visits to observe best practices and dialogue with practitioners in their day-to-day professional working environments helped further understand each hosting region's unique features, projects, and assets.

How do cultural heritage stakeholders interact?

The case studies highlight fragmented dynamics within the ecosystems. Despite stakeholders' willingness to collaborate, short-term project-based efforts and siloed approaches hinder systemic integration. Additionally, a lack of deep mutual understanding between education providers and heritage professionals makes the process more challenging. As the topic of skills is relatively new to most regions, vertical and horizontal policy alignment is critical to guarantee the necessary skills supply for ensuring that ambitious national cultural heritage policy objectives can be successfully implemented at regional and local levels. This is particularly important as some regions hold competencies in Education & Training, but many do not. CHARTER suggests strengthening medium- and long-term collaborations and fostering trust among ecosystem actors. Engaging private sector employers and professionals from related sectors like tourism and construction is also crucial.

In this context, the report identifies regional authorities as key figures in fostering collaboration within heritage ecosystems. Their local knowledge is essential in mobilising stakeholders, though engaging self-employed entrepreneurs and private companies remains challenging. Regular networking opportunities and a sector-integrated approach are recommended to enhance ongoing dialogues and collaboration.

What do the regional cases tell us about Education and Training?

Despite challenges, many small-scale innovative Education and Training solutions are emerging at the regional level, and regional authorities are establishing and strengthening Regional and Interregional Skills Partnerships. Increased networking and collaboration among stakeholders can enhance the scalability of successful initiatives. 

There’s still a need to prioritise Continuous Professional Development to face the impact of the Digital, Green, and Blue transitions on cultural heritage.  The report recommends developing long-term regional skills policies to enhance skills governance and strengthen skills intelligence at the regional level through data-driven policies. Establishing Regional and Interregional Skills Partnerships is suggested to maximise the impact of local and regional efforts and improve knowledge circulation. The report highlights the importance of comprehensive long-term cultural heritage strategies, emphasising systemic approaches to assess and address skills shortages and mismatches. Recommendations include prioritising Continuous Professional Development (CDP), promoting micro-credentials, and strengthening skills governance through collaboration and data-driven policies.

In the specific case of crafts and crafts-related competencies, a significant risk of these skills disappearing across all studied regions has been detected, some of which are already lost. Urgent actions are needed at all governance levels to revitalise these skills, including recognising non-formal learning and ensuring traditional crafts' eligibility for EU funding.

Continue reading the full report attached.  

About CHARTER

Together with six, it brings together and represents the whole range of the European cultural heritage sector. The 47 project partners strive to make cultural heritage's value apparent and create a resilient and responsive sector. ERRIN and its members pioneered this first sectoral skills blueprint project under Erasmus+, which included regions that have been included from the start and took a solid regional focus when investigating the skills demands and supply in the sector.