From 21st to the 24th of September, European Heritage Summit 2021 was held by Europa Nostra at Venice Italy.
I had the pleasure, along with my other ambassador colleagues to attend some events, but also to be a panellist at the European Heritage Policy Agora “From the New European Bauhaus to the New European Renaissance” .
The European Heritage Policy Agora brought together policy-makers at all levels as well as key heritage stakeholders in a series of inspiring debates on the most topical issues for the cultural heritage ecosystem in Europe and I was honoured to be a part of this cohort and give my input and intervention as part of the youth delegation.
Here you can find all about the Summit and Policy Debate and also a Booklet of the Debate in English featuring all the speakers including me.
I was a part of the third panel named “Culture and Heritage as the basis of a New European Renaissance”. Through it I wanted to explore and stress how this “New European Renaissance” would manifest and what meaning it would have for young Europeans in the cultural sector. This would mean that, while learning from our past and focusing on our similarities as Europeans, it is important to give more space to new voices and ideas, and in fact create ways for the new young generation to make their contribution and that it be valued. So, when thinking about the new digital transformation, young people could provide better expertise and create new adaptable narratives through this channel.
Furthermore, I made an important remark about allowing young professionals and students in the heritage and culture field to enter it more easily and to make it more accessible, with providing meaningful experiences that allow for their intervention and prepare them for the future of heritage. To achieve this, more links between universities and organisations and/or companies are needed. Hence, all of this is ultimately linked to the idea of the democratisation of heritage and culture and moving in that direction when it comes to a New European Renaissance– creating more accessible ways of making heritage valuable and preserved so that it can keep up and be relevant with the present time and the issues the EU is facing.
I am so grateful for this opportunity and to have been included in the extraordinary summit and to have been able to as a young professional to give my input and make a contribution in some way.
