EYCH: a valued input for projects related to cultural heritage

Are you interested in cultural heritage? Do you want to learn more about the European Year of Cultural Heritage (EYCH) and the impact it can have on projects?

Then join our Interreg Reporter on an Interview with Chiara Dall'Aglio, a member of Sviluppumbria Spa, the lead partner for SHARE project.

First, why is cultural heritage so important?

Cultural heritage is what brings people together, what defines a people's identity. Whether tangible (buildings, monuments, archeological sites, books), intangible (traditions, social practices, knowledge), or digital (videos, records), cultural heritage is part of what unites a people and ensures the building of its future. The European Union is highlighting this in 2018 through EYCH. Throughout the year, various activities will take place at different EU, national, regional and local level.

Interreg Europe is running diverse projects which are in line with the EYCH goal of highlighting cultural heritage. Among them, SHARE project addresses the issue of cultural heritage management and preservation under all its forms in urban settings through exchange of experiences. The partnership, gathering seven regions from Italy, Spain, Romania, UK, Sweden, Hungary and Croatia, wants to develop a sustainable and smart approach to cultural heritage management and uses within smart cities. 

Now, join our Interreg Reporter in her interview with Chiara Dall'Aglio:

Interreg Reporter (IR): What are, according to you, the main inputs the EYCH can bring to SHARE?

Chiara Dall'Aglio (CD): Hopefully, the label will put SHARE on the map of a broad range of stakeholders involved in cultural heritage all over Europe, but will also help us strengthen the links with other Interreg Europe projects. Indeed, we can contribute to the EYCH fruitfully, by providing good practices and the learning exchange outputs through the Policy Learning Platform. We also believe the label will "reward" the involvement of our stakeholders in each partner's area for their contribution to our activities. 

IR: Can the involvement in the EYCH help you in the selection of good practices? 

CD: The EYCH is an added impulse in identifying best practices because its goals meet ours: to engage public and private bodies and people in solving cultural heritage issues in Europe and to raise awareness about its importance as part of our identity. Therefore, in identifying best practices which contributes to the year's aim, we identify and highlight better our own best practices. 

IR: How do you plan to benefit from the EYCH label? 

CD: Being given the EYCH label will not be the end of the process but the beginning. We want to find ways to be worthy of it and to incorporate its image in our activities for 2018. We don't want to limit ourselves to adding the logo to our communication tools. 

Are you a project dedicated to cultural heritage? Are you interested in sharing a similar experience as SHARE or the other Interreg Europe projects involved in the EYCH? Then fill in the application form for the EYCH. It is not too late to be part of this adventure.