Report: Skills, Training and Knowledge Transfer in Cultural Heritage

In the context of the Voices of Culture process, a "structured dialogue" between the European Commission and the cultural sector, a report entitled Towards an Integrated Approach to Cultural Heritage for Europe - Prospectus on "Skills, Training and Knowledge Transfer for Traditional and Emerging Heritage Professions" has recently been published. The report is the result of a 'brainstorming session' held on 15-16 June 2017 in Brussels, which provided a space for exchange and discussion between 34 participants representing the cultural sectors from the EU Member States. In the course of the session, participants highlighted that heritage professionals require broad skillsets, in-depth expertise and a strong foundation in ethics. As a result, a broadening and updating of existing skill definitions is necessary, and particular attention should be paid to the following aspects:

• transversal skills (management, communication, fundraising, sustainability, etc.);
• ethics that should inform all practice;
• expertise for new forms of heritage, such as digital heritage; and
• a transversal approach and multidisciplinary work.

Among the conclusions of the process was also the indication that "not integrating cultural heritage into other fields and not applying a participatory approach are currently the two biggest challenges in the transmission of traditional knowledge." Voices of Culture provides a framework for discussions between EU civil society stakeholders and the European Commission with regard to culture. Its main objective is to provide a channel for the voice of the cultural sector in Europe to be heard by EU policy-makers. In addition, it aims to strengthen the advocacy capacity of the cultural sector in policy debates on culture at a European level, while encouraging it to work in a more collaborative way. The process was launched in 2015 and will continue operating until 2018. "Skills, Training and Knowledge Transfer: traditional and emerging heritage" was its main theme in 2017, involving a brainstorming session and a dialogue. The brainstorming report is available as a free download from http://www.voicesofculture.eu/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/VoC_skills_and_training_Final_Report.pdf