Young European Heritage Makers gathered at the Council’s headquarters in Strasbourg for a week of activities.
Dr Ioanna Katapidi, Lecturer in the Department of History, was asked by the Council of Europe to develop a session for Young European Heritage Makers, young people from across Europe who act as ambassadors for their country’s cultural heritage.
The week-long session focused on broad questions of what heritage means, and what makes something worth preserving.
Dr Katapidi had the young heritage ambassadors tackling themes including:
Reflecting on her time with the group, Dr Katapidi said: “It was an inspiring week in Strasbourg working with the Council of Europe and the brilliant Young European Heritage Makers! Together, we explored the evolving meaning of heritage and its potential to shape our present and future.
“From the role of heritage in fostering identity, social cohesion, peacebuilding, resilience, and sustainability, to critical reflections on how education systems can better embed heritage awareness—we tackled big questions and shared powerful ideas.”
Part of the workshop included “A Postcard to Future Self”, an interactive session that had participants write a postcard to themselves in the future, highlighting what they value as heritage and what they would like to protect and pass on to future generations.
The postcards were given to national coordinators of European Heritage Days, making sure that the crucial perspective of young people would be factored into future event planning.
“Engaging younger generations still remains a challenge, but their passion and insight this week reminded us just how vital their voices are in shaping inclusive, living heritage.”, says Dr Katapidi.
Lecturer
Biographical and contact information for Dr Ioanna Katapidi, BRIDGE Research Fellow (Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Economic Development) at the Ironbridge Centre for Heritage
