With increasing borders across Europe and globally, and rises in hate crimes and discrimination, it seems urgently necessary to understand the role of arts and culture in promoting inclusive societies, particularly in the integration and disintegration of societies.

Practices within art galleries, museums, archives, libraries, theatres and other cultural and community institutions (or enterprises) may be interpreted and understood as an active or passive statement reflecting political developments. How do people react to these societal statements of arts and culture? How can society and politics stimulate active or passive participation in and through artistic and culturaldevelopments of integration and disintegration?

The spectre of cultural institutions and enterprises may find inspiration from the area of heritage, and recommendations adopted 22^nd February 2017 by the Committee of Ministers to the Council of Europe member states on the European Cultural Heritage Strategy for the 21^st Century:

The European experience in cultural policy development as a case

“In the 19^th century, in a Europe fragmented into opposing nations, nationalist movements and later the revolutions of 1848 sought to justify and strengthen the existence of States, some of which were just emerging while others were under threat. People turned to the past to acquire an identity of their own. Gradually, there was a shift from the idea of a monument in memory of a person or an event (from the Latin monumentum – a memorial structure, based on the verb monere – to remind) to the idea of a monument having a historic and artistic value. Across Europe, the foundations of a national heritage policy began to emerge. Inventories were drawn up, followed by laws which little by little laid down regulations governing protection, conservation and enhancement.

In the early 20^th century, the Austrian Aloïs Riegl put forward a proposed typology of monuments in accordance with a series of values he attached to them. He emphasised the concepts of protection, conservation and restoration. These principles went on to be incorporated into all European countries’ national legislation, a legacy which benefits Council of Europe member States.

In 1931, the 1^st International Congress of Architects and Technicians of Historic Monuments, held in Athens, adopted a founding charter (the Athens Charter for the Restoration of Historic Monuments), which asserted the principles already set out by Riegl. It recommended that any use of monuments should respect their historic or artistic nature and that special consideration should be given to monuments and their surroundings when any development is planned. It also emphasised the importance of collaboration between curators, architects and scientists and finally called for international co-operation, a first in the field of the “artistic and archaeological heritage”. The particular context of the post-war period and the work carried out by UNESCO to save iconic sites throughout the world prompted these specialists and their successors at the 2^nd International Congress of Architects and Technicians of Historic Monuments, held in Venice in 1964, to set up, based on a proposal from UNESCO, the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS). This 2^nd Congress adopted 13 resolutions, the first being the International Charter for the Conservation and Restoration of Monuments and Sites, better known as the Venice Charter.

In the 1970s, the term “cultural heritage” replaced the expression “historic monument” which was henceforth reserved for legally protected assets. This change, encompassing a significant enlargement of the concept, took place in a socio-economic, political and cultural context which coincided with the 1973 oil crisis and profound changes in lifestyles. The Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage (UNESCO, 1972) and the European Architectural Heritage Year, based on the slogan “A future for our past” (Council of Europe, 1975), were key features of this change. The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 transformed borders and created new shared spaces.

On the strength of its experience resulting from 40 years of discussions and exchanges between experts and political representatives, the Council of Europe has drawn up and, once adopted, implemented several founding conventions which have been transposed into national legislation of European countries, creating the foundations of a greater Europe of heritage:

• the European Cultural Convention (Paris, 1954 – ETS No. 18);
• the Convention for the Protection of the Architectural Heritage of Europe (Granada, 1985 – ETS No. 121);
• the European Convention on the Protection of the Archaeological Heritage (revised) (Valletta, 1992 – ETS No. 143);
• the European Landscape Convention (Florence, 2000 – ETS No. 176);
• the Framework Convention on the Value of Cultural Heritage for Society (Faro, 2005 – CETS No. 199).

These conventions have become reference texts and have been supplemented by a range of declarations, recommendations and resolutions.

…….

The origins of the European Cultural Heritage Strategy for the 21^st century can be found in the numerous achievements of the Council of Europe which, since the adoption of the European Cultural Convention, have helped shape the heritage policies of most European countries and the resulting co-operation between them. The strategy also draws on the work carried out by UNESCO and the European Union, and discussions which have taken place in international non-governmental organisations and networks focusing on heritage (which have been involved in drawing up this strategy).

Interest in cultural heritage, on a European and international scale, goes back to the late 19^th century and is still evolving. It is expressed in the founding texts and, in particular, in The Hague Conventions with respect to the Laws and Customs of War on Land (1899, 1907), the Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict (1954), and the Athens (1931) and Venice (1964) charters on the conservation and restoration of monuments. The most recent reference texts are the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (2003), the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions (2005) and the Council of Europe Framework Convention on the Value of Cultural Heritage for Society (2005), which highlights the need for greater citizen participation and the ability of local communities, citizens, and civil society, to recognise as heritage what is meaningful to them and to respect, preserve, transmit and enrich that heritage.

However, our continent has experienced many changes posing challenges for “living together” and upholding the principles upon which democracy is based, and which is the common heritage of the member States of the Council of Europe.Present challenges facing societies worldwide call for coherent, comprehensive and inspiring responses.  Such challenges include demographic and climate changes, the spread of mass tourism at a global level, the growing number of natural and man-made disasters, the temptation of community isolationism, intergenerational divisions and the economic crisis. Such challenges have likely led to the emergence of challenges to, and serious violations of,_ the values of freedom, tolerance and democracy on which many of our societies are based..

Cultural heritage, in all its components- tangible and intangible, is a key factor for the refocusing of our societies, facilitating dialogue between cultures, respect for multiple identities and diversity, and a feeling of belonging to a community of values. Cultural heritage can play a key role as a means of building, negotiating and asserting one’s identity.

Cultural heritage is also a powerful factor in social and economic mobility through activities it generates and policies which underpin it. It can help achieve objectives in many other sectors, such as mental health and well-being, civic participation, emerging technologies and sustainability. It constitutes an invaluable resource in the fields of education, employment, tourism and sustainable development.

There is an urgent need to reposition cultural heritage policies, placing them at the heart of an integrated approach focusing on the conservation, protection and promotion of heritage by society as a whole – by both the national authorities and the communities which are the custodians of that heritage – such that everyone, from those most closely involved to those with a more distant connection, can benefit, and feel a sense of community and shared responsibility.

This challenge cannot be taken on by each state in isolation. Everyone’s efforts must be carried forward, supported and extended by the others, by means of a common awareness, and harmonious and consistent actions. This is the aim of global cultural policy strategy for the 21^st century.”

The challenge construction, de-construction and re-construction of identities

In order for citizens, particularly young people, to develop a sense of identity, it is important for them to recognise and value their heritage and the heritage of others- be that ‘home’, ‘host’ or other community. Under conditions of global precarity, people use social identities and inter-group relations to address individual uncertainties and fears (Greenberg, Pyszczynski & Solomon, 1986). Continued effort is required to ensure that young people develop literacies (knowledge, competencies and attitudes) to function across cultures and communities (Banks & Banks 2007). To promote a strong sense of 'self' in a multicultural community, a multicultural approach to cultural, living and learning engagement must prevail.  Young people, in particular, who are becoming adults in this globalised, complex and confusing context, need support in understanding and coping with potentially frightening global scenarios (nuclear threat, country divisions and terror-inducing events, to name a few). Thus, it it is important to understand if and how they citizens acquire inter-cultural competencies and how they position themselves within society. This means analysing how cultural literacy is tied to education, within a Learning Cities Context.  It also means exploring changes in social practices of youth, and how they relate to multimodality and multimedia, as cultural literacies are marked by new ways of participating and collaborating in social environments- which are then associated with participation in social, political and cultural change (virtually and physically).                                                                                                                

Therefore, we propose- under the umbrella of PASSCAL a Special Interest Group within the Learning Cities Network, to develop international links within such cultural issues, including a collaborative exploration of cultural literacy and intercultural competencies of diverse citizens, through formal, informal and non-formal engagement with cultural organisations.  The groups will work from the UNESCO (2013) Learning City indicators in the areas of cultural and civic engagement, in order to gain a greater shared understanding of how cities and regions support cultural engagement and cultural literacy and intercultural competencies in a diverse European, as well as global context.

Policy development for the field of cultural heritage is here seen as representative for the development of arts and culture as a whole.

Process forward:

Observatory Pascal (PASCAL) in collaboration with European Museum Academy (EMA) invites you to a free and open discussion regarding the proposed Special Interest Group above, with specific focus on the potential and challenges for cultural policy, cultural literacy and inter-cultural competency development, in service of social justice and cohesion work.

We hope to exchange knowledge and share best practice examples, reflections and innovative ideas for the role of culture and heritage in supporting more inclusive learning cities.

EMA invite interested in the sharing of perspectives  on remarkable developments in European museums at the annual EMA conference 20-22 September 2018 in Aarhus, Denmark. At this conference, there will be presentations of approximately 30 outstanding museums in Europe which has been nominated for prestigious European awards dedicated to social responsibility and history and pedagogical/ androgogical work.

PASCAL and EMA, in collaboration with The Nordic Centre of Heritage Learning & Creativity (NCK), also invite interested parties to participate in a seminar on the topic at the Nordic Spring Conference in Östersund, Sweden 6-7^th February 2019. A formal call for papers will be published late spring 2018.

Catherine Lido & Henrik Zipsane